Cross-breeding of Cattle. 
351 
graziers used, some twenty or thirty years since, to draw tlie 
p;reater part of their winter beasts from Scotland ; but now very 
few in(h>ed find their way there, chiefly Ijecause our Northern 
brethren find it more profitable to feed them at home and send 
them lat to London and to other markets. 
In the West of England — the home of the white-faces — cross- 
bred cattle are commonly seen at most of the fairs, as many of 
the small farmers who keep two or three cows manage to send 
them to the pure-bred bull of a wealthier neighbour ; and I have 
been able to pick up very many useful steers bred in this way. 
The cattle met with in some parts of Wales and Shropshire 
called the " Shrop " are, I fancy, a cross between the native or 
Welsh breeds and the Hereford, and rare good fleshy beasts I 
have found them, much sought after by the butcher when fat, 
being liked better than the pure white-faced Hereford, ])articu- 
larly when they happen to have a mottled or smoky face ; and 
I may here observe that the same rule applies to Hereford cattle 
as to cross-bred sheep — the more colour in their faces the better 
the butcher likes them. 
The Devon breeders have perhaps done less than any others 
in crossing their cattle, which are admirably adapted for the soil 
and climate of their district, besides being much sought after for 
working purposes, an object for which a cross with the short- 
horn would be prejudicial. 
It is to the dairymen of Bucks, Derbyshire, Salop, and the 
West of England that we are indebted for many of the cross- 
bred animals now met with, for they look out for the cow that 
gives the most milk or butter, or promises to make the greatest 
quantity of cheese, quite regardless of her origin ; nor in many 
cases are they much more careful as to the pedigree of the 
bulls, in consequence of their selling the calf when a few days 
old. But I find that there is now a growing desire among them 
to use a well-bred bull, whereby they will much improve the 
produce, to their own benefit as well as that of the purchaser. 
Where the heifer calves are reared to keep up the stock, a 
bull from a good milking family will soon alter the appearance 
of the herd. 
The majority of the cross-bred cattle we meet with noM -a- 
days partake more of the character of the shorthorn than anv- 
thing else, so that to this breed belongs the credit of having 
done most towards supplying food for the million. No matter 
of what sort or amalgamation of sorts the cow may be, a cross 
with a pure shorthorn bull very rarely fails to make an improve- 
ment in size, quality, and fattening properties, if not always in 
the milking powers of the produce. 
Many persons, I am aware, consider that cross-breeding is 
now-a-days carried to too great an extent, and predict that the 
