92 DAIRY CATTLE AND MILK PRODUCTION 



THE SHORTHORN BREED 



Origin and Development. This breed takes its name 

 from its characteristic short horns. It is also known in 

 some localities as the Durham breed, from one of the counties 

 in which it originated. The original home of the breed is in 

 Northeastern England, in the counties of Durham, Yorkshire, 

 and Northumberland, especially in the valley of the River Tees. 

 In this region the breed was improved and developed, and 

 from here it has spread over almost the entire civilized world. 



The exact origin is veiled in obscurity. The Romans, 

 Saxons, Danes, and Normans brought their cattle in suc- 

 cession to England and mixed them with the native stock. 

 After the invasion of the Normans there was little inter- 

 change of cattle for several centuries, and during this time 

 the animals in the rich valley of the Tees probably increased 

 in size, due to the favorable conditions of climate and food. 



It is known that a large type of cattle existed in this 

 region several centuries before the development of the 

 modern Shorthorn in the eighteenth century. Early in the 

 eighteenth century there were two general types, known as 

 the Tees-water and the Holderness. About this time it is 

 believed by most authorities, but disputed by others, that 

 bulls were brought from Holland and used in some of the 

 herds from which descended the improved Shorthorns. 



The beginning of the improvement which resulted in the 

 modern Shorthorn began about 1780, when Robert and 

 Charles Colling began their breeding operations, which lasted 

 until 1818. They are often spoken of as the founders of the 

 modern Shorthorn breed. Shorthorns as bred by the Col- 

 ling Brothers were generally good milkers, and this was 



