ON WHITE CATTLE IN GENERAL. 



the best families of Shorthorns throughout the world can be traced 

 to an individual white bull or cow. 



Coming nearer home, among the herds we have either seen or heard 

 of in our time, and let us see how frequently white or almost white 

 bulls have played important parts in the history of dairying in New 

 South Wales. Early in the thirties of last century the Segenhoe Es- 

 tate people imported a white bull named "Comet" into the Hunter 

 River district. Many oi his descendants found their way into the 

 Illawarra district, and their progeny were noted milkers. About the 

 same time Mr. John Berry imported a white bull of the " Cornet^ 

 breed to Shoalhaven. This bull was driven overland from Sydney, 

 and rested for several weeks with Mr. M. Hindmarsh, at Gerringong. 

 This bull is mentioned as being one of the best dairy bulls ever landed 

 in New South Wales. The best dairy bull ever owned by Mr. Charles 

 Throsby, of Bong Bong, was white, and was imported by the Aus- 

 tralian Auction Co. The best bull >for dairy purposes owned by Mr. 

 Henry Osborne, of Marshall Mount, was white. This animal was 

 also imported by the Australian Auction Co. Nearly ali the best sires 

 and dams from this bull were either white or light roan in color. 

 In order to deepen the color he used a red Lincoln bull. This ani- 

 mal resembled the Devon in color, but favoured of the Shorthorn in 

 size and form. O>f the descendants of the celebrated H.O. brand it 

 li, needless to speak. Four of them may be mentioned namely, the 

 cow and bull exhibited by Mr. Osborne at the first show held in Wol- 

 longo>ng. The cow was a strawberry roan, and exhibited suckling four 

 calves. The bull was also a strawberry roan. Four bulls from the ori- 

 ginal white bull were white, one owned by Mr. Somerville, of D^apto, 

 one by Mr. Armstrong, near Albion Park, one owned by Mr. Wilson, V> 

 the same locality, and one owned by my father. My father's bull 

 was white, with a few bluish patches about the neck and head, and 

 dark ears. All these bulls proved to be sires of very high merit for 

 dairy purposes, being deep milkers and good doers. 



The best bull imported by Mr. Alexander Berry to Coolangatta 

 was a white bull. This bull was at Coolangatta at the time ot die 

 Rev. Mr. Townsend's visit to Shoalhaven in 1848. Mr. Berry called 

 him " Ella," and he was a great acquisition to the Berry Estate stock, 

 and his progeny was much admired by Illawarra men. The best bull 

 imported to Illawarra in the late thirties by Mr. David Johnston was 

 a light roan bull at his estate, Terry's Meadows, and Mr. 

 Johnston called him " Erasmus." This bull left his mark on many 

 of the early herds of Illawarra. Mr. Johnston had also in the forties 

 a white bull a twin bred by Mr. Henry Osborne, of Marshall 

 Mount. His twin brother was purchased by Mr. Charles Throsby, 

 of Bong Bong, .and was also white. Both these bulls were' excellent 

 sires; their progeny were excellent. Mr. John Terry Hughes also had 

 a light roan bull in the early forties at his estate, Terry's Meadows, 

 that produced good stock. 



The ITH brand, used by John Terry Hughes in those days, branded 

 more Longhcrns for his estates on Monaro than Durhams. Many 

 of these Longhorn-Durham crosses afterwards found homes with the 

 small settlers on the coast, and proved themselves to be the best of 

 animals for the dairy. Of course, the Longhorns in those days, al- 

 though being an old and distinct br e ed, were much more pronounced :n 

 type than they are to-day. They were darker in color, inclined to yellow 

 and the white on their faces, backs, and bellies was speckled more or 

 less. When boundary fences were erected in after years, breeds, as 

 in the old countries, were kept separate. Then all b.ild-<faced cattle 

 were put to imported Hereford bulls, and a new breed established. The 

 same with the Shorthorn, Ayrshire, and Devon breeds. Some few 

 breeders retained the red Lincoln until it became absorbed by the 

 Shorthorn breeders ; others retained the Guernsey until it was ab- 

 sorbed by either the Ayrshire or Normandy cattle. Marsclen's polled 



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