84 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BREED. 



breeds of cattle. Some place the small Devon breed 

 alongside, if not even before it, in this respect ; but with 

 that exception, we do not think that any other breed in the 

 British Isles will on an average yield so high a percentage 

 of dead meat to live weight. In butchers' phraseology, 

 it "dies" well and "cuts up" admirably. In all the 

 leading fat-stock markets in the country the breed is held 

 in high estimation, and, as a rule, commands the very 

 highest prices — in fact, generally a higher price in com- 

 parison to its size and live weight than any of the other 

 leading breeds. This is especially the case at the great 

 Smithfield Christmas Market in London, where the plump 

 compact polls from the north never fail to find a ready 

 sale at the highest quotations. 



The breed is specially adapted for crossing with Short- 

 horns. Indeed, perhaps the very best beef- producing 

 animal that has as yet been reared is a cross between a 

 Shorthorn bull and a polled cow. Throughout the north- 

 east of Scotland that system of crossing is pursued very 

 extensively. Nearly nine-tenths of the famous Aberdeen- 

 shire beeves, so highly prized in the London market, are 

 crosses between these two breeds. The best system is to 

 mate the polled cow and the Shorthorn bull; but the 

 reverse system, which, owing to the scarcity of polled 

 cows, is freely practised, also gives excellent results. 



It is noticeable that, as a rule, those of these crosses 

 that approach the most nearly to the Shorthorn type are, 

 if anything, the largest in appearance, and attain the 

 greatest live weight. It is equally well known, however, 

 that those which most closely resemble the polled breed not 

 only bring the highest price when fat, and yield a larger 

 percentage of dead meat to live weight, but also command 

 the greatest number of customers and the readiest sale. 

 An influential cattle-salesman in England stated the other 

 day, that for a black polled ox or heifer, or even a cow, he 

 could find three buyers for one who would bid for an 



