460 Lonyliorn Cattle : their History and Peculiarities. 
superiority on the part of their rivals, that caused the gradual 
displacement of the Longhorn from our pastures and steadings. 
In fact, the Longhorn breeders attempted too much ; and the 
breed may veritably be said to have been killed with kindness. 
They sought for over-refinement, and forgot that it is mucli 
more easy to lose than to regain hardy qualities and big bone, 
which any breed must have to pay in the hands of tenant-farmers 
generally. Qualities for which the Longhorn had for years been 
especially famous were ignored, and others of an exotic character 
endeavoured to be implanted on him, — such as must eventually 
prove the ruin of any breed in which they are perpetuated, with- 
out some counteracting influence. Those men who first took in. 
hand the breed in its rough state, and made it famous, gradually 
passed away. Others arose without their skill, who, not content 
to let well alone, in trying to gild refined gold, overshot their 
mark, and produced misshapen animals, delicate in constitution, 
and, worse than all, uncertain breeders. Hence their gradual 
decay and comparative scarcity, so that " The Druid," a few 
years ago, writing " When the Durham ox began his six years 
of caravan life, the fate of the Longhorn was sealed," * shot very 
near the mark, though he cannot be quite said to have hit 
the bull's-eye. In fact there were a few men who, knowing 
the intrinsic merits of the breed, stuck to them through good 
report and evil report, and gaining experience by the failures 
of their predecessors, avoided the shoals and quicksands on 
which others had been wrecked. Patiently biding their time, 
they have held on long enough to see their favourites once more 
come into well-deserved esteem, and take their place with our 
Shorthorns, Herefords, Devons, and so forth. To trace the Long- 
horn through the various stages of fortune which have awaited 
him is the purpose of the present Paper ; and now that he 
is once more emerging from undeserved obscurity, after having 
passed through what may be called the dark ages of the breed, 
to enter on a new state of usefulness, I trust that his history may 
be found neither unimportant nor uninteresting. 
With regard to his derivation, little is known. I have seen 
it asserted that, like his rival, the Shorthorn, he first came from 
Yorkshire, and that the district of Craven was the cradle of the 
race. But I also find that, at a very early date in our history, 
he was spread, widely spread, over what are now generally 
known as "the grazing districts;" and I feel more inclined to 
look on Craven as a part where perchance some superior animals 
were bred (perhaps from the effect of soil and climate, combined 
with greater skill), and for their superiority introduced to other 
♦ 'Mark Lane Express' of Jan. 7th, 1SG7. 
