Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-05-21

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grazing country than the improvement
Of their cattle. Sir Hugh Smithson
married Percy, and was raised to the
peerage in l766 with the title Of the
Duke of Northumberland $50 fond
was he ofhis shorthorns that his peers
dubbed him the Yorkshire
Grazer." He was in the habit Of
weighing his cattle and the food they
ate so as to ascertain the weight they
gained for the TODD consumed. His
active life run from about l74e to 1856,
The date ofhls death.
But century before Sir Hugh's time
ine stock Of shorthorn cattle existed in
Durham and York. The Ailshles of
Steedley Park, and the Blacketts OF
Newly Hall in Northumberland had
fine herds and paid great attention to
them. Besides the herds on the York
shire, Durham and Northumberl and
estates, there were other cOnsplcuous
breeders about 1850. Mr.. Milbank of
of Birmingham, Sir William st. Qulntin
Scampton, Sir James Pennyman Of
York and other gentlemen ofless rank,
showing even at this early day this
breed of cattle was highly priced and
that the large land holders of the
kingdom were paying great attention
to their breeding. Mr.. Milbank raised
and fed a five year old OK which weighed
when slaughtered 222S net. Mr.. Starter
of Chiffon slaughtered COW OF Mr..
Miltank's stock at twelve years old
(having bred TO that age which
weighed 1910 net. She was got by the
celebrated ''Steedley" ball, calved in
1888.
At this date we find the existence Of
shorlholn cattle in the hands Of known
breeders and ola weight and style.
quality and excellence which cOmman-
ded the attention Of agricultural writers,
and about this date the known ancestors
of our later shorthorn tribes or families
can with considerable degree OF
certainty trace their lineage. There
is sufficient evidence of their antiquity
and the lines in which they descended
down to 1850. Soon after that time
purity of blood was considered Of vital
Importance, and records began to be
kept to their lineage. Color OF the
cattle of those days seems to be the
same as at present. Red, Of different
shades of red, red and white, pure
white, pure white, white on the body
with roam necks and heads, roam OF red
and white mixed over the body, or ID
patches, with either more Of the white
or red prevailing. How they would
compare with the choicest shOrthOrns
of the present day in point of style.
symmetry and excellence 1t is impossi-
bic TO say. as there are but few, il any,
accurate pictures of the cattle of this
period, but that they combin ed the
main points of excellence belonging to
the race as 2ow recognized there Is
little doubt.
We have now seen the shorthOrns
from the ancient race existing in North
umbria, before the days Of the conquest
by William the COnquerer, brought
down through the long series Of seven
hundred years, steadily improvi ng with
the agricultural advancement Of En-
gland into an excellence then unequalled
by any race Of cattle in England or on
the continent, and that excellence at
tanned through their own blood alone.
uncontaninated by any foreign ele-
ment. The importation of cattle into
England had been prohibited a long
term of years previous to this date.
As have leisure | will continue this
sketch down to the present time, if you
direct it. GEO. CHRISTIAN.
Warren Farm. Jan. 1. 1879.