10 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
JaN. 
manent mixture the choicest southern [Short Horn] 
bulls have manifestly failed. The intelligent Galloway 
breeder is now perfectly satisfied that his stock can only 
be improved by adherence to the pure breed, and by 
care in selection.” 
The trade in stock from Galloway has been very ex¬ 
tensive for 150 years, large numbers of cattle being 
annually sent to the English market. Prof. Low says, 
u It is computed that upwards of 20,000 head are an¬ 
nually exported from the district, from 16,000 to 18,000 
of which are sold at Smithfield.” They fatten as readi¬ 
ly as the most celebrated breeds, and their beef is much 
esteemed in the English markets, the fat being well 
mixed with the muscular parts. Prof. Low says— 
“ their average dead weight at three years old may be 
reckoned at 45 stones of 14 lbs. to the stone, [or 630 
lbs.;] and those sent to London weigh from 55 to 60 
stones, [or 770 to 840 lbs.] 
From the characteristics of the Galloway cattle, as 
above given, we think there can be no doubt that they 
would be well adapted to a large portion of this country, 
and we should be much pleased to see them introduced 
here. In all situations in our northern states, where 
cattle are reared in a great degree for slaughter, we 
have good reason to believe that they would be found 
far more profitable than the stock now kept. A gentle¬ 
man, distinguished for his knowledge of stock, who went 
to England a few years since for the purpose of making 
selections for a cattle importing company, stated to the 
writer, that had his object been to procure animals for 
the northern states, he should have chosen the Gallo¬ 
ways and West Highlanders. 
There is another matter connected with the Gallo¬ 
ways, upon which it may not be improper to say a few 
words. They are generally regarded as having been 
one of the sources by which the Short Horn breed of 
cattle has been improved. We know the subject has 
been somewhat controverted, although if we may judge 
from publications, opinion in England is pretty well set¬ 
tled in favor of the position that the excellence of the 
Improved Short-Horns, is, in a considerable degree, to 
be attributed to a cross with the Galloways. The his¬ 
tory of this cross has been frequently published, yet in 
connection with our main subject, we deem it not amiss 
to refer again briefly to the circumstances. 
It appears from the best accounts which have been 
given, that when Mr. Charles Colling adopted 
the Short Horns and commenced his course of breeding, 
in the latter part of the last century, he found that breed 
of cattle generally subject to some very prominent de¬ 
fects. u Like all other extravagantly large cattle,” 
says the Rev. Henry Berry, 11 they were frequently of 
loose make and disproportion.” He adds that Mr. Col¬ 
ling, being sensible of the 11 difficulty of breeding, with 
anything like certainty, large good animals,” was deter¬ 
mined to reduce the size of the Short Horns, and at the 
same time and by that means, improve their form. 
With these objects in view, he resorted in the first place 
to the use of a bull called Hubback, an animal in rela¬ 
tion to which there was formerly much controversy, 
principally in reference to the purity of his blood. Mr. 
Colling is reported to have tried several crosses with 
the Kyloes, or West Highland cattle, previous to his 
experiment with the Galloways. The remarks of Mr. 
Berry in regard to the circumstances which led to the 
trial with the last named breed, are of so important a 
character that we here transcribe them. 
u It may be proper to observe,” says Mr. B., u that 
no breed of cattle promised so successful a cross with 
the Short Horns as the Galloway. They were calcula¬ 
ted, by their deep massive frames and short legs, to 
bring the Short Horns nearer the ground, and to dispose 
their weight in a more compact manner : their hardy 
habits would be essentially useful, and the quality of 
their flesh and hair were such as to render the experi¬ 
ment still more safe. Add to this that they could 
[then] be obtained of a red color ; and we are prepared 
to admit even without the sanction of a successful ex¬ 
periment, that they were admirably adapted to cross 
with the Short Horn, standing frequently too high from 
the ground, not very well ribbed home, and not seldom 
of loose disjointed frame.” 
To the Galloways therefore, Mr. Colling resorted, 
and though his course met with little favor at the 
time, a few years experience served to establish his suc¬ 
cess almost beyond question. It appears that a very 
fine red polled Galloway cow was sent to Mr. Col- 
ling’s Short-Horn bull Bolingbroke ; the produce was 
a bull-calf, which Mr. C. purchased, and at a proper 
age, he was put to Joanna, a pure Short-Horn cow, and 
her produce was also a bull calf to which was given the 
name of Grandson-of-Bolingbroke. He was the sire of 
the cow Lady, whose dam was Old Phoenix, a pure 
Short Horn. From Lady sprung the family of Im¬ 
proved Short Horns which were formerly called in re¬ 
proach “ the alloy.” At the time of Mr. Colling’s 
celebrated sale, which took place in 1810, this family 
brought higher prices than any other family , and have 
generally been held in greater esteem since. Lady 
herself, though fourteen years old, brought 106 guineas, 
or $530 ; Countess, her daughter, nine years old, 400 
guineas, or $2,000; Laura, another daughter, four 
years old, 210 guineas, or $1,050 ; Major and George, 
two of her sons, the former three years old, the latter 
a calf, g200 uineas, and 130 guineas, or $1,000, and 
$650. 
As good testimony in regard to the family of Lady, 
we give the statement of Major Rudd, a gentleman who 
was very intimate with the Messrs. Codlings, and 
who purchased the four highest priced animals, with the 
exception of the bull Comet, disposed of at Mr. Cod¬ 
ling’s sale. Maj. Rudd in a communication to the 
London Farmer's Journal, dated May 31, 1821, says, 
“ I can truly declare, that after having had some expe¬ 
rience during ten years, with different branches of the 
Ketton [or Colling] stock,I give the preference to the 
stock descended from Lady ; and I know, also, that they 
are held in the highest estimation by Mr. Charles Col¬ 
ling, who was the founder of the Improved Short Horns.” 
Mr. John Hutchinson, formerly a distinguished 
breeder of Short Horns, under date June 14, 1821, in 
the paper abovementioned, thus strongly expresses his 
sentiments in regard to this Galloway cross : 
11 Of the produce of the cow Lady, respecting whose 
pedigree A Yorkshire Breeder, in his zeal for the public, 
expressed a desire to be informed, it cannot be necessa¬ 
ry to say much, the opinion of that public having stamp¬ 
ed a value upon them which neither the insinuations of 
rivalry nor the imputations of less creditable feelings, 
will be able to depreciate; and I am of the opinion that 
upon this instance of successful crossing, the advocates 
for that system may securely make their stand.” 
But notwithstanding this and much other testimony 
of a similar nature, it has been asserted in this country, 
that the cross with the Galloways failed to benefit the 
Short Horns in any particular, and that it was on the 
whole decidedly injurious. Though the Galloways, it is 
said, might gain by the intermixture, the Short Horns, it 
is thought could not be benefitted. Without any inten¬ 
tion of entering into a detailed discussion of this point, we 
must be permitted to say, that from a careful and tho¬ 
rough examination of the subject, we see no occasion to 
dissent from the conclusions arrived at by the writers, 
from whom we have quoted above; and by a fair compa¬ 
rison of the characteristics of the two breeds, we think it 
will not be regarded as unreasonable, that the Short 
Horns, as they existed in Mr. Colling’s day, should have 
been improved by an infusion of Galloway blood. 
