CHAPTER XXXVIII 



THE DEXTER 



The native home of the Dexter is in the southern part of 

 Ireland and in the same region as that of the Kerry. 



The origin of the Dexter is quite obscure. The common as- 

 sumption has been that this breed is a cross between the Kerry 



and some other breed, 

 perhaps the Devon. 

 The opinion expressed 

 by Professor James 

 Wilson 1 is that this is 

 a short-legged offshoot 

 from the Kerry, 4ue 

 to crossing with the 

 Devon. It has also 

 been repeatedly claimed 

 that "a Mr. Dexter," 

 who at one time was 

 agent of Lord Hawar- 

 den, is responsible for 

 this Irish breed, which 

 for some time was 

 known as the Dexter- 

 Kerry, but which now 

 is classed by organizations promoting these cattle in Great Britain 

 and America as a distinct and separate breed from the Kerry. 



The introduction of the Dexter to America probably occurred 

 long ago, when no discrimination was made between Kerry and 

 Dexter in importations. Perhaps two hundred Dexters were im- 

 ported to the United States between 19 lo and 1915, a large 

 percentage of which were brought over by Elmendorf Farm of 



1 The Evolution of British Cattle and the Fashioning of Breeds. London, igdg. 



442 



Fig. 194. La Mancha Union Jack (37), a noted 



prize-winning red Dexter bull. From photograph 



by the author 



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