140 REPORT — 1887. 



Three calves born this year have died — viz., one male from quinsy, 

 two females born prematurely. 



Two heifers were due to calve in September and four cows in 

 October. 



This will make a tofal of fourteen births during the year, from which 

 we may infer that this herd is in no danger of extinction from shy 

 breeding. 



These cattle weigh up to fifteen scores to the quarter when fed for 

 beef. They are thoroughly domesticated, and allow one to move freely 

 among them, and the second bull permitted two visitors and Mr. Hill 

 (the agent) to handle him simultaneously. The cows are all regularly 

 milked. The butter made from them is pronounced the best in the 

 county, and they are as a rule excellent milkers. The highest record 

 (^fide Mr. J. Hill) is thirty-three quarts per diem, but the drain on this 

 cow's constitution proved fatal in about four months, notwithstanding 

 everything possible being done in the way of feeding. 



These cattle are polled, and no exception is known to have occurred. 

 They are black pointed, but there is considerable range in the markings 

 — far more than in any of the other herds. When Mr. Hill became agent, 

 some nine years ago, he found the herd somewhat uncared for, and many 

 of the cows so aged as to be past breeding, and he has therefore during 

 that interval of time been keeping every good heifer calf, without 

 weeding out too stringently on account of irregular markings. 



About 1876 or 1877 a young bull was exchanged with the Marchioness 

 of Lothian (Blickling). This cross succeeded fairly well ; a peculiarity 

 in this strain being that many are born with the ears square-tipped, as if 

 the animal had been marked by cropping. 



About the year 1879 a young bull was exchanged with A. Cator, Esq. 

 (Woodbastwick). This bull was broivn pointed, but threw calves with 

 red ears and muzzles, which were the first so marked known to have 

 occurred at Somerford. 



Of the twenty-three cows and heifers, eleven have either very little 

 black fleckings about the body or even none at all ; while about six have 

 a good deal of black in thickly grouped fleckings, spots, and small patches ; 

 two or three have probably fully one-third of the entire hide black. One 

 cow, about ten years old, may be described as a blue-roan, black and white 

 hairs being placed almost alternately over the greater portion of her body, 

 which give her a hlue-grey coloration. The fronts of her forelegs below 

 the knees are black, and also the whole outside of her ears, instead of as 

 usual from one-third to a half at the distal end. This cow was (accord- 

 ing to Mr. Hill) giving twenty-four quarts of milk per day. 



One cow is red pointed, and slightly flecked on the neck with the 

 same colour. The black on the nose in the majority extends evenly round 

 the whole muzzle, including the under jaw, but some have merely the 

 naked part of the nose black, and in one or two even this is rusty 

 coloured and not perfectly black. All, with the exception of the red- 

 pointed cow, have a narrow rim of black round the eyes. The animals 

 with the least black about them appear to have the finest bone and 

 smallest heads. This may be following the old^'strain, while the others 

 perhaps more nearly follow the cross-strains. 



The red-pointed cow and one of the quite white ones have small knobs 

 or excrescences on either side of the frontal bone, like budding horns, but 

 they do not protrude through the skin. 



