CHAPTER XIV 

 SHORTHORN 



There is probably no other breed of cattle in America that is 

 favored by so large a number of farmers as the Shorthorn. Her 

 blood is the foundation of much of the common or grade stock 

 kept throughout the entire United States, predominating in the 

 middle and north central states, yet well represented in the 

 herds of New England, the south and the far west. A large 

 portion of the milk which has made Minnesota, Iowa and Wis- 

 consin well known as dairy states has been drawn from grade 

 Shorthorn cows. 



Origin. — The Shorthorn is a breed of old English origin. In 

 the northeastern part of the country in the valley of the River 

 Tees there was developed by selection and good feeding a strain 

 of cattle considerably superior to those in the neighboring dis- 

 tricts. Their improvement took place chiefly in the three coun- 

 ties of Durham, York and Northumberland. Early in the 

 eighteenth century bulls are believed to have been imported from 

 Holland by a Mr. Dobinson. Years later his and his neighbors' 

 herds were well known for their superiority over the stock of the 

 surrounding country which had been more largely descended 

 from the native wild animals of the Island or from stock brought 

 in during the Roman and Norman conquests. 



The real improvers, almost the originators of the breed, may 

 be said to have been the brothers Charles and Robert Colling, 

 Robert Bakewell, Thomas Bates, Thomas Booth and Amos 

 Cruickshank. Mr. Bates bred for milk as well as for beef, while 

 Messrs. Booth and Cruickshank emphasized the meat-making 

 quality. To these men and others who followed close after them, 

 belongs most of the credit for starting the great improvement in 

 livestock which has meant so much in every way, not only to all 

 England but to all North and South America, South Africa, 

 Australia, New Zealand, and in fact to much of the civilized 

 world to-day. Not only was it the cattle produced but also the 

 example, the pointing out of the possibility to other men for 



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