Shorthorns  in  Scotland  and  Ireland. 
75 
Before  Shorthorn  bulls  came  into  general  use,  even  as  late 
ns  ten  or  fifteen  years  ago,  the  cattle  of  these  counties  were 
mostly  of  a very  bad  description  ; they  were  of  fair  size,  hardy 
and  good  milkers,  but  ill-shaped,  thin  in  flesh,  slow  in  growth, 
and  very  hard  to  fatten,  not  reaching  maturity  until  nearly 
four  vears  old.  In  some  districts  Dutch  cattle  were  bred  pretty 
extensively  for  their  excellent  milking  properties.  Bulls  of  this 
race  were  crossed  with  the  ordinary  dairy  cows,  and  from  these 
unions  sprang  the  blue  or  grey-coloured  cattle  that  at  one 
period  were  numerous  in  this  part  of  the  country.  The  cattle 
with  Dutch  blood  were  very  bad  feeders  ; and  farmers  found  that, 
in  order  to  derive  advantage  from  the  growing  export  trade  in 
store-cattle,  they  would  have  to  rear  a different  class  of  cattle. 
It  was  then  that  the  superiority  of  Shorthorns  for  crossing 
purposes  forced  itself  upon  the  notice  of  farmers,  and  in- 
duced them  to  commence  the  improvement  of  their  stock  by 
their  influence.  The  valuable  herds  at  Ballywalter,  Ashfield, 
Glanatore,  and  Ballymartle,  &c.,  have  been  of  great  service  to 
this  part  of  the  country,  while  much  good  has  also  been  done 
by  proprietors  keeping  bulls  for  the  use  of  their  tenants,  the 
Duke  of  Devonshire  having  as  many  as  four  high-class  bulls 
employed  in  this  way  on  his  estates.  Before  Shorthorn  bulls 
were  freely  used,  the  best  class  of  yearlings  sold  at  about  51. 
a-head.  Now  they  bring  9 1.  or  10/.,  and  from  21.  to  21.  10s.  of 
this  advance  is  claimed  as  due  entirely  to  the  influence  of  good 
Shorthorn  bulls.  Unimproved  heifers  in-calf  sold  at  from  8/. 
to  10/.  10s.  ; while,  at  the  present  time,  good  young  Shorthorn 
crosses  in-calf  sell  at  from  17/.  to  221.  a-head. 
Major  Gumbleton,  of  Glanatore,  has  lately  made  some 
interesting  experiments  with  Shorthorn  bulls  crossed  upon  other 
varieties  of  cattle,  and  in  every  case  the  results  have  been 
most  creditable  to  the  sire.  “ Some  years  ago,”  he  said,  “ I pur- 
chased a lot  of  six  two-year-old  cows,  in-calf,  at  a fair  on  the 
borders  of  Kerry.  The  price  of  the  lot  was  51.  10s.  a-head.  Two 
were  of  the  Kerry  race,  three  appeared  to  have  a cross  of  some 
other  kind — perhaps  a distant  dash  of  Shorthorn  blood — and 
one  seemed  to  be  a half-bred  Jersey — all  small,  half-starved- 
looking  beasts.  I crossed  them  with  a first-class  Shorthorn  bull, 
nearly,  if  not  quite,  pure  Booth  blood.  In  the  first  crop  there 
were  four  heifer  calves  and  two  bulls.  The  bullocks  were  sold 
as  two-year-old  stores  off  the  grass  for  15/.  15s.  a-head,  one  being 
lrom  a Kerry,  and  the  other  from  one  of  the  nondescript  trio. 
One  of  the  heifers  was  sold  as  a three-year-old,  in  calf,  for  20/., 
and  I reiused  21/.  for  the  heifer  of  the  half-bred  Jersey.  She  is 
still  here,  as  I wish  to  see  what  the  second  cross  with  a first-rate 
jull  may  produce.  Since  then  I have  sold  the  produce  of  those 
