Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-07-12

W ! no ] EosIaSe uAoes s9 po"~ va oA' ~S'1AAAA~
nicstions.
Improved Durham Short Horns.
From the Whip.
For every portion of,he text in this ex
cel!ent account of the short horns, We are
indebted to the Rev. Henry Berry, thar
whom there arc few more jealous breeders
of cattle, while there is no better judge o'
them.
Whatsoever differences Of opinion may
prevail respecting the comparative merits
of our several breeds of cattle, it must be
admitted that the short horns present them.
selves to notice under circumstances Of pc.
cular interest. Possessing in an eminen,
degree combination of qualities which
have generally been considered incompa.
,ible, and rendered irresistibly attractive TO
the eye by their splendid frames, and 6eauti.
fully varied colors, it is not surprising that
they have become objects ofpublic curiosi.
"; that they have realized for their breed.
ers enormous sums of money and that,
throughout our own island, and every for
eign country where agriculture is attended
10, they are in increasing request.
I. might tend to throw muchlight on the
science of feeding, could these animals be
traced, in the progress of their improvement,
TO an earlier period than has hitherto been
found possible. Ofthe extent Of that i'm.
provement we may, however, form an esti.
mate, by placing together one of the in-
proved, and one of the unimproved race
We should, in such case, discover resem.
blance just sufficient TO support the belief in
q very remote alliance, but there all SINH
iarily would cease.
From the earliest period as to which we
have any accounts of our breeds Of cattle,
the counties Of Durham and York have
been celebrated for their short horns, but
principally, in the first instance on account
oftheir reputation as extraordinary mixers.
Before this, a large and valuable descrIp.
.ion Of cattle had existed on the western
coas. of,he continent Of Europe, and extend.
ing from Denmark 10 the confines ofFrance.
Thev were celebrated for the gsea, quaint.
ties Of milk which they yielded, and some
of f,hem exhibited an extraordinary aptitude
70 fa,ten. A, what particular time they
found their way to England, or by whom
they were imported, is unknown; but there
Is tradition that, towards the close ofthe
seventeenth century, bull and some cows
were introduced into Holdesness.
In external form, there appear.d to be
very little to recommend them, for they had
large shoulders and coarse necks the sides
were fiat, and the head was thick; all the
coarse parts were bulky, and the prime ones
were reduced in size, and they were almost
the reverse of wha, the agricul,urist would
select: they were, however, bulkier than the
native breeds, and they were bette. mixers
than the generality of the cattle of,hat day.
They would, by dint Of feeding, grow to an
enormous size; but they had not the apti.
sude to auen, nor the early maturity, TO
which they have been since indebted for
their triumph over every other breed. To
recite their recorded feats at the pail would
bs 70 invite incredibly: but il may be
asserted, on the best evidence, sha!
taken as a breed, they have never in
tina. particular been equalled. The cattle
20 distinguished were always, as now, very
differen. from the improved race. They
were generally of large size, ,hin.sklnned,
sleekhaired, bad handlers, rather delicate
in constitution, coarse in the ofal, and strik.
inely defective in the substance of girth in
the fore.quarters. As mixers, they were
most excellent i; bu. when put to fatten, as
the foregoing description will indicate, were
found slow feeders, producing an inferior
quality Of meat, not marbled or mixed as to
fat and lean, and, in some cases, the latter
was found Of particularly dark hue. Such
also, are the unimproved short horns Of The
present day, and the distinction cannot be
too frequently asserted, because they are,
in many cases, considered as specimens oi
the improved breed. and have actually been
sesorted to in trials as TO the comparative
aptitude of animals to fatten--trials which j,
is evideu. they could not successfully sus'
tain.
A period Of more than eighty years has
now elapsed, since the short.horns. on the
banks Of the river Tees, hence called tht
Tseswater breed, had assumed very dlf
fereai character to that contained IN tn
foregoing description. In color, they re
sembled the improved short.horns, BENZ
occasionally red, red and white, and roam