Shorthorns  in  Scotland  and  Ireland. 
71 
point  Mr.  John  McElderry,  of  Ballymoney,  Co.  Antrim,  gives 
strong  testimony.  He  states  that  many  instances  have  been 
known  to  him  of  farmers  selling  from  ordinary  cows  and  pure- 
bred Shorthorn  bulls  animals  from  twelve  to  fourteen  months 
old  at  from  10/.  to  12/.,  whilst  others  had  difficulty  in  realising 
51.  or  6/.  for  stock  of  the  same  age  and  from  equally  good  dams, 
but  got  by  cross-bred  bulls. 
On  the  Earl  of  Caledon’s  demesne  farm  at  Castle  Hill,  Co. 
Monaghan,  crosses  have  been  raised  from  Shorthorn  bulls  and 
cows  of  the  Kerry  and  Ayrshire  breeds,  which  at  the  age  of 
three  years  realised  28/.  a-head.  The  heifers  bred  from  the 
Ayrshire  cows  and  Shorthorn  bulls  were  retained  ; and  having 
again  been  crossed  with  the  Shorthorn,  the  result  was  an  excel- 
lent dairy  cow,  combining  the  symmetry  and  substance  of  the 
Shorthorn  with  the  milking  properties  of  the  Ayrshire.  A bul- 
lock and  a heifer  bred  at  Castle  Hill  from  half-bred  Irish  cows 
and  a Shorthorn  bull  were  sold  for  slaughter  in  Dublin  the  other 
year  at  50/.  and  48/.  respectively,  the  age  of  each  being  about 
three  years.  On  Sir  John  Leslie’s  demesne  farm,  at  Glaslough, 
in  the  same  county,  there  are  some  beautiful  cows,  descended 
from  a pure-bred  Ayrshire  cow  with  four  Shorthorn  crosses  on 
the  top.  In  frame  and  general  appearance  they  would  rank  as 
very  good  pure-bred  Shorthorns,  while  they  have  to  the  full  extent 
retained  the  excellent  milking  qualities  of  the  Ayrshire.  For 
the  Irish  farmer,  or  indeed  for  any  farmer,  one  could  scarcely 
wish  a better  class  of  cows  than  these,  fit  as  they  are  to  breed 
steers  and  heifers  of  the  highest  merit  for  their  respective  uses. 
Similar  results  have  been  experienced  at  Crom  Castle,  Newton 
Butler,  the  Earl  of  Erne’s  seat,  in  Co.  Fermanagh.  In  his  lord- 
ship's dairy  some  years  ago  there  were  cows  of  the  Ayrshire, 
Kerry,  and  Alderney  breeds.  A Shorthorn  bull  was  always 
used  with  these,  and  the  progeny  invariably  gave  great  satisfac- 
tion, the  females  making  excellent  dairy  cows,  and  the  bullocks 
being  large,  well-formed,  and  easily  fattened.  In  the  spring  of 
1870  and  1877  several  steers  bred  in  this  manner,  and  not  quite 
three  years  old,  brought  an  average  of  25/.  a-head  in  the  Dublin 
market.  It  is  estimated  that  had  the  sires  been  of  the  same  race 
as  the  dams,  the  progeny  would  have  taken  a year  longer  to 
mature,  and  would  have  realised  one-third  less  than  was  obtained 
for  the  Shorthorn  crosses.  Regarding  the  improvement  of  cattle  in 
the  Newton  Butler  district,  a leading  agriculturist  in  that  locality 
says  : — “ Twenty  years  ago  few  farmers  in  the  neighbourhood 
were  owners  of  Shorthorn  bulls.  The  number  is  now  much 
increased,  and  is  yearly  increasing,  there  being  much  friendly 
rivalry  as  to  who  will  obtain  the  best.  Men  that  some  years  ago 
considered  20/.  a high  price  to  pay  for  a bull  are  now  freely 
