outlines and bold free action, with clean, heavy, flat bone, | improve the cattle of the Teeswater district in the county
and soft silky hair. Despite the introduction of the motor- of Durham. If the Shorthorn did not actually originate
car there is a good and remunerative demand for Shire thus, it is indisputable that the efforts of the Collings 2
geldings for use as draught horses in towns.
The Clydesdale, the Scottish breed of which the native It is still termed the Durham breed in most parts of the home is in the valley of the Clyde, is not quite so large as world except the land of its birth, and the geographical the Shire, the average height of stallions being about 16 name is far preferable, for the term "shorthorn" describes hands 2 inches. The shoulder is more oblique than in the no characteristic which is not shared by a number of other Shire. The popular colour is bay, particularly if of a dark breeds. shade, or dappled. Black is also a common colour, but grey is not encouraged. White markings on one of the legs, with a white star or stripe on the face, are quite usual. The "feathering," that is, the development in Yorkshire, the "Booth" strains of Shorthorns were of silky hair on the backs of the legs, as in the Shires, is a point to which Clydesdale breeders attach much import- in Yorkshire, the "Bates" families were established. ance; it being regarded as an indication of strong, healthy When Shorthorn breeders of to-day talk of "Booth blood," bone. The bones of the legs should be short, flat, clean, or of "Bates blood," they refer to animals descended from and hard. With symmetry, activity, strength, and endur- ance, the Clydesdale associates a good temper and willing disposition, is easily broken to harness, and makes an breed, and also as the "red, white, and roan admirable draught horse.
The Suffolk is a horse quite distinct from the Shire and supporters, as in the case of the Lincolnshire Red Short- the Clydesdale, two breeds which possess many points in horns; unbroken white is not much in favour. had a profound influence upon the fortunes of the breed. Other skilled breeders turned their attention to the Shorthorns and established famous strains, the de- scendants of which can be traced down to the present day. By Thomas Booth, who dwelt at Killerby and Warlaby more originated. Similarly, by Thomas Bates, of Kirklevington the respective herds of Thomas Booth and Thomas Bates. Shorthorns are sometimes spoken of as the ubiquitous breed. The roan colour is very popular, and the full red has its The It stands altogether lower, its body looking striking characteristic of the Shorthorn is the ease with almost too heavy for its limbs ; it possesses a characteristic which it adapts itself to varying conditions of soil, climate, chestnut or light dun colour, and its legs are free from and management. Add to this that the breed is equally the "feather " which is so much admired in the two other noted both for its beef-making and its milk-yielding pro- heavy breeds. How long the Suffolks have been associated perties, and-serving as it thus does the dual purpose- with the county after which they are named is unknown, but they are mentioned as long ago as 1586 in Camden's bred over such wide areas. Britannia. With an average height of about 16 hands, of any other breed, whether it be viewed as a grazier's they often have a weight of as much as 2000 Ib, and this beast or a dairyman's cow. may explain the appearance which has given rise to the nearly all the fairs and cattle markets of Great Britain name of the Suffolk Punch, by which the breed is known. and Ireland, a statement that can be made of no other If the Suffolk is not in all respects a handsome animal, he breed. For crossing purposes, for the production of beef- is none the less a resolute and unwearying worker, and is cattle, the Shorthorn is unrivalled. richly endowed with many of the best qualities of a horse. common. it is not difficult to see why the Shorthorn is so extensively Its importance exceeds that Shorthorns may be seen at The culmination of what may be termed the Booth and Bates period was in the year 1875, when the sales took place of Lord Dunmore's and Mr William Torr's herds, The recognized breeds of cattle in the British Isles which realized extraordinary prices. In that black year comprise the Shorthorn, Hereford, Devon, South Devon of farming, 1879, prices were declining, and continued to or South Hams, Sussex, Welsh, Longhorn, Red Polled, do so till within the last few years of the close of the 19th Aberdeen - Angus, Galloway, Highland, Ayrshire, Jersey, century, when there set in a gradual revival, stimulated Guernsey, Kerry, and Dexter. These names-with the largely by the commercial prosperity of the country. The four exceptions of Shorthorn, Longhorn, Red Polled, and result of extremely high prices when line-bred animals were in fashion was a tendency to breed from all kinds of "homes " of the several breeds or the places whence they animals that were of the same tribe, without selection. originated. The Shorthorn, Hereford, Devon, South Consequently, a deterioration set in, which was aggravated by the overlooking of the milking properties. Shorthorn native to England; the Aberdeen-Angus, Galloway, High- breeders thus came to see that a change of blood was land, and Ayrshire breeds to Scotland; and the Kerry necessary. Meanwhile, for many years breeders in Aber- and Dexter breeds to Ireland. The Jersey and Guernsey deenshire had been holding annual sales of young bulls and breeds-often spoken of as Channel Islands cattle-belong heifers from their herds. The late Mr Amos Cruickshank to the respective islands whose names they bear, and great began his annual sales in the 'forties, and the late Mr W. care is taken to keep Jersey cattle out of Guernsey, and T. Talbot-Crosbie had annual sales from his Shorthorn Guernsey cattle out of Jersey. The term Alderney is herd in the south-west of Ireland for a number of years. Many Aberdeen farmers emigrated to Canada, and bought The Shorthorn is the most widely distributed of all the Shorthorn calves in their native county to take with them. No census of The Cruickshanks held their bull sales at that time, and numerous animals were bought by the small breeders in Canada. This continued until 1875, when the Cruick- exceed in numbers any other breed, whilst the great shanks had so much private demand that they discon- niajority of cross-bred cattle contain Shorthorn blood. tinued their public sales. Subsequently, when Messrs During the last quarter of the 18th century the brothers Cruickshank sold their herd privately to Messrs Nelson Charles Colling (1751-1836) and Robert Colling (1749- for exportation the animals could not all be shipped, and Cattle. Dexter -are geographical, and serve to indicate the Devon, Sussex, Longhorn, and Red Polled breeds are obsolete, and no pure breed is designated by that name. breeds of cattle, both at home and abroad. breeds has ever been taken in the United Kingdom, but such an enumeration would show the Shorthorn far to 1820) set to work, by careful seleetion and breeding, to 1 In 1900 the bulls of Ireland were for the first time enumerated. There were 8406 Shorthorns, 764 Aberdeen-Angus, 376 Kerries, 329 Herefords, 116 Red Polled, 103 Dexters, 66 Channel Islands, and 4126 others and cross-breds; total, 14,286.
2 C. J. Bates, "The Brothers Colling," Jour. Roy. Agric. Soc. 1899. 3 C. J. Bates, Thomas Bates and the Kirklevington Shorthorns: a Contribution to the History of Pure Durham Cattle, Newcastle- upon-Tyne, 1897.
