The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-12-22
SHORT HORNS,

SHORT HORNS
History of the Short Breed of CATTLE How
They Are Raised and Improved.
One hundred and fifty year, ago few, if am,
short-horns were to be found cat of the coun-
ties of Northumberland, Lincoln, Yorkshire
and Durham, England The best were located
in the valley Of the river Tees, in the lastnam-
ed counties. There is no authentic history
that any progenitors of the cattle were import
ed into England, and as the soil of the above
named counties was rich, well adapted to the
growth of the best grasses, perhaps our blue
grass and afford the very best pasturagc for
cattle, the climate favorable, etc, 1t Is alto
gether probable that these natural advantages
rapidly developed the best qualities OF the cat
tie of that locality, which enhanced their mar
lletable value greatly, and which doubtless in
duced their owners to adOpta careful system
of breeding, and prompted generous supply
Of food for winter and summer, whereby they
had acquired great distinction as early as 1850,
when new era dawned on the history of short
horns.
About that time two brothers, Robert and
Charles COllng, young men, embarked III the
business in Durham county, England, who,
by skilltul breeding and management brought
their herds to such state of perfection that 1t
is doubtful whether any herds have exceeded
thcm even to this day. They accomplished
this by judicious system of in-and-in breed
ing, and it is a well-known fact that the best
herds in England and America are descended
from progentors bred by them. Mr.. Charles
Coling bred the celebrated Durham OK about
1890. He was roam in color, and in his fifth
year weighed 1924 pounds. He was exhibit
ed in nearly all of the agricultural counties in
England, was prize winner wherever he was
exhibited, and his owner refused $4,000 for
him. The brother, Mr. Robert Colling, in 1906
bred the white COW called "The White Heifer
That Travelled" because she was exhibited in
all the agricultural counties in England, and
won prizes wherever she went.
AS early as 1885 Messrs. Cough & Miller
imported from England some short-horns to
the south branch of the Potomac, and tradi-
ton says some cattle descended from these
and from some other importation, were bred
and brought to Clark county, Kentucky, and
were there, and the bulls bred on the native
stock In that section of the state. They were
the first improved cattle brought to the state,
so that Clark county was the first in the state
to engage in the improvement of cattle, which
some of the citizens have kept up, and now
there are number Of very fine and large herds
owned in said county. Among them is that of
Mr. Abram Renck's herd of Rose of Sharons,
not Surpassed certainly, and perhaps not equal
recently received medal from England as the
breeder of the best shOrt-hOrn COW of her class
III the Kingdom. He has sold many COWS to
English purchasers.
In 1917, Col Lewis Sanders, of Grass Hills,
KY, gentleman of fine education. and very
general information; attracted by the high
prices realized for the short-horns of Mr.. Chas
Ceilings sale of 1910, imported eight head of
shorthorns from the valley of the river Tees
hull md haif .nll po.lp
They had all the characteristics of superior
shorthorns, and came from the locality OF the
best of the breed, and great care was observed
in the selection of them. But they came with
out written pedigrecs, because there were no
herd books at that day in England. The bulls
were bred on the heiters, and a number OF very
fine animals were produced, and in 1880 thelI
progeny were numerous in Kentucky and
Ohio, and very highly priced. No other i'm.
portation was made to Kentucky directly from
England till about 1888, when Mr.. Walter Dun
of Fayette county, imported one bull and five
cows In 1896, Mr. Dun, in connection with
Mr. Sam Smith, made Il second importation OF
three bulls and four COWS, and i'll 1888, Mr.
Dun imported two COWS with bull calves
These cattle, or Il greater part OF them, were
sold of at high prices among farmers OF ina
section.
In 1894, 1885 AID 1896 importations of short
company of gentlemen living near Chillicothe
Some of the bulls andc ofthis importation
were purchased anu JrOught to Kentucky
In 1889 Rev. T. l. billiard and Mr.. Nelson
Dudley were sen. to England by the Fayettt
County, Kentucn Importing Company, and
purchased about rty head, which brought re
muncratvc price, al their sale Ill Lexington
Numbers of Gait were imported to Kentucky
between that 49,. .ud and 1856 directly from
IL thn I. ID 4 nf
burn, WoOdlorl county, having imported
more than any onc man.
After these iuArtatiOns and their descend
ens were dispers,. among breeders, llllDera
and unjuSt detrac us we're published and CIR
rulaed against Col Sanders importation OF
1917. BY whom these detractionS were origi
mated know not, but doubtless by some who
hoped to benefit themselves by calumniating
their neighbors stock. The cry was they had
come here without pedigrees, when at that
day the sireS and dams of their own herds were
IN the same condition. They were, however
but too successful in their persistent detractior
IN placing the rs ON the level of high grade
in Kentucky by which means some other
breeds without their intrinsic merits have beer
puffed into fictitious and even fabulous prices
because some interested parties would declare
they were fashionable.
The common or scrub cattle can be wonder
July improved Dy crossing them win lnor
oughbred short-horn bull. Indeed, the frs
cross of such bull on a scrub COW is almos
marvellous. The cows as general rule ar,
rood mixers, and thoroughbred and higl
grade steers by good keeping often reach, wher
between two and three years old, 1000 to ZOO
pounds, and are generally sold off to the butch
ers at thirty months of age Shorthorns require
generous feeding, but they amply repay fiber
al masters.-Priaceton (hy) Bdnner.