THE BEEF BREEDS OF CATTLE 217 
The first cross of a Shorthorn on any of the beef breeds 
makes a good beef animal. The “ prime Scots,” which 
are so popular in the English markets, are crosses of 
the Shorthorn and Aberdeen-Angus. The “ blue-gray ”’ 
steers, which are also highly prized in the British markets, 
are crosses of the light-colored Shorthorns on the Gallo- 
way. 
248. Distribution. — The Shorthorn is the most widely 
distributed breed of cattle. It is found in Europe, es- 
pecially in Great Britain, in Asia, South Africa, Australia, 
North and South America. It is the most popular and 
most widely distributed beef breed of cattle in the United 
States and Canada, and is found in every state and 
province in these two countries. In the United States, 
Shorthorns are found most numerously in the following 
states, in order of their importance: Iowa, Missouri, 
Illinois, Ohio; Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, 
Michigan. They are still growing in popularity. 
One feature which adds greatly to the popularity of 
the Shorthorns is their great adaptability. They have 
the power to adapt themselves to varying conditions of 
food, climate and treatment. Although they are best 
adapted to temperate regions, they readily adjust them- 
selves to greater extremes of temperature and climate. 
They possess a fair degree of hardiness, and do fairly well 
under range conditions. The Shorthorn was the first 
breed used for the improvement of the cattle on the ranges, 
and has been used extensively for this purpose in the 
United States, Argentina and Australia, but in recent years 
has been largely supplanted by the Hereford. Notwith- 
standing its value on the range, the Shorthorn is best 
adapted to a system of mixed farming, such as is followed 
in the Mississippi valley, where land is so valuable that a 
