The Affriemltmral Featiires of the Paris ExMhition. 227 
crones wiU not tbrire properij ander the same treatment, uatially 
▼ety caielen indeed, as that bestowed on the pure-bred French 
anJmalsL A slight deterioration in those working powers, which 
are prized so highlj, seems to be regarded as of far greater moment 
daii a large increase in the yield of beef. Anyhow, it is an in- 
disputable fact that French farmers caase immense loss to them- 
•elres;, as well as to their cnontry, by maintaining and propagating 
inferior breeds of cattle, which are unworthy of the fertile country 
diej occapy. The breeders of the better French races adduce 
widi some force reasons for their reluctance in seeking to im- 
piDirediem by the infxision of foreign Wood. Take, for instance, 
the breeders of the Limousin cattle. They glory in the striking 
aoilbnnitif and general good diaracter which their favourite breed 
presents ; and while they acknowledge the desirability of increas- 
ing tbeiattening tendency, they dread the introduction of foreign 
Uood, lest it shonld resnlt in the modification or even extinction 
<rf^ those liamilj features. To a certain extent we sympathise with 
tbatca^km; bat we think much good might be done on the 
one side with bat very little, if any, loss on the other. Herd 
Books ought to be established for all the more important breeds ; 
and dnis, while crossing might go on freely, a pure and unadul- 
terated fountain would be maintained of each. In the northern 
ooonties of Scotland, where the Shorthorns and Black Polled 
cattle floorish side by side, the general cattle stock consists of 
dosaes between these two breeds — animals superior for ordinary 
Insbandry to either of the two pore strains— and yet this ex- 
tensiTe intermixing of the two does not, and could not, in any 
way contaminate the parent streams. It is in the Western 
Departments of France that crossing with the Shorthorn has 
been panned more extensirely : and where, according to the 
oflfeial Catalogue, its "influence on agriculture and on the 
economical conditions of agricultural industry has been most 
viable." 
The Section comprised no fewer than 93 animals ; and con- 
tained crosses between the Shorthorn and twelve different breeds. 
It could not be said that success had been attained in every case : 
bat, taking the Section as a whole, it exhibited a most decided 
l e a ning towards the male side. The variety in colour, size, 
form, and general appearance was great : but still all through, 
with very few exceptions, there was a stamp of the Shorthorn 
which could not be mistaken. It was, indeed, startling to con- 
template the many roueh and widely different tribes which had 
been the foandation on one side, and to think that a little foreign 
Mood coold have produced all the unformity and similarity that 
were apparent. It was not easy to ascertain how many Short- 
horn crosses could have been registered to the credit of the 
