Longhorn Cattle: their History and Peculiarities. 483 
Tiarities as milkers and feeders, and I am pleased to state that, 
so far from being forced to rely on my own observation and 
judgment respecting these important points, I am at liberty to 
publish some letters on the subject from people whose expe- 
rience of their goodness, as well as their defects, extends over 
lengthened periods, and far exceeds what could by any pos- 
sibility have come within the scope of my own observa- 
tion. Before giving them, however, I must recount a few 
anecdotes of the breed gleaned from other sources. First, 
noting the fact that the milk-sellers say the milk is too rich and 
good for them to be able to sell it at the usual price, I may 
quote a passage from " The Druid's " excellent article on Long- 
horns, written about ten years ago,* wherein he records the 
following experiment : — " Mr. S. Craven Pilgrim, of Burbage, 
near Hinckley, is a noted breeder of Shorthorns, which are of 
I the Bates blood, and which he cultivates for milking properties. 
Mr. Pilgrim selected his six best cows against a like number 
of Mr. Chapman's " (Longhorns). " The Shorthorns produced 
152 lbs. of milk, and the Longhorns 135 lbs. The weight of 
curd for the Longhorns was 19^ lbs., but that from the Short- 
horns only 14J. This experiment was made in June. The 
trial was again made in September — the whole of Mr. Pilgrim's 
cows, numbering 36, against Mr. Chapman's 32 Longhorns. 
The Shorthorns produced 605 lbs. of milk, which made only 
66^ lbs. of curd. The Longhorns produced 553 lbs. of milk, 
which made 69 lbs. of curd." This experiment carries out 
the milk-sellers' idea. It is known that, when ripe, they are 
good butchers' beasts ; and years ago the breed was celebrated in 
Smithfield Market for giving the greatest number of valuable 
cuts from the back and ribs ; and they are known to "die well," 
to use a butcher's term. That they are capable of coming to as 
early maturity as any other breed is proved by heifers having 
been brought up in company with Shorthorns of the same age and 
first-rate blood, when there was no perceptible difference in that 
respect ; and a Shorthorn man once said, " I know the Longhorn 
breed well, and feel sure there are no more serviceable animals 
under the sun for general purposes, and I wish I had them now." 
Again, a large landowner summed up their qualities in this 
wise : " Since I gave up Longhorns, no cattle have done so well 
on my estate as they did, and I shall endeavour to procure them 
again." With regard to their feeding on a small quantity of 
food, I have it on good authority that a Longhorn-breeder on 
one occasion tried some Shorthorns with his cattle. He observed 
the latter often without food, whilst the Longhorns were busy at 
* 'Mark Lane Express,' January 7th, 18G7. 
