THE UNITED KINGDOM. 139 



The Ayrshire is, moreover, far more hardy and will thrive under circumstances 

 where the Shorthorn would perish. This is well illustrated by the immense drafts 

 of Ayrshires which have gone within the last few years to Sweden, Norway, and Fin- 

 larxl, and from personal intercourse with natives of these countries I find their idea 

 oftho Shorthorn as a dairy cow is low compared with the Ayrshire. I annually pass 

 a considerable number of both through my hands, and have como to the conclusion 

 that the milking qualities are more regularly developed in the Ayrshire than the 

 Shorthorn. Some Shorthorns are as good milkers as any Ayrshire could he, but they 

 are extremely few, whereas it is the few Ayrshires that are not milkers and the many 

 that are. Both breeds, however, I think, might be greatly improved as general dairy 

 cows by judicious admixture of the good qualities of both. For milking and feeding 

 I certainly prefer a cross by the Shorthorn bull with the Ayrshire cow to the pure 

 breed of either, simply because it generally milks equal to the Ayrshire and better 

 than the Shorthorn, and feeds equal to the Shorthorn and bettor than the Ayrshire. 

 In carrying this out in practice, I generally buy Ayrshire cows and put them to a 

 pure Shorthorn bull, keeping the cross female calves for my own stock and selling 

 the males in the feeding districts, where they bring a price equal to that of any 

 other. By this means I consider I make the most out of the good qualities of both. 



(11) ABERDEEN OR ANGUS POLL. 

 Mr. Clement Stephenson, well known as a large prize taker, says : 



Having for many years been engaged in a'large veterinary practice, with special 

 opportunities for forming an opinion on the merits of the different breeds of cattle 

 from a professional point of view, and having for the last eleven years been a farmer 

 and feeder of stock, I believe this breed of cattle stands pre-eminently forward both 

 to-the farmer and the butcher as being hardy and healthy, a good milker, both in 

 quantity and quality, easily fed, a good beef producer, coming early to maturity, and 

 highly prized by butchers. 



Having devoted considerable attention to feeding cattle, both for market and show 

 purposes, I was often struck with the excellent specimens of the Aberdeen cattle I 

 saw, and I resolved to give them a ferial. In the spring of 1877 I bought a young 

 heifer of the breed in Buchan, Aberdeenshire, and, although only in ordinary condi- 

 tion when purchased, she improved so rapidly that, at Newcastle fat stock show, De- 

 cember, 1877, she took first prize in a class for heifers of any ago ; and, at the Smithfield 

 show, 1878, she obtained first prize in her class and was reserve number for the Scotch 

 cup. A second heifer, which I bought from the same breeder, took a similar position 

 in the Northumberland and Smithfield shows of 1830. In September, 1880, I bought 

 two yearling Polled steers from Mr. Bruce, Mid Clova, and with one of these sent out 

 to show on November 14, 1881, when only two years eight months and nine days old, 

 weighing 19 cwts., I gained first prize at Norwich; first at Leeds; second at Bir- 

 mingham, in class for steers not exceeding four years of age ; and second at Smithfield 

 to Sir W. G. Cumming's champion ox. With the other steer, I obtained first at York 

 and second at Hull. The progress these pure Polls made in weight and the high price 

 they sold for, in comparison with specimens of other breeds I was feeding and show- 

 ing, convinced me that they possessed all the good qualities the late Mr. McCombie 

 claimed for the breed. 



In my first season, when I had pedigree Polled cows, I was much struck with their 

 aptitude to fatten. They were grazing in the same fields with other well-bred colored 

 cows, all were suckling calves, and while the blacks were full of flesh and in splendid 

 condition their fellows were so lean that I had to instruct my bailiff to give them a 

 liberal supply of cake. The more I see of this breed of cattle the more I am con- 

 vinced of their great value. They are, it is well known, able to live and look well 

 on a poorer class of land than many other breeds, and yet they repay, in a very 

 marked degree, any attention they may receive either by putting them on good land 

 or giving them extra feeding. 



There is another and most valuable advantage these cattle possess, namely, their 

 remarkable freedom from tubercular disease a disease that has caused great loss and 

 made sad havoc in many a herd, and a disease, the importance of which in a medical 

 point of view (viz, its communicability to man), is now attracting much attention. 

 Of course I cannot assert that it has never been known or seen in this breed of cattle ; 

 but this I can say, that although I have had special opportunities for research, and 

 have examined great numbers of cattle, both alive andjpost mortem, I hav^ never yet 

 seen a trace of it in this breed. 



Mr. Lyell, of Dundee, says : 



The now celebrated Polled, or Hornless, cattle of Forfarshire, long familiarly known 

 as Angus Doddies, were probably originally introduced into Scotland from Norway. 

 They were formerly known in the neighborhood of Dundee as Humble Cattle, a name 



