REVIEW — THE BREEDING AND ECONOMY OF LIVE STOCK. 25 
“ The Improved Short-horns were for some time confined to 
the county of Durham, where there were many distinguished 
breeders, as Mr. Hill, Mr. Maynard, Messrs. Charges, Mr. 
Mason, Colonel O’Callagan, Mr. Crofton, and others, through 
the skill and judgment of whom the breed now stands pre- 
eminent. Gradually, however, they have now become spread 
over all parts of the United Kingdom, and many parts of the 
Continent, America, and Australia. The breeders of Lincoln- 
shire and Yorkshire have never, in the opinion of the best 
judges, been able to raise animals equal to those produced in 
the county of Durham, the cattle being generally wanting in 
symmetry. The principal breeders in Northumberland, about 
fifty years ago, were the Culleys, the Comptoms, the Smiths, 
the Greys, the Thomsons, the Jobsons, Hunt, Curry, and many 
others; while, north of the Tweed, was the late Mr. Robertson 
of Ladykirk, who procured his first stock from Mr. Codings. 
The writer, having had frequent opportunities of inspecting Mr. 
Robertson’s stock, is enabled unhesitatingly to state that the ani- 
mals composing it were unrivalled. Mr. Robertson kept about 
thirty breeding cows, all of them perfect models. In colour 
they were generally roan, light gray, and white, or rather cream 
colour, and occasionally bright blood-red. The nose and mouth, 
and also about the eyes, were cream coloured'; eyes full, lively, 
and prominent ; forehead broad, and from eyes to nose rather 
long ; muzzle fine ; ears thin ; horns short and white ; neck well 
set on, rising gently from the shoulders, and fine, but not thin; 
neck, veins, and breast, full and prominent ; shoulders full at 
the top, and moderately so down to the forearm, and full of 
muscle ; small, clean, flat bone below the knee ; fore-legs 
straight, and moderately wide, the forend open, wide, and 
prominent ; the crops full and round, and wide behind the 
shoulders, or girthing-place ; ribs round, and well arched ; back 
and loins full and broad ; hooks wide and long to rump-bone, 
and well filled from the loins to the setting-on of the tail, which 
is almost in a straight line to the shoulders; tail broad and full 
of hair, dropping outside of the hocks ; the hips or buttocks well 
filled on the outer and inner sides ; hind legs wide and well set, 
and full of muscle above the knee ; belly straight, the whole 
carcass being nearly cylindrical ; hide rather thick, soft, and 
mellow, with a fine touch ; hair woolly. Such were the forms 
and qualifications of the Ladykirk Short-horns. At one time 
Short-horns were preferred with thin hides and thin silky hair ; 
but these being found unable to withstand the cold, Mr. Robertson 
and many other breeders selected those with soft but thicker 
hides and thick-set woolly hair: indispensable requisites to 
protect the animals from cold. Mr. Robertson’s stock possessed 
VOL. XXIV. E 
