1 86 CATTLE 



smoothness of finish ; but these are characteristics of easily fat- 

 tened animals only. The udder of the Short horn averages decidedly 

 greater capacity than does that of the other beef breeds, and is 

 a noteworthy feature. No beef breed is better able to nourish 

 the calf than the Shorthorn. It is due to emphasizing the impor- 

 tance of milk production on the part of some of the best breeders 

 in history that has resulted in the American farmer regarding 

 the Shorthorn as better suited to general farm purposes than 

 any other breed. In limb animals of this breed should show 

 shortness of leg, small, clean bone, and strong yet not coarse 

 joints. A criticism often made of Shorthorns, and not without 

 some justice, is that they have a tendency to be too long of 

 leg. This has been especially said in the past of cattle of Bates's 

 breeding, and this criticism has been materially weakened by the 

 influence of Scotch blood. 



The Shorthorn bull should possess in the main the desirable 

 features of the female, without her feminine qualities. His head, 

 horns, and neck naturally should be stronger and larger, the 

 latter being thick and arched, the whole front showing character 

 and breeding power. The horns of the bull are less bent than 

 those of the cow, and should be prominent yet not coarse. Over 

 the forehead and neck should be a covering of thick, fine, and 

 moderately long hair. In general form the bull should also be 

 broad in front, with full deep bosom, broad powerful arms, a com- 

 paratively shorter and more blocky body than that possessed by 

 the cow and with greater relative size. 



The color of the Shorthorn is in part distinctive of the breed. 

 This may be pure red, red and white, pure white, or roan, the 

 latter being a commingling of red and white hairs without form- 

 ing solid color. The shades vary, the red ranging from light to 

 dark and the roan from light or white roan to dark or red roan. 

 No other breed claims the roan color. Black is not a Shorthorn 

 color, and should not occur in pure-bred animals. The impor- 

 tance of the color varies in the estimation of different persons, 

 but color has never indicated the best animals, and wise breeders 

 select on the basis of intrinsic merit rather than color. 



The relative prevalence of the different Shorthorn colors has 

 been brought out by the author through researches made in the 



