AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
40 
cle to carry the carcase above them. In short, there 
is the least possible amount of “ offal ” in a well 
bred and thoroughly developed Short Horn. 
OF COLORS, 
Short Horns have but two—red and white. Occa¬ 
sionally, they are almost, and in rare instances, 
fully red. They are oftentimes purely white. But 
n most cases these two colors, either in patches, 
one or the other more or less prevailing by them¬ 
selves in agreeable alternation, or mixed in deeper 
or lighter roans predominate, giving a beautiful 
and picturesque effect to the fine contour and im¬ 
posing size of the animal A “ red roan” is the 
most fashionable, and the most desirable color of 
any other, and other points of quality being equal, 
will command the highest price. 
For the gratification of such as would like to see 
a portrait of the best Short Horn bull in England, 
half a century ago, we present on the preceding 
page, that of the celebrated Comet, bred by 
Charles Colling, and sold by him for one thou¬ 
sand guineas—$5,000—then six years old, at his 
great and final sale of Short Horns in 1810. 
The cut we borrowed from the editor of the 
American Herd Book, in the third volume of 
which it is represented, and said to be a capital 
likeness. 
At the time of Comet, the Short Horns had 
been bred up to the highest point of perfection then 
arrived at in England. They may have been im¬ 
proved somewhat, by a few breeders, since ; but 
as a breed, they have not declined in good hands, 
and in the aggregate, the standard, at this day, is 
no doubt improved over that of the mass of Eng¬ 
lish Short Horns at the commencement of the pres¬ 
ent century. 
SHORT HORNS AS BEEF. 
The two chief merits claimed by the advocates 
of the Short Horns, are for the production of beef 
a id milk. Their superiority for beef is claimed in 
their rapid growth, early maturity, and aptitude 
for taking on flesh at any age. In these qualities 
they are not over-rated, let the merits of other 
breeds be what they may; even in these particulars, 
the Short Horn, in his rapid preparation for the 
shambles, has no superior At three years, to four, 
in age, with good feed, the steer has arrived at his 
MODEL SHORT HORN. 
most profitable condition for maritet; and although 
he will grow and improve until his sixth, or even 
seventh year, taking on ne^b to the extreme of 
obesity, his profitable age is attained at four years. 
Even at two years they make surprising returns in 
beef, when the common stock of the country are 
made up of nothing but hone and muscle, and can 
not be brought to a profitable carcase of flesh until 
five or six years of age ; and then at far less weight 
than the Short Horn, to say nothing of the infe¬ 
rior quality of meat, and the larger proportional 
quantity of offal in the native beast. 
SHORT HORNS AS MILKERS. 
As a milk, and dairy producing cow, properly 
bred, and educated for that object, the Short Horn has 
no superior. In England, before they were in so 
great demand as of late years for breeding and 
feeding purposes, her feats at the pail were tri¬ 
umphantly set forth by her breeders ; but of late 
years, so much more profitable have been her re¬ 
turns for breeding purposes alone, that the milking 
quality has been measurably neglected for the 
greater benefit of obtaining a better calf in the 
sacrifice of a large portion of her milk. That is to 
say : If the cow is milked to her utmost capacity 
in quantity, and time in yielding it, it must be to 
a considerable extent at the expense of the growth 
and development of the foetus, or embryo calf with¬ 
in her: she can not do two things in the best pos¬ 
sible manner at one and the same time—give a 
great yield of milk, and produce the best devel¬ 
oped calf together. One or the other must suffer, 
as the best breeders consider, and the calf being 
of most consequence, the milk is sacrificed. 
There are good physiological reasons for this opin¬ 
ion which might be given ; but as we are not dis¬ 
cussing the science of breeding, it need not now 
be dwelt upon. But, that the Short Horn has the 
natural capacity, and when reared and managed 
for that object, the tendency to produce milk 
equal to any other breed whatever, there can be 
no question Numerous recorded instances in this 
country as in England, attest that fact. The sev¬ 
eral volumes of the American Herd Book may be 
referred to where Short Horn cows have produced 
thirty to even forty quarts per day, for weeks to¬ 
gether, of the richest milk, makicg a correspond¬ 
ing weight of butter. 
In longevity, con 
tinuous breeding to 
an advanced age, 
and a final profitable 
termination of her 
career at the sham 
bles, the Short Horn 
cow has no superior, 
and few equals. The 
bulls are remarkable 
—when properly 
treated—(or the con¬ 
tinuance of then vi¬ 
rility, although their 
American breeders 
and owners, by a 
forced growth and 
pampered condition, 
while in their prime, 
in a mistaken esti¬ 
mate of their fine ap¬ 
pearance as to con 
dition, too often de 
stroy them as stocv 
getters, at an eari* 
age. 
We give above a 
portrait of the cow 
“Dutchess, by Daisv 
Bull,” bred in the 
year 1803, by Charles Colling, afterwards the 
property of the late Mr. Bates, the celebrated Short 
Horn breeder, of Durham, England, taken also 
from the third volume of the American Herd 
Book. 
This cow was seven years old when her por 
trait was taken, just after being dried off from 
milking; and although in ordinary condition, she 
presents many of the finest points of a well devel¬ 
oped Short Horn cow. 
AS A WORKING OX, 
the merits of the Short Horn have been question 
ed by many of those who have used them, com¬ 
pared with the best of our native, or common cattle 
and those of some other breeds. For continuous 
and severe labor, our own opinion is that they are 
not equal to some others We have tried the 
thorough bred Short Horn for laboring purposes, 
and although they proved tractable and patient, 
and did their work satisfactorily, their figure as a 
breed is not so well adapted to the yoke and the 
draught as that of a leaner race. Their shoulders 
are too straight, and too open to bear well against 
the yoke. They are too siow in action, too 
heavy in gait, and too short winded for the activi¬ 
ty required in the best working cattle. Yet, these 
| deficiencies are disputed by the extreme Short 
Horn advocates, who give prominent instances of 
their excellence in the yoke at various labors ; but 
the physical conformation of the animal we think 
settles the question, when compared with the 
best working oxen of some other breeds. This 
quality, however, we consider unimportant in 
those sections of the country best fitted for the 
rearing of Short Horns. Oxen are little used in 
them at all for laboring purposes, and when re 
quired, only for such slow movement as a Shorl 
Horn can easily encounter in the occasional ser 
vice for which he is needed. This comparative 
unfitness for labor, therefore, coupled with the 
fact that his labor is little in demand where he is 
! most reared, detracts but slightly from his value 
when measured by the possession of his other su¬ 
perior qualities which we have considered. 
We shall continue (in shorter articles) furthei 
remarks on Short Horns; also descriptions and 
illustrations of the Herefords, Devons, and the 
other prominent breeds named above. 
