CHAPTER XXIV 



THE SHORTHORN 



The native home of the Shorthorn breed of cattle is in north- 

 eastern England, in the counties of York, Durham, and Northum- 

 berland. The North Sea borders this section on the east, with 

 the Cheviot Hills of Scotland the boundary on the north. Wind- 

 ing its way through a beautiful grazing country, the river Tees 

 forms the dividing line between Durham on the north and York, 

 the largest county in England, on the south. Here in the valley 

 of the Tees the Shorthorn received its early development and 

 improvement, from which it spread out over the rest of Great 

 Britain and the civilized world. This valley country has beautiful 

 long stretches of rolling grasslands and fields of grain and roots, 

 but farther north in Northumberland and south in York the land 

 becomes rougher and more hilly. 



The origin of the Shorthorn is veiled in obscurity. No doubt 

 the early invaders of England — the Romans, Normans, and others 

 — brought over cattle which crossed with the native English 

 stock. It has been assumed that even prior to 1600 cattle of 

 Shorthorn type were bred on the estates of the earls and dukes 

 of Northumberland in Yorkshire.^ Black, horned cattle prevailed 

 more or less in Yorkshire, while farther south, in Lincoln and 

 vicinity, white, red, and other colors prevailed. Early in the eight- 

 eenth century the Teeswater cattle represented one popular type, 

 while in southeastern Yorkshire another sort, known as the Hol- 

 derness, was developed. About the middle of this same century 

 Michael Dobinson and Sir William St. Quintin brought over bulls 

 from Holland and used these in their herds, owned in Durham 

 and Yorkshire respectively. In 1 789 George Culley wrote ^ : 



1 The word " shire " in Great Britain signifies county and is often used as a 

 part of the county name ; as, for example, " Yorkshire." 



2 Observations on Live Sigf^^i^^niiiH^'Aft® , 



207 



