FIRST CENTURY OF DAIRYING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



able strains of dairy stock, the progeny of bulls selected from the best 

 Durham, Shorthorn, Longhorn, and Lincoln strains in England; and, 

 further, when the bull " Major" was put into the Penrose herd at 

 Dapto, Mr. Evan Evans had some of the Mnest specimens of dairy 

 cows to be found probably in the world. So that after all, the "Major" 

 blood was nothing more than the blend of blood that suited the dairy 

 strains in the Illawarra district at the time namely, from 1860 to 1868. 



" Theodore," on the other hand, was a picture oi symmetrical 

 beauty a perfect model for one of Landseer's noble works of art 

 which we can occasionally see hanging in halls of some of our more 

 wealthy stock raisers. Had this beautiful rich roan, with his faultless 

 head and eye, been mated for ten years, as " Major'" had been, with 

 the best specimens of cows then in use among the dairymen of Illa- 

 warra and Shoalhaven, there is not the slightest doubt but that the 

 best possible results would have been obtained. Mated as he was 

 with Durham beef cows, his progeny produced very excellent milkers, 

 and in consequence not at all admired in those days by beef Short- 

 horn breeders in New South Wales. 



As Carr says : " Without subscribing to the axiom that ' Beauty 

 ever designs to dwell, where use and aptitude are strangers,' it may 

 be, however, safely asserted that the proportions and the disposition 

 which best accomplish the particular purpose -for which an animal was 

 designed, are the true desirable ones." Theodore was an example. 



Experienced graziers are well aware that the light and elegant neck, 

 so much lauded by some, and indeed so desirable in breeds whose sole 

 merit consists in their dairy properties, is usually accompanied by 

 general lightness of flesh, and in animals in moderate condition almost 

 invariably with rough shoulders, prominent in their points and bare 

 of flesh. 



Now, it will be admitted that angular points are inconsistent with 

 the conditions of true beauty, which require that the parts should 

 unite gradually and insensibly one into another without any projec- 

 tions. If it were possible to place a picture of the bulls " Major" and 

 " Theodore" side by side, it would be 'found that each in turn were 

 representative of the two types just described. " Major" was angular 

 and bony, certainly not fleshy, with a thin neck. "Theodore" made up 

 by condition was fleshy ; the neck increased, though not abruptly in 

 size, until it melted insensibly into the shoulders, which again blended 

 imperceptibly with the crop, fore flank, and ribs, without any depres- 

 sions. 



Following closely these two remarkable bulls by means of compari- 

 son a little further, we find that whereas " Major's" pedigree was never 

 published, " Theodore" had an excellent pedigree, his number being 

 (292) in the New South Wales Shorthorn Herd Book, and going 

 straight back to " Bolingbroke" (86). " Major," on the other hand. 

 was reported to have been purchased as a calf at Burt's Bazaar, Syd- 

 ney, having been born at sea ; and that his dam was imported by MLr. 

 Lee, of Hathurst. The writer went to no end of trouble to ascertain 

 the correctness of that report, but failed to get any information that 

 would show that " Major" had ever been on a ship beyond the one 

 that brought him from Sydney to Wollongong. There are three let- 

 ters, one each .from the brothers Lee namely, Mr. George Lee, 

 M.L.C., Lceholme, Bathurst, Mr. John Lee, Kelso, Bathurst ; and Mr. 

 James Lee, Larras Lake, Molong, which can be examined by anyone 

 desiring to do so. But not content with these letters having in the 

 meantime discovered that the Messrs. Lee had imported a cow and 

 calf about the period "Major" was brought into Illawarra another 

 letter was despatched to Mr. James Lee on the subject. The following 

 is a copy of his reply : 



" Larras Lake, Molong, March I2th, 1894. Mr. Frank McCaffrey. 

 Dear Sir, I am in receipt of your letter of 9th instant. My 



172. 



