56 
Shorthorns  in  Scotland  and  Ireland. 
influence  in  improving  inferior  varieties,  have  won  for  them  an 
indisputable  claim.  Much,  however,  as  Shorthorns  have  done 
in  England,  it  may  be  questioned  whether  they  have  not  in 
other  countries  even  outstripped  their  home  achievements.  In 
foreign  fields:  America,  the  Continent  of  Europe,  the  British 
Colonies,  and  other  far-away  countries,  the  breed  has  established 
itself  as  a most  effectual  agent  in  the  development  of  national 
resources.  Then,  nearer  to  its  native  land,  it  has  on  the  well- 
tilled  farms  of  Scotland  and  the  green  pastures  of  the  Emerald 
Isle  accomplished  work  of  great  magnitude  and  value.  What 
the  breed  has  done  in  Scotland  and  Ireland  the  following  notes 
are  intended  mainly  to  indicate.  They  are  offered  as  a humble 
contribution  to  the  treatment  of  a vast  subject  which  has  not 
as  yet  received  due  attention  from  the  live-stock  historian. 
The  peculiar  mission  of  the  Improved  Shorthorn  would  seem 
to  be  to  remove  or  make  up  for  the  deficiencies  of  other  breeds. 
Its  own  meat-producing  powers  are  of  the  highest  order,  and,  if 
it  had  been  kept  within  itself  and  turned  solely  to  this  purpose, 
it  would  no  doubt  have  attained  a creditable  position.  The 
breed,  however,  possesses  in  an  eminent  degree  another  pro- 
perty, which  has  raised  it  far  above  the  mere  direct  butcher 
and  dairy  standards,  and  that  is  its  remarkable  adaptability  for 
crossing  with  and  improving  other  varieties  of  cattle.  The 
value  of  this  special  power  of  transmitting  its  good  points  to 
other  varieties,  and  thus  raising  their  usefulness,  greatly  exceeds 
the  breed’s  own  meat-producing  faculties,  or  any  other  excel- 
lence which,  if  it  had  been  kept  within  itself,  it  could  possibly 
have  developed.  The  great  bulk  of  Improved  Shorthorns  have 
therefore,  during  the  existence  of  the  race,  been  employed  as 
indirect,  rather  than  direct,  agents  in  the  production  of  meat — 
in  bringing  meat  out  of  other  races  rather  than  raising  it  upon 
their  own  frames.  It  was  for  this  far-reaching  purpose  that  the 
breed  was  first  introduced  into  various  parts  of  Scotland  and 
Ireland  about  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago.  To  this  great  object  it 
has  ever  since  been  in  the  main  devoted.  How  well  it  has 
fulfilled  the  mission  an  attempt  will  now  be  made  to  show. 
The  agriculture  of  both  Scotland  and  Ireland  has  made 
remarkable  progress  during  the  past  fifty  years.  In  bringing 
about  this  rapid  development,  many  agencies,  such  as  extensive 
drainage,  the  use  of  bone,  guano,  and  other  extraneous  manures, 
the  extension  of  turnip-growing,  improved  methods  of  cultiva- 
tion, the  adoption  of  labour-saving  implements  and  machines, 
the  use  of  cakes  and  other  feeding-stuffs,  and  the  general  advance 
in  the  well-being  of  the  country,  have  all  gone  hand-in-hand 
with  the  improvement  of  live-stock.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that 
the  last-named  factor,  the  improvement  of  cattle  in  particular, 
has  played  an  important  part  in  the  good  work,  and  that  in 
