202 
On Short-horn Cattle. 
were presented to us by Mr. C. Colling, it behoves us to ascertain 
the means he used to accomplish so desirable an object, and to 
apply ourselves assiduously to follow his example. 
A brief account of the Ketton herd of short-horns may be ac- 
ceptable to those who never had the opportunity of seeing them. 
They were of great size and substance, with fine long hind quar- 
ters ; the space from the hip to the rib was long, but the evils 
attendant on an extreme length in this part were counteracted by 
a broad back and high round ribs ; the shoulders of the males 
were upright, and the knuckles or shoulder -points were large and 
coarse, but that defect was not so apparent in the females ; the 
general contour or side-view was stately and imposing, but their 
great superiority consisted in their extraordinary inclination to fat- 
ten. On handling, the skin was very loose and pliant, and the 
feel under it was remarkably mellow and kind. Mr. C. Colling 
was distinguished above all other breeders of his day by a pecu- 
liarly fine discriminating touch, which enabled him to judge of the 
quality of the flesh and its tendency to fatten, to which, in con- 
nexion with good judgment in other respects, his superiority and 
success as a breeder were mainly attributable. The colour of the 
Ketton short-horn varied greatly — red, red and white, roan, and 
also white being found in the same kindred ; and in all crosses of 
close affinity there was a great tendency to white. Many versions 
are given of this peculiarity, but the most probable one is the no- 
torious fact that many of the best herds in the neighbourhood of 
Ketton were white, with red ears and red spots on their necks — 
viz. the Grilington, Barton, Barningham, Studley, &c. &c. ; and 
to some of these the pedigrees of the Ketton herd are traced. 
The original short-horns were a hardy, strong-constitutioned 
race of animals, as will be shown by stating that the writer's grand- 
father kept thirty cows, and had only one cowhouse, which held but 
two cows, and was occupied by those that had most recently calved, 
and they again were turned out to give place to others when newly 
calving; all the rest remained out during winter (be it remem- 
bered this was in a northern climate) ; those giving milk were 
kept during winter on hay in the meadow-field near the farm-house, 
and the remainder were kept in the meadows in different parts of 
the farm. There was only one fold-yard for five or six beasts ; the 
whole of the young stock was reared out of doors, except young 
calves for a few months. The speed or quarter-ill was tlie only 
complaint they were subject to, which, from ten to eighteen months 
old, was frequently very fatal. I'his herd was closely descended 
from the Studley bull mentioned in the ' Herd-book :' many of 
them were large, fine-looking beasts, white, with red-spotted 
necks and red ears, and were excellent milkers. 
In breeding short-horns, many persons whose opinions are en- 
