Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-06-27
FARM AND PRESIDE.
Shorthern Cattle.


scured by the mists Of antiquity.
Nothing is certainly known as to
what breeds enter into the composition
of this great bovine race. One fact
alone is admitted on all hands and
placed beyond dispute, that Colling'
one of the most noted Of the early inns
provers of the breed, introduced the
blood of the Galloway into his herd,
and that blood to-day flows in the
veins of some of the best shorthorns
in existence. Whether they might or
might not be better without it, is an
open question !, the fact that it is
there, is matter of record, and cannot
be denied. Anterior to the time OF
the Colling Brothers and their COS
temporaries, We come upon multitude
of theories and mythical and con-
ficting statements as to the places
whence the cattle came, which were
then found in the Tesswater country
in occupancy of the rich pastures, for
which that place is still famous. 1t
is our own opinion that those rich
pastures had more to do with the
formation of the breed which the
Ceilings and their contemporaries began
to improve, and their most noted sue
cessors, Bates, and Booth and Renick
brought up to still higher standard
of excellence than any popularity of
blood. To deal more infinitely with
these matters of history must be left
to the ambitious writer of systematic
treatise; we do not propose to enter
upon that subject. We propose to
take the modern Shorthorn as we find
him. 1t is to be regretted that mean,
ness almost unexampled on the part of
the most successful of the modern i'm
provers of Shorthorn caused them to
veil their operations in secresy, and
contemplate jealousy of other breeders
led to mutual detraction and uufairness
towards each other, and we regret to
state that the celebrated Thomas
Bates is especially open to these
criticisms. Slaugbtering of the most
valuable bulls has been resorted to, as
in the case of Lord Ducie, to prevent
others from enjoying the benefit of
their use. In our opinion, human
meanness and selfishness can no
further 60. 1t is to be feared that this
pitifol spirit of rivalry has led not only
to mutual detraction and absurd and
and silly Boosting, but even to downs
right lying, thus vitiating the record,
and what is worse, throwing doubt
upon the commences of some of the
best pedigrees. They, and they only,
who have attempted to authenticate a
few crosses in the pedlgrees of un-
recorded animals, know anything of
the uncertainty and unreliability of
what sometimes appears to be most
respectable and conclusive testimony,
We are one among the last to set up
any claim for the infallibility of recor-
ded pedigrees. We admit that it is
entirely impossible to believe that the
early English pedigrees are anything
more than tolerably accurate, and
many Of them are, from internal evil
dence, absurdly defective and describe
such animals as are now called grades,
and which could not be entered. ex-
cept, fraudulently, in the loosest Of
modern records. All this being
admitted, We still insist upon
the value of the record as it
stands. We cannot get behind il
at this late day; we cannot expect to
correct IL except in the fewest possible
cases. 1t is the part of wisdom tc
accept the ancient pedigrees as in the
main correct, and let the stress of oul
scrutiny fall upon the recent crosses
Not Only because it is only in these
We can hope to detect and proven,
fraud, but because tire top crosses in g
pedigree are immeasurably more Inn
portant than those near the bottom O.
(which proposition certainly no one
will attempt to dispute who has The
least conception in what the bes
Shorthorns in America have defective
pedigrees, so much the worse for the
pedigrees. The ANIMALS will be neitheI
more nor less valuable than before
yet, their market price may, quit,
possibly, sink from thousands to les
than hundreds. On the other hand
We have seen an animal full of Renick'
best blood, for which we could not be
persuaded to pay forty dollars. I,
will, of course, be admitted by all
that the animal is of more CONSEQUENCE,
than the pedigree; yet, the acts o
men would seem to indicate tb,
reverse. Let us adjourn, for tb,
moment, the discussion of the pedi.
gree question. Take the moder,
Shorthorn as he stands, what is he
Under proper conditions and rationa
treatment beyond dispute the best o
all cattle for every purpose for wbicl
cattle are useful, save only working /,
the yoke, for which be is incapacitate,
by his great size and weight. Sucl
Is our judgment. We are aware tina