THE OX AND THE DAIEY. 61 



or small farmer, who could not pretend to rear beasts for the 

 slaughter market, and who depended upon his milk and its 

 products. It is true that, in the grazing grounds, or parks, of 

 the gentry and nobles, who aimed at a valuable stock, in the 

 sense of the feeder, the improvement of the breed was worth 

 every effort ; nor were efforts spared. We need not enume- 

 rate the spirited and enterprising individuals who were fore- 

 most in this work, nor detail the success which crowned their 

 exertions. As a proof, however, of this success, we may state 

 that, in 1802, ten bullocks, aged six years, were sold, at the 

 fair of Ballymahoe, for four hundred guineas, and ten four years 

 old heifers or cows for three hundred guineas. These cattle 

 were bred by Lord Oxmantown (afterwards Earl of Eosse), and 

 were, in all respects, models of their kind. The effects of 

 these improvements seem to linger still in Ireland, whence 

 the English grazing-grounds and markets derive most of 

 the long-horned cattle which are now to be seen ; but all 

 do not carry the marks of this improvement, many being 

 coarse, bony beasts, which will do little credit to the best 

 pasturage. 



Within the last twenty years, the short-horns have been 

 introduced into Ireland, and a half-bred stock has been the 

 result ; this stock is hardy, though less so than the old breed 

 of long-horns, which, especially among the small farmers, still 

 maintains its ground. 



Besides the long-horned, and half-long-horned breeds, there 

 is, in Ireland, a very distinct race of middle-horned cattle, 

 which, though very generally spread, seems to be more preva- 

 lent in the mountain districts. This breed, which is active, 

 wild, and very hardy, and when removed from the hills to 

 good pasture-land rapidly fattens, is evidently allied to the 

 Welsh or Highland cattle, and will claim further notice when 

 we come to the middle-horned races of our islands. 



It was in the course of a few years, comparatively speaking, 

 that the long-horned breed attained to its perfection, and in 

 as short a time it experienced a decline. The Dishley long- 

 horns have run through their allotted date; perhaps they 

 were bred too much in and in, a circumstance always tending 

 to ultimate deterioration ; perhaps, after the days of those 

 who brought the long-horns to perfection, others came into 

 the field with less skill, and, in attempting to improve, re- 

 versed the good that had been done : but more probable it is 

 that the breed gave way before the rising dynasty of the im- 



