CATTLE BREEDING.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2008, 1 October 1906, Page 7

CATTLE BREEDING.

THEIR BREEDS AND MANAGEj MENT. i —*2* — | (From the Agricultural Journal of Western Australia. * SHORTHORNS. i The most famous breed of cattle in England, which have received the longest and closest attention of breeders and improvers, which have commanded prices singly and in herds far above all others, and which have made the most, general impression upon the live stock of the country during the 19th century are the Shorthorns or Ihirhams. The breed was probably originally formed several centuries ago by crossing the aboriginal British cows with large framed bulls imported from the Continent. Early Shorthorns were good milkers, and it may bo presumed that they in part inherited that quality along with the shortness of horn from their co?itinental ancestors. Little is known of the breed, except from uncertain authority of tradition , down to the early part of the 18th i century, though it is only right to ; infer that long before this time great care and even skill had been bestowed upon it. The earliest records show that purity of breed was fully appreciated, and this important fact could not have been universal with- : out previous experience and atten- ! tion. The great county of York, extend- | ing along' the Eastward coast of England, from the River Humbcr to \ the Tees and Westward almost to the . Irish Sea, has the honour of being j the seat, of the most noted examples of improvement in British cattle. The aim of all the improvers of Shorthorns has been to secure early, maturity. size, form, and beef-produ-cing qualities. "All is useless that J is not beef," was the motto of an eminent breeder, and he has had many j followers. Thomas Bates is the most noted of a few who have seemed most j anxious to retain good milking caI pacity. The Shorthorns are a beef | breed and have been so for generai tions. They are classed among the I beef breeds in all the groat exhibitions, and as a breed do not pretend to be general purpose animals. But there have always been good dairy cows among them, and in England strains and families have been kept somewhat distinct and are known a; "Milking Shorthorns." In point of size the Shorthorns arc probably the largest among pure breeds of cattle. In their moderi form they arc not so tall, and hav< not so large a. frame as some of their ancestors, but the lower, blockicr, fuller form maintains the maximum weight. Bulls ordinarily weigh a ton and more sometimes running tc 3,0001b. Mature cows range from 1,200 to 1,6001b. The colour of the breed has always been red and white, with various blending of these two. Many ol the. best among the early Shorthorns were pure white, but that colour has lost caste, and the roan in England, and the red in America are the favourite colours. The head is comparatively short, broad, finely finished, and attractive, the nose, lips and eyelids flesh-coloured and free from any dark markings, eyes clear, bright yet mild ; ears thin, delicate, and creamy colour . inside : horns are short and blunt and more or less curved downward, of a waxy-yellow throughout, free from black tips, latterally flattened and wide apart. at the base ; the neck is short and firm in the cow, heavy and well crested in the bull The lines of the body are straight, with well filled points, broad lepel back, full loin, heavy thick buttocks, wide apart ; brisket is wide and full ; legs rather | short, close, line boned, and well pro ; portioned to size of body. In th< : milking strains the cows are radio i more rangy and angular in outline i with large hairy udders, ami gooc ! sized teats, well placed, the skit ! over the whole body is flesh-colouivt soft and oily to touch and eoverei j with fine short, hair. The animah are quiel and kind in disposition ' Nearly all show evidence of long coni tinned high breeding, and this has ; been carried to such an extent in 1 many instances as to become more !or less delicacy of constitution. Ali though now latent in most lines, ! there seems to be a dairy quality inherent in the breed which some careful managers are able successfully to develop and propagate, The Shorthorn milk is of good quality, rather above the average ; the fat globules are of medium and fairly uniform size, so that cream separates easily. It is. however, rather pale in colour. Herds of 40 cows gave averaged 209 lbs. of butter per year. DEVON'S. This br«ed originated from Devon shire, England, and are cultivates for their beautiful form, activity and their aptitude to fatten, whict is unrivalled. These are known b> their small head, .yellow muzzle anc curly hair ; the thick neck and welldeveloped chest. A great essentia in beef animals being the depth o; girth, which in this class is very well developed. The barrel is alsc deep and well rounded, being well ribbed uplcaving every little space between the hips and ribs ; this be ing regarded as a healthy constitutional sign and a propensity t'o fatten. The loins should be wide, the thighs full and long, and close together when viewed from behind ; legs short and small ; hide thin and mellow, but not too loose, and particularly, well covered with fine soft hair. The favourite colour is a blood red. They are a hardy class of animal with an aptitude for putting on condition ; as dairy cattle are inferior to other breeds. The milk is however, good, and yields more than the average quantity of cream and butter.

I BULLS. ' It is always advisable to secure a I inire breed animal, and strong con- ' stitution should be the main object in selection. He should always be kept in good condition, without being over fat. Pampering is to be avoided. A certain amount of hand feeding is necessary before the season begins, and care should be taken not to overwork.

j = The English woman is the tallest, and the American comes next. The average height of the French woman is Sit. liii. The American woman ie nearly two inches taller, and the women of Great Britain half an inch taller than their American sisters. American women, however, weigh slightly more than either of the others, ttoeb average weight being i «*KMit XlTIh.