THE UNITED KINGDOM. 93 



steer at two years old, 12 to 13 cwt. Second, a middle-sized animal for general pur- 

 poses, milk and beef combined. A cow of this sort might weigh 11 to 13 cwt., a bull 

 about 15 to 18 cwt., and steers at two years old in proportion. Third, a small-sized 

 animal exclusively for milk. This at first I am trying to breed as small aa I possibly 

 can, with an abnormal development of milk. I have now been breeding this sort for 

 some two years, and I fancy I shall be able to breed animals smaller than either Kerry 

 or Breton cows. 



I have now been breeding Red Polls for about thirteen years ; my present herd con- 

 sists of about 70 head of cows. Up to this time, I have not been able to weed out as 

 freely as I could wish, as Red Polls are scarce. Now, I shall be able to draft a num- 

 ber for fattening purposes every year. As a rule I only sell calves, or young bulls of 

 about two years old. I prefer to fattening off cows to selling them for breeding or milk- 

 ing purposes. My fat steers are generally sold rather under than over two years of 

 age ; heifera that are rejected for some reason or other, generally have a calf and are 

 fattened off at three years. 



I consider the Red Polls to be a color variation of the old Suffolk cow, which is of 

 a light yellow or pale ginger color, and I fancy it too is a color variation of the old 

 original White Polled cow kept by the monks, and now in a few instances kept tame 

 in noblemen's parks. I have the mind to set up two small dairies of these two varie- 

 ties ; I have already secured some and got the promise of others. My present herd is 

 comprised of about equal parts of blood from Norfolk and Suffolk stocks. I am in 

 favor of line breeding, unless, of course, it shows bad results. My idea of breeding 

 three different sizes is quite contrary to the usual ideas upon the subject, but for the 

 present I see no reason to regret the course I have taken. As far as I can see, judi- 

 cious selection is more prepotent than either food or climate. The fact that I hope, 

 starting with the same blood and food and other conditions of existence, to produce 

 animals that weigh over 1 ton, down to animals that only weigh 3 cwt., as I feel 

 quite certain I can, points to. the same conclusion. When I first began to breed Red 

 Polls, they had short wire coats, but now they have long silky coats, with soft mel- 

 low skins. As far as I can see, a first-class milking habit is more difficult to fix in a 

 breed than any other characteristic ; the material may bo present, but one cow stores 

 it up and another yields it up to the milkman. Cows that are good milkers often 

 breed heifers that are only the common run, although put to good bulls out of good 

 milking strains. 



As regards the proportion of lean to fat, Red Polls have on tho market a good repu- 

 tation, and fetch advanced rates ; some price as much as a shilling per stone more than 

 Shorthorns. 



My cows are fed on a great variety of food, according to the crops of the year. In 

 summer they are out at grass from May to October ; at times they have a bait of cab- 

 bages or turnips on tho pastures, with 2 to 3 pounds of cotton cako or linseed ; some- 

 times lucern in tho barn, or they may be turned out to clover. In winter they are 

 fed with cake, hay, cabbages, swedes or turnips, or gorse, with a few bushels of meal, 

 just as it may happen. Grains as well as malt dust is good food, but all depends on 

 circumstances such as homo crop or cheapness of artificial food. 



As for tho working powers of the Red Polls, I have never worked them myself, as I 

 am a largo horse breeder, but they can bo worked with a collar. I have seen some 

 working in America, but never in England. 



Since the above was written I have received the following informa- 

 tion from Mr. Gooderham, the well-known breeder of this race, whose 

 cattle are so famous for their milking qualities. He states that the 

 annual average yield of milk per cow is about 1,000 gallons, and that 20 

 pints is the usual quantity required to produce a pound of butter. He 

 does not manufacture cheese and is, therefore, unable to give the 

 quantity necessary to make the like quantity of that article. The live 

 weight of the Eed Polls, he informs us, is from 1,400 pounds to 2,000 

 pounds, at maturity, and that the proportion of meat of a fattened steer, 

 also at maturity, is nearly equal to that of a Scot. His land is com- 

 posed mostly of heavy clay, and his grasses consist chiefly of old past- 

 ure. The summer food of his Red Polls is 4 pounds of best linseed cake 

 daily, with grass. In winter he feeds them upon cut hay, turnips, 

 swedes, mangolds, and carrots, or cabbages. In the early part of the 

 winter he prefers feeding them with two bushels of swedes and carrots, 

 and with the like quantity of mangolds in the spring.* 



* For much of the special information given in the foregoing report on Red Polls, 

 Mr. Long expresses his obligation to Mr. Euren; editor of the Herd-Book, and to Mr. 

 Lofft, the famous Suffolk breeder. 



