214 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 
fusion of the blood of the low-set, short-legged Scotch 
type, this tendency has been largely done away with. 
The color of the Shorthorn is more variable than that 
of any other breed of cattle. It may be pure red, pure 
white, a mixture of these two colors, or roan. Roan is 
distinctively a Shorthorn color and may always be re- 
garded as an indication of Shorthorn blood. Red and 
white were always characteristic colors of the old Short- 
horn breed in England, but after their introduction into 
the United States, white became unpopular, especially 
on the western ranges, and anything except a solid red 
color was greatly discriminated against. The demand for 
red cattle became greater than the supply of good individ- 
uals, and sires of very ordinary character were used for 
no other reason than that they were red, while excellent 
individuals of the lighter colors were rejected. Good 
sense and sound judgment finally prevailed in the matter, 
and the red color craze has abated so that whites and roans 
have again come into popularity. 
244. Uses for milk. — The Shorthorn ranks high in its 
dairy capacity. In England there have always been 
families or strains, notably those of Bates breeding, which 
have been noted for their milking capacity, and in England 
to-day the dairy qualities of the Shorthorn receive as 
much consideration as its beef-producing qualities. It 
is asserted that 90 per cent of the milk-supply of London 
is furnished by Shorthorns. In America, more attention 
has been paid to the beef side of the question, and the dairy 
qualities have been somewhat neglected, especially during 
the past craze for the thick-fleshed, blocky Scotch type, 
which were poor milkers. At present, however, more 
attention is being paid to the milking qualities in an effort 
to develop milking strains of Shorthorns (Plate VII). 
