Farming of CumherJand. 



251 



almost invariably the distinctive mark of tlie long-horns, viz. the 

 white stripe along the back. The eyes were commonly margined 

 with a narrow band of the predominant colour, as if bound about 

 with coloured tape. Their horns were long, and stood in various 

 directions ; but the group annexed will convey the best idea of 

 this now extinct race. Towards the end of their reign, they got 

 deteriorated with other blood ; and, by thoughtless and injudicious 

 crossing, became perhaps the worst kind of cattle in the county. 

 Their uniform white faces gave them a rather singular and pretty 

 appearance as to colour, strikingly resembling the Herefords,. 

 whose descendants they might have been ; but by whom intro- 

 duced, at what period, or how originally selected or crossed, there 

 is no record. A very few of the crosses from this breed may yet 

 be recognised, but the pure breed has been lost among the all- 

 pervading short -horns. 



Another variety had the colours, size, and qualities of the long- 

 horned breed ; but were either entirely destitute of horns, or hac? 

 merely rudimentary processes of loose horns of 2 or 3 inches 

 long, turned downwards, and partly imbedded amongst the hair. 



At the end of the last century, these varieties of the long-horns 

 constituted the entire bovine Ijreeding stock of the county ; and 

 if others were introduced, as they annually were, it Avas for the 

 purpose of grazing only. 



There is scarcely a stock of pure long-horns existing in the 

 county at this date. Mr. Douglas, of Crofts, near Whitehaven, 

 had a fine herd of over sixty till 1848 ; but they have been crossed 

 with the short- horn since. Mr. Bowman, of Mireside, in Enner-- 

 dale, has still managed to keep a part of his stock pure, and has 

 recently found good demand for his bull calves at nearly lOZ. each.*^ 



* Mr. Isaac Fletcher of Riggs, in Embleton, has a very fine dairy stock of 

 ahcnt 20 long-horn milk cows, from which he annually rears a number of pure 

 bred heifers and bulls. 



