THE CULTIVATOR. 
115 
CATTLE—IMPROVED SHORT-HORNS. 
We give below, a likeness, very correctly copied from the herd-book, 
by our excellent artist, Mr. Hall, of the celebrated improved short-horn 
bull COMET, (fig. 37,) (bred by Mr. C. Colling,) and sold by him for 1,000 
Fig. 37. 
guineas; and also of VIOLA, (fig. 33,) a beautiful milch cow, of the same 
family, (bred by J. Whitaker.) The properties and fine points of this 
breed of cattle, will be found described in our first volume. 
Fig. 38. 
The following extract relative to this breed of Cattle is taken from the 
*• Complete Grazier:” 
The Short-Horned Cattle, under which denomination are indiscrimi¬ 
nately included the Dutch, Hohlerness and Teeswater breeds, are sup¬ 
posed to have acquired the appellation of Dutch, from a cross with some 
large bulls that were imported near a century ago, from Holland into 
Yorkshire, in ihe east and north ridings of which county, the two latter 
had been long established. It has, however, been doubted whether any 
advantage was derived from this intermixture; for the increase thus ob¬ 
tained in size was thought to have been counterbalanced by a more than 
proportionate increase of offal. But, fortunately, the error was not uni¬ 
versal; for some intelligent breeders, aware, even at that day, of the su¬ 
periority of symmetry to bulk, preserved the breed of which they were 
already in possession, in its native purity; and it is from some of that 
stock so maintained, or, at least, from across between that stock and some 
of the progeny of the Dutch and Teeswater cross, that the present im¬ 
proved short-horned cattle, now generally distinguished as the Durham, 
or Yorkshire breed, are descended. 
This breed was introduced about forty years ago, by the Messrs. Col- 
lings, of Darlington, and has rapidly risen in the public estimation. The 
cattle are very large, and are beautifully mottled, with red or black upon 
a white ground; their backs level; throat clean; neck fine; carcass full 
and round; quarters long; hips and rumps even and wide: they stand ra¬ 
ther high on their legs; handle very kindly; are light in their bone, in 
proportion to their size; and have a very fine coat and thin hide. They 
differ from the other breeds, not only in the shortness of their horns, but 
as being wider and thicker in their form, and consequently feeding to 
greater weight; in affording the greatest quantity of tallow when fatted; 
and in having very thin hides, with much less hair upon them than any 
other kind except the Alderneys. They also possess the valuable proper¬ 
ties of fattening kindly at an early age, and of yielding large quantities 
of milk; but the quality of the latter is not so rich as that of some other 
species; they are, besides, rather tender constitutioned, and, consequent¬ 
ly difficult and expensive to winter. 
Of this breed, Mr. Charles Colling, of Ketton, sold a bull— Comet— 
by public auction, in the year 1810, for the extraordinary sum of one 
thousand guineas; and the history of the celebrated Durham ox, the 
property of the same gentleman, is too remarkable not to merit attention. 
He was bred in the year 1796, and at five years old was not only co¬ 
vered thick with fat upon all the principal points, but his whole carcass 
appeared loaded with it, and he was then thought so wonderful an animal 
that he was purchased in Februaay, 1801, for £140, to.be exhibited as a 
show; his live weight being then 226 stone, of 14 pounds. In the fol¬ 
lowing May he was again sold for £250, to Mr. John Day, who, two 
months afterwards, refused for him two thousand guineas! He was ex¬ 
hibited in the principal parts of the kingdom until April, 1807, when he 
was killed, in consequence of having accidentally dislocated his hip in the 
previous February, and although he must have lost considerably in weight 
during his illness, besides the disadvantage of six years’ travelling in a 
caravan, yet his carcass weighed 187 stone 12 pounds; and Mr. Day 
stated his live weight at ten years old, to have been 270 stone. 
Uncommon as this animal then was, he has, however, been since ex¬ 
ceeded in size by a Yorkshire ox, bred by Mr. Dunhill, of Newton, near 
Doncaster, the carcass of which weighed, when killed, 264 stone 12 
pounds; and he was supposed to have lost near forty stone while being 
exhibited in London. 
Still more recently, another beast of uncommon size, fed by Lord Yar¬ 
borough, has been exhibited under the title of the “ Lincolnshire Ox;" 
but, though bred in that county, from a favourite cow belonging to Mr. 
Goulton, he was got by a descendant of Comet, out of Countess, also of 
the Durham breed. This extraordinary animal measured five feet six 
inches in height at the shoulders, eleven feet ten inches from the nose to 
the setting of the tail, eleven feet one inch in girth, and three feet three 
inches across the hips, shoulders and middle of the back; the lowest 
point of his breast was only fourteen inches from the ground, and he 
stood one foot ten inches between the fore legs; the girth of the fore leg 
was nine inches.— Complete Crazier. 
Mile —The following exhibit of the number of yards contained in a 
mile in different countries, will often prove a matter of useful reference 
to the readers of the Cultivator. 
Mile in England or America,. 1,760 yards. 
- Russia,. 1,100 - 
- Italy. 1,467 - 
- Scotland and Ireland,.,. 2,200 - 
- Poland,. 4,400 - 
- Spain. 5,028 - 
- Germany. 5,866 - 
•- Sweden and Denmark, .. 7,233 - 
- Hungary, .. 8,800 - 
League, in England or America. 5,280 - 
Otf- Mr. Bushnell, who exhibited an approved drill-barrow to the agri¬ 
cultural examining committee, as mentioned in our last, is a resident of 
Sheffield, and not of Lee, Meiss. 
WILSON’S MOWING MACHINE. 
The subscribers, having witnessed, on the 11th August, on the farm of 
Mr. Teller, of Greenbush, the operation of Wilson’s Mowing Machine, 
certify to the following facts: 
The machine was propelled by one horse, upon a brisk walk, through a 
meadow, of thick timothy and redtop, somewhat lodged or tangled. It cut 
a swath from two and a half to three feet broad, in handsome style. We 
are of opinion, that with a double team, or two stout horses to relieve 
each other at intervals, the machine will operate well on smooth bottoms, 
free from stones, and effect a great saving of manual labor. The knives 
are sharpened by their revolving motion. 
We think Mr. Wilson entitled to great credit for his skill and perseve¬ 
rance, and hope he may be amply remunerated for both. 
WILLIAM AKIN, WILLIAM TELLER, 
JOHN TOWNSEND, ISAAC AKIN, 
J. BUEL, AARON B. AKIN, 
BENJ. AKIN, THOMAS DUNN. 
August 12, 1837. 
A real friend will show us our faults —We often commend our friends, 
from courtesy, or in the hope of having our flattery reciprocated, for con¬ 
duct which is really reprehensible. Friendship should deal only in truth, 
which, though it cause temporary pain, generally eventuates in good. 
