Shorthorns  in  Scotland  and  Ireland. 
95 
bulls  as  “Planet”  (1325),  “Ploughboy”  (2-139),  and  “Monarch”  (2324). 
In  his  native  Cumberland  Mr.  Armstrong  had  imbibed  a strong  love  for  the 
improved  Shorthorns,  and  in  1852  he  purchased  the  bull  “ Hetman  Plutoff  ” 
(13,024)  from  his  breeder  Mr.  Isaac  Hutchinson,  of  Braystones,  Whitehaven, 
Cumberland.  This  bull  was  not  only  a famous  prize-winner,  but  was  also 
a noted  sire ; and  having  been  let  at  a fee  of  10s.  per  cow,  he  effected  a most 
marked  improvement  in  the  cattle  of  the  locality  generally,  as  well  as  in 
his  owner’s  herd.  In  1854  Air.  Armstrong  imported  from  Cumberland  three 
handsome  well-bred  cows.  One  was  “ Hyton  Lowther,”  the  dam  of  “ Het- 
man Plutoff,”  and  another,  the  first  Shorthorn  owned  by  Mr.  R.  Jefferson, 
of  Preston  Hows,  the  eight-year-old  cow  “ Tink-a-Tink,”  from  which  many 
good  animals  have  descended,  including  some  that  did  well  in  the  The  Island 
herd. 
Mr.  Joseph  Meadows,  of  Thornville,  founded  his  famous  herd  about  1858. 
Mr.  Moffat,  of  Ballyhyland,  followed  his  example  about  two  years  later ; while 
Mr.  William  Bolton,  of  The  Island,  who  had  been  breeding  Shorthorns  for 
many  years,  built  up  his  large  and  important  herd  soon  after  1862.  At  the 
outset,  Mr.  Meadows  and  Mr.  Bolton  drew  largely  upon  Mr.  Armstrong’s  herd ; 
but  in  after  years  they  went  further  afield,  introducing  some  of  the  most 
valuable  material  in  the  country.  The  Thornville  herd  produced  the  cele- 
brated showyard  champion  “Bolivar”  (25,649),  the  winner  of  upwards  of 
twenty  prizes  and  cups  at  the  leading  national  and  provincial  Shows  in  Great 
Britain.  “ Charlie  ” (25,745),  half-brother  to  “ Bolivar,”  and  also  from  the 
Thornville  herd,  had  an  almost  equally  brilliant  Showyard  career  ; while  with 
cows  and  heifers  Mr.  Meadows  also  won  many  prizes.  The  chief  tribes 
represented  were  the  “ Bracelet,”  “ Fanny,”  “ Chemisette,”  “ Medora,”  “ Lady 
Sarah,”  &c.  The  sires  used  were  of  good  Booth  blood.  The  bulk  of  the  herd 
was  dispersed  in  1874,  at  an  average  of  about  50 1.  a-head.  At  the  first  sale 
at  Thornville,  Mr.  Wentworth  Taylor,  of  Tinahely,  purchased  a heifer  of  the 
“ Fanny  ” tribe,  and  has  since  continued  to  breed  Shorthorns.  He  has  made 
important  purchases  at  The  Island  and  Coollattin,  as  well  as  in  England,  and 
now  owns  a promising  herd  of  well-bred  animals. 
Mr.  William  Bolton,  of  The  Island,  had  long  been  using  bulls  from  strains 
of  high  repute,  aud  by  degrees  he  collected  a large  stock  of  excellent  females 
of  good  breeding.  His  chief  tribes  were  the  “ Gwynne,”  “ Glossy,”  “ Wood- 
bine,” “Sylph,”  “Rosamond,”  “Fame,”  “Lady  Sarah,”  and  “Mantalini.” 
The  representatives  of  the  last-named  tribe  were  obtained  from  Westland, 
and  for  one,  Alpine’s  heifer  “ Mantalini,”  Mr.  Bolton  paid  750  guineas.  For 
several  years  Mr.  Bolton  used  bulls  from  Warlaby ; and  from  his  herd  a large 
number  of  high-class  animals  have  been  spread  throughout  Ireland.  The' 
herd  was  dispersed  in  1881,  when,  for  the  high  character  of  the  stock,  the 
prices  were  low.  The  choicely-bred  “ Mantalini  ” bull  “ Albion  ” (36,112) 
was  secured  by  Mr.  Allen,  Unicarville,  at  230  guineas.  The  females  of  the 
“ Mantalini  ” tribe  had,  at  an  earlier  date,  gone  to  the  Prinknash  Park  herd 
in  Gloucestershire,  at  high  figures. 
At  Lisnevagh,  in  Co.  Carlow,  the  late  Colonel  Bunbury  long  kept  a good 
herd  of  Shorthorns,  from  which  the  district  derived  much  benefit.  His  son, 
Lord  Rathdonnell,  the  owner  of  the  celebrated  “ Anchor  ” (32,947),  has  gone 
heartily  into  the  breeding  of  high-class  Shorthorns,  and  his  promising  herd  at 
Lisnevagh  is  presided  over  by  a bull  on  hire  from  Warlaby. 
At  Straffan,  Co.  Kildare,  Major  Barton  has  raised  a very  fine  herd  of  animals 
of  high  average  merit,  and,  in  particular,  showing  good  substance  and  great 
wealth  of  flesh.  The  choicely  bred  “Vesper”  bull  “Star  Fitz-Halnaby ” 
(44,092)  is  at  present  on  hire  from  Ardfert  Abbey,  and  he  is  assisted  by 
the  beautiful  young  “Riby”  bull,  “ Riby  Marquis”  (46,980),  purchased  at 
Mr.  Talbot  Crosbie’s  sale  in  1881  for  135  guineas. 
