58 THE OX AND THE DAIRY. 



stock ; yet certain it is that the Leicester, or improved Dishley 

 breed, have left little more than a name behind them. 



We must not suppose, however, that Mr. Bakewell was the 

 only man of his day (about 1750-60) who bent his mind to the 

 improvement of the long-horns. There were other labourers 

 in the field ; but all appear to have taken the Canley breed as 

 the foundation upon which to work: for example, the bull 

 Shakspere, the property of Mr. Fowler, of Kollwright, Oxford- 

 shire, was the son of D, by a daughter of Twopenny, and was 

 perhaps the most valuable bull, of the breed, that ever existed. 

 He approached perfection as nearly as possible ; and from 

 him, and heifers of the same stock, Mr. Fowler raised a breed 

 of long-horns of extraordinary value. For example, in 1791, 

 at a sale, which it was his custom to hold at certain intervals, 

 five bulls and six cows returned the sum of 2204. One bull, 

 Garrick, sold for 250, aged five years; another, Sultan, two 

 years old, 230; another, Washington, 215; and not a bull 

 for less than 152. Of cows, the first, Brindled Beauty, by 

 Shakspere, sold for 273; and the lowest for 120. In 1789, 

 Mr. Fowler refused five hundred guineas for ten bull calves. 



Direct from the Canley stock, and Mr. Fowler's bull Shak- 

 spere, was raised a splendid breed of long-horns, by Mr 

 Princep, of Croxall, in Derbyshire, which was highly esteemed, 

 as were those of Mr. Paget, of Ibstock, in Leicestershire, Mr. 

 Mundy, of Derby, and several other successful breeders, whose 

 labours we need not here follow out. 



While the successful cultivation of the long-horns was thus 

 carried on in England, we must not suppose that the cognate 

 breed of Ireland was neglected. But there was, referable to 

 this breed, a singular variety, prevailing more especially in 

 the north of Ireland, of rude figure, with large bones and 

 heavy dewlap, which, either from some inherent idiosyncracy, 

 or, more probably, from the obstinate prejudices or indolence 

 of the small farmers, never received improvement ; while, on 

 the contrary, in other districts, first by the introduction of 

 the old Lancashire stock, and subsequently by the accession 

 of bulls of the new Leicester breed, and others of the im- 

 proved Canley strain, the long-horned cattle began to rise in 

 quality, and lost their heavy slouching aspect, and their dis- 

 proportion of bone to flesh. Yet it was found that, in pro- 

 portion as these long-horns improved for the purposes of the 

 grazier, and acquired, with better contour, a tendency to 

 fetten even on ordinary diet, the quantity of milk yielded by 

 the cows became diminished, to the detriment of the cottier 



