Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-12-19
SHORT-HORNS.
History of the Short-HOrn Breed Of
Cattle--.How They Are Raised and
1mnrOVnG
Princeton (Ky.) Banner.

One hundred and fifty years ago few.
if any, short-horns were to be found out
of the counties of Northumberland,
Lincoln, Yorkshire, and Durham, Eng
land. The best were located in the
valley Of the river Tees, in the last
named counties. There is no authentic
history that any progenitors of the cat
tie were imported into England, and as
the soil of the counties above-named
was rich, well adapted to the growth of
the best grasses, perhaps our blue grass,
and affording the very best pasturage
for cattle, the climate favorable, ETC., it
is altogether probable that these natural
advantages rapidly developed the best
qualities of the cattle of that locality,
which enhanced their marketable value
greatly, and which doubtless induced
their owners to adopt careful system
of breeding, and prompted a generous
supply Of food for winter and summer,
whereby they had acquired great dis
tinction as early as 1880, when a new
era dawned on the history of short
horns.
About that time two brothers, Robert
and Charles Colling, young men, en-
barked in the business in Durham
county, England, who, by skillful breed
ing and management, brought their
herds to such state of perfection that
it is doubtful whether any herds have
exceeded them, even to this day They
accomplished this by judicious system
Of in-and-in-b breeding, and it is a we'll
known fact that the best herds in Eng
land and America are descended from
progenitors bred by them. Mr. Charles
ColIing bred the celebrated Durham OK
about 1870. He was a roam in color
and in his fifth year weighed 1924
pounds. He was exhibited in nearly
all of the agricultural counties in Eng
land, was a prize winner wherever he
was exhibited, and his owner refused
$4,000 for him. The brother, Mr..
Robert Colling, 1906. bred the white
COW called "The White Heifer That
Travelled" because she was exhibited
in all of the 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 tradition says some cat
tie, descended from these and from
some other importations, were bred,
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 coun-
ty 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 a number of very fine and
large herds owned in said county,
Among them is that of Mr.. Abran1 Rem
ick's herd Of Rose of Sharons not sur
passed, certainly, and perhaps not
equaled by any herd on either CONT
nent. He has recently received a
medal from England as the breeder Of
the best short-horn COW of her class in
the Kingdom. He has sold many COWS
to English purchasers.
In 1917, Col. Lewis Sanders, Of Grass
Hill, KY, a gentleman of fine educa-
ton and very general information, at
tracted by the high prices realized for
the short-horns Of Mr.. Chas. Ceilings
sale in 1910, imported eight head of
short-horns from the valley of the river
Tees, England, -four bulls and four
heifers, all reds. They had all the
characteristic of superior short-horns,
and came from the locality of the best
of the breed, and great care was OBJ
served in the selection Of them. But
they came without written pedigrees,
because there were no herd books at
that day in England The bulls were
bred on the heifers, and number of
very fine animals were produced, and in
1880 their progeny were numerous in
Kentucky and Ohio, and very highly
priced. No other importation was made
to Kentucky directly from England till
about 1888, when Mr. Walter Dun, of
Fayette county, imported one bull and
five COWS. In 1886, Mr.. Dun, in con-
nection with Mr.. Sam Smith, made a
second importation Of three bulls and
four COWS, and in 1888, Mr.. Dun i'm
ported two COWS with bull calves These
cattle, or greater part of them, were
sold off at high prices among farmers Of
that section.
In 1884, 1885, and 1886 importations
of short-horns were made to Ohio from
England by company Of gentlemen
living near Chillicothe Some of the
bulls and COWS OF these lmpOrtatIOns
were purchased and brought to Ken
lucky.
In 1889 Rev r. I. billiard and Mr..
Nelson Dudley were sent to England by
the Fayette County, Kentucky, Import
ing Company, and purchased abou,
forty head, which brought remunera-
tive prices at their sale in Lexington
Numbers of cattle were imported to
Kentucky between that period and
1866 directly from England, the late
r. A. Alexander, of Woodburn, Wood
ford county, having imported more than
any other one man.
After these importations and their
descendants were dispersed among
breeders, illiberal and unjust detrae-
tons were published and circulated
against Col. Sanders importation of
1917. BY whom these detractions were
originated I know not, but doubtless by
some who hoped to benefit themselves
by eliminating their neighbours stock.
The cry was that 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, how