SHORTHORNS AND POLLED ANGUS CATTLE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2081, 3 January 1879, Page 4 (Supplement)

SHORTHORNS AND POLLED ANGUS CATTLE.

It seems that the supremacy of the Durhama stands a fair chance of beiug wrested from them in quite an unexpected quarter^ Hitherto the Durham or shorthorn ha* been g» nerally regarded as without a rival, and quite umipproachthle, an possessing in the lushest degree the points of excellence deemed proper by cattle breeders and, it may be added, cattle fanciers. It is true that Devon*, Hereford:), and perhaps another or two of pedigree .breed" had their friends; but there in not the jeast question that the jrreat majority — nineteen-twen-tieth i< of the fancier* and butchers, both in the United Kinirdo-a and her colonies, and in America — looked upon the breed as unapproached and unappro ichable. Aud jet here is a breed which, although of some reputation (jr years back, has only yesterday, as it were, been advanced to the dignity of a herd -hook, claiming successfully, if not superiority, at le>ut equality with them, in the presence of " the whole world," in the competirion at the grand Paris International Exhibition. In the report of the live stock department of this Miccesofui affair, by the "North British Agricu turist," we find the following :— " This u indeed a proud week for Tilyfour and for the polled Angus or Aberdeen breed olwmle, Mr M'Ooabie bftviog been

adjudged the LIOO prize lor the "best group of cattle, bred by the exhibitor, >nd reared out of France" ; and the LlOO for the best lot of beef-making animal*, bred by the exhibitor, reared and fedin any country ; besides over LIOO in ordinary class prize money, and several gold and silrer nie<taß That is no doubt a great honor to Scotland's " cattle kiu^," and a gratification to breeder* of black-polled cattle generally ; but it is not nil that has to he recorded to the credit n[the " blaekskint." Mr M Cumbic's *<^^^|j£;:roup numbered six animah, md 01...1 six of the same breed, from Billimlalloch, not merely ranked second in tbe contest, bnt in some respects had superior claims to Mr M'Comhie's. The distinguished appearance which black cattle have made at the Exhibition may be imagined from the fact that of the fifteen showntwelve were the best of all foreign brecBV^nd the remaining three included tbe first and second prize enws, and the second prize aged bull. While there in thus a good representation of polled cattle in every class, there is nothing approaching " a weed," which can hardly be said of any other breed of cattle on Tiew. Every animal of the blackskinned poleys has a ticket of some kind."