72 
Shorthorns  in  Scotland  and  Ireland. 
paying  from  45  to  60  guineas  ; and  I believe  there  is  not  another 
district  of  the  same  area  in  Ireland  that  takes  so  large  a number 
of  young  bulls  from  the  Dublin  Spring  Show  and  Sale.  These 
bulls  are  let  at  moderate  fees,  and  are  highly  prized  by  those 
who  cannot  afford  to  buy  bulls  for  themselves.  It  is  needless  te 
say  that,  as  the  result  of  this  enterprise,  the  cattle  in  the  district 
are  very  superior,  and  are  much  sought  after  by  dealers.  The 
contrast  between  the  cattle  in  districts  where  Shorthorn  bulls 
have  been  freely  used  for  some  time,  and  where  no  good  sires  are 
employed,  is  most  striking.  It  is  no  unusual  occurrence  to  find 
a two-year  old  Shorthorn  cross  realising  as  much  as  an  ill-bred 
four-year  old.” 
In  reference  to  what  Shorthorns  have  done  in  the  portion  of 
the  West  comprised  in  the  counties  of  Longford,  Roscommon, 
and  Sligo,  no  better  testimony  can  be  produced  than  that 
of  Colonel  Ffolliott,  of  Hollybrook,  Boyle,  whose  father  was  one 
of  the  first  in  Ireland  to  use  bulls  from  Warlaby  and  Killerby. 
Colonel  Ffolliott’s  recollection  carries  him  back  to  about  the 
year  1835.  The  cattle  at  that  time  seen  in  the  fairs  were,  with 
few  exceptions,  long-horned,  red,  and  brindled,  and  had  none  of 
the  quality  or  rapid  growth  of  the  Shorthorn.  At  the  outset 
there  was  great  prejudice  against  Shorthorns  in  these  parts,  but 
the  valuable  properties  of  the  breed  were  not  long  in  overcoming 
these  objections.  Within  twenty  years  the  Shorthorn  cross  had 
changed  the  appearance  of  the  fairs  in  Longford  and  Ros- 
common, and  the  desire  for  Shorthorn  blood  became  general. 
Since  1855  the  improvement  has  been  no  less  marked.  Short- 
horn blood  has  gone  on  spreading  in  the  western  counties,  and 
where  in  1855  one  would  have  looked  in  vain  for  a well-bred 
heifer,  scores  of  excellent  ones  may  now  be  easily  got.  This,  it 
cannot  be  doubted,  is  due  to  the  remarkable  influence  of  Short- 
horn crossing.  It  is  not  only  the  first  or  the  second  cross  that 
is  good,  nor  only  the  cross  with  particular  breeds  ; but,  wherever 
a Shorthorn  bull  has  been,  the  influence  may  be  traced  through 
several  generations.  In  Sligo,  Colonel  Ffolliott’s  father  was  the 
pioneer  of  Shorthorns,  and  the  blood  of  Hollybrook  stock  is  now- 
all  over  the  county.  Most  of  the  county  gentlemen  and  not  a 
few  farmers  have  for  many  years  been  in  the  habit  of  buying 
good  Shorthorn  bulls,  chiefly  at  the  Dublin  Spring  Show  and 
Sale,  and  although  in  some  parts  of  the  West  the  cattle  are 
still  below  the  standard  of  mediocrity,  there  is  no  lack  of  good 
bulls  and  good  cattle  wherever  a county  gentleman  or  an  enter- 
prising farmer  resides.  In  Longford,  largely  through  the  influ- 
ence of  the  excellent  lot  of  bulls  which  the  late  Hon.  Lawrence 
King-Harman  and  others  lent  to  their  tenants,  the  general 
stock  of  cattle  have  attained  a surprising  degree  of  excellence. 
