224 REVIEW — REPORT OF THE FARMING OF CORNWALL. 
The original breed are of a black colour, but few only of these are 
found at present : the Devons are now the prevailing breed. The 
purest stock of the new kind are found at Trebartha, where they 
have been bred with the greatest care for the last forty years — the 
late Mr. Rodd having obtained the best of the kind from the neigh- 
bourhoods of North and South Molton; but notwithstanding the care 
and attention that have been paid to obtain the purest Devon stock 
by him and other breeders, the cattle reared in the north of Devon 
are still superior to our own, having generally richer coats, and 
more correct symmetry. This degeneracy has been attributed partly 
to the herbage, and partly to the climate of Cornwall. 
“ Short-horns . — Within the last twenty-two years short-horns 
have been introduced on many farms through the exertions of Mr. 
Peters, who first purchased some cows from Mr. Wilkinson’s stock, 
of Penton, Nottingham, and a bull* * * § of Mr. Smith, of Dishley. 
Other heifers followed from Mr. White, of Leicestershire, and 
again from Mr. Wilkinson’s stockt. Some years after he intro- 
duced a bullf, which was purchased for him at Mr. Mason’s sale 
by the Earl Spencer. These laid the foundation of the short-horned 
breed in Cornwall. A few others have been lately introduced by 
Messrs. Hendy, Tilly, and Scobell ; but the greatest portion of the 
present breed is derived from Mr. Peters’s stock. Much discus- 
sion has taken place from time to time as to the comparative merits 
of the Devons and Short-horns. The advocates of the former con- 
tend that the natural and artificial productions of Cornwall are un- 
suited to maintain such a breed of large cattle as the Short-horns, 
and that the Devons are a hardier race, and better adapted to our 
changeable clime. The advocates of the Short-horns maintain, on 
the contrary, that theirs are more certain breeders, better milkers 
and graziers, than any other kind. This is an interesting question. 
In the rural economy of a district, a high degree of importance is 
to be ascribed to a knowledge of the distinctive characters of the 
domesticated animals, since much of the profit derived from them 
will depend upon adapting the breed to the circumstances in which 
it may be placed ; and there cannot be a question that, on most of 
our hilly farms, with a short bite of grass, the Devons are prefer- 
able ; but wherever there is a fair proportion of food, the Short- 
horns are by far the most profitable. 
“ Crosses . — It has been a common practice of late to cross the 
common Devon cow with the short-horned bull§, which generally 
* “Alfred, 24. Red roan, calved July 20tb, 1820, got by R. Codings’ s 
Lancaster. Dam, red roan, by Alfred ; grand dam by Windsor. 
f “ Lady, Peta, Alexandria. 
f “ Mercury. 119, Coates’s Herd Book. 
§ “ The writer is furnished with a document from J. H. Tremayne, Esq.. 
