66 
Shorthorns  in  Scotland  and  Ireland. 
But  in  spite  of  these  formidable  obstacles,  the  Shorthorn 
breed,  in  conjunction  with  other  beneficial  influences,  has 
effected  a marvellous  improvement  in  the  general  stock  of  cattle 
in  Ireland,  thus  enhancing  the  wealth  of  the  country  to  an 
almost  incredible  extent.  No  inconsiderable  proportion  of  the 
agricultural  wealth  of  Ireland  is  derived  from  its  cattle.  For 
a good  many  years  back  more  than  half  a million  head  of  cattle 
have  been  exported  annually  from  Ireland  into  England  and 
Scotland,  and  the  amount  of  British  gold  received  in  return  for 
these  has  been  variously  estimated  at  from  seven  to  ten  millions 
sterling.  The  rearing  of  store  cattle  for  shipment  to  England 
and  Scotland  has  long  been  a source  of  much  profit  to  Irish 
farmers  ; and  Shorthorn  bulls  have  rendered  valuable  service  in 
helping  them  to  take  advantage  of  this  trade.  In  1881  no 
fewer  than  571,557  head  of  cattle  of  all  classes  were  shipped 
from  Ireland  to  England  and  Scotland.  In  connection  with 
this  it  is  interesting  to  note  that,  according  to  Marshall,  the 
number  exported  in  1795  was  only  36,000  head.  In  1881  more 
than  a quarter  of  a million  head  (250,899)  of  store-cattle  for 
fattening  or  breeding  purposes  left  Ireland  for  England  and 
Scotland,  the  large  majority  going  into  the  ports  of  Liverpool, 
Glasgow,  Stranraer,  Bristol,  Milford,  Barrow,  and  Ardrossan. 
Many  wide  districts,  both  south  and  north  of  the  Tweed,  where 
there  is  little  home-breeding,  are  mainly  dependent  on  Ireland 
for  their  supply  of  fattening  cattle.  From  nearly  all  these 
districts  accounts  have  been  obtained  testifying  to  the  great 
improvement  which  has  appeared  in  Irish  store-cattle  during 
the  past  twenty  years.  Complaints  are  heard  from  some 
quarters  to  the  effect  that,  while  the  bulk  of  the  Irish  lots 
are  good  well-bred  animals,  they  often  include  “ a tail  ” of 
very  unsatisfactory  merit — a feature  already  accounted  for — and 
that  they  generally  indicate  too  plainly  that  they  had  received 
scant  fare  in  their  youth,  and  perhaps  also  bad  treatment  in 
the  journey.  As  to  the  fact,  however,  that  there  has  been  very 
substantial  improvement  in  the  Irish  store-cattle  sent  to  England 
and  Scotland  during  the  past  twenty  years,  there  is  a gratifying 
concurrence  of  testimony. 
Norwich  Hill  Fair  has  long  been  one  of  the  principal  ren- 
dezvous in  England  for  Irish  lean  cattle,  and  a well-known 
English  agriculturist,  who  has  been  attending  there  for  nearly 
half  a century,  stated  to  me  a short  time  ago,  that,  between 
the  Irish  stock  now  being  exhibited  at  that  market,  and  those  | 
he  recollected  seeing  there  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago,  there 
was  a marvellous  contrast.  The  improvement  in  the  character 
and  quality  of  the  animals  themselves,  entirely  irrespective  of  > 
the  increase  in  the  value  of  cattle,  would,  he  believed,  amount  to 
