Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-06-12
THE VERMONT PHOENIX, BRATTLEBORO, FRIDAY, JUN
Red pOlled CntfIc.

ing cattle, and with so strongly pronounced
cIaims OF the advantage of hornless cattle
the following plain history and evidently
honest description of the English Red Polls
taken from the Breeders Gazette. ought tc
be of interest. Better far we claim. tc
breed cattle without horns, if cattle with.
out these appendages are wanted, than tc
subject them to the rash cruelty of SAVING
them OIL after growing, as now i'm some cases
practiced. At the Inter Colonial fair al
st. John last October, in awarding the prize,
on cattle this breed came under eXamina.
tlon. There were two herds i'm competition
which of course necessitated somewhat
careful examination of their merits We
must admit we were most favorably i'm
pressed with the all round merit of the
stock. The characteristics are so clearly
given below that they need not be repeated
by us. The cattle under our examination.
and other herds which are to be found in
the hands of farmers in different parts of
the neighboring provinces, carry the UNI
mistakable characteristics accorded to the
oTeeu III Jne article quoted:
Polled or hOrnless cattle have existed in
the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Eng
land, from time immemorial Formerly
they were much more limited i'm area than
at present the prevailing stock in both
counties being of the horned variety. When
or how this polled stock originated is a
matter of dispute. Youatt says they prob
ably came from crossing Galloway bulls
on the horned breeds, but the breeders OF
Norfolk and Suffolk scout this idea. Their
breed, they say, is as old at least, and can
be traced back as far as the Galloway, and
the hornless trait is much more strongly
inbred. The best-bred Galloways occa.
sionally drop a calf that develops scurs. OF
abortive horns. This is so rare among the
Red Polls as to be in the best herds practi-
cally unknown. The development of sour.
on calf claiming to be Red Polled. is ac.
cepted as an evidence of impurity and de.
bars the animal from registration.
Formerly the Norfolks and Suffolks were
distinct breeds, or at least quite distinct
types of cattle, though the latter seem tc
be the older and are possibly the foundation
stock. However this may be it is certain
that at the beginning of this century the
two types were quite different. The old
Suffolk was rather large, mgainy. UNI
prepossessing COW in appearance, but, as
the Encyclopedia Britannica saws. pos.
sessing IAN undoubted capacity of yielding
a large quantity of milk in proportion to
the feed which they consume" These
cows, while varying somewhat in this re-
spect, were usually of pale red or dun
color, whence they were known in Youatt'
day as ''Sutfolk Duns.' But he adds that
. l,.. L.
if they were "a pure, unmingled red"
The NOrfolks of this early day were
smaller cattle than the Suffolks, finer
smoother, more compact in build. not SC
deep mixers, but fatting easily and making
of deep blood-red color, with some white
on the udder and along the belly.
The modern Red Polled cattle are COM
bination of these two old strains. and there
are few. if any, herds now i'm existence which
do not mingle the blood of both. The diff.
ferent types, however, still prevail to some
extent, and the different qualities represent.
ed by these types. Some herds are decided
ly Suffolk in their blood and characteristics
others are as distinctly Norfolk. 1t is the
aim of the most successful breeders, how.
ever, to combine the good qualities of both
the old strains, and breed a COW of full
medium or large size, blood red in color, OF
fine bone, smooth, compact in form-a
heavy body on short legs-hardy, docile
fatting easily, and producing meat of high
quality, and giving a good flow of rich milk
all the year round. How well they have
succeeded, so far as eye and hand can tell
the official reporter at the show of the Roy
al Agricultural society in 1SS6-the largest
show of Red Polls ever held--can answer
He says: 'The improvement made during
the past few years in the style, substance
and quality of the animals, as well as the
advance toward uniformity of type, is with
in measurable distance of the marvellous
No stronger proof of this can be desired OF
given than is to be found in the fact that the
Judges (all three of whom are keen men OF
business and thoroughly practicaD com
mended in its entirety the class of cows
with its 30 entries. Such an event as thi.
is almost unknown and but very seldom
deserved" The judges themselves in theil
report say: "rhis class was beyond ques
ton an extraordinary one. Having selected
II cows we placed them together in a line
and we venture to say few people have
seen II better cows of any breed shown
together.
At the Smithfield club show of 1889 two
Red Polled steers, two years old, showed
the largest daily gain of anything on eXhi
bition that old-2.1S lbs. and 2.29 lbs. re
spectively. At the last Smithfield clul
show Red Poled steer dressed the highest
per cent of his live weight of anything
slaughtered-73. u per cent. Seventy-foul
per cent, according to the London Live
Stock journal, is the highest ever made by
steer in England, cross-bred ANNA
killed some years ago. The Red Poll
therefore, came very near the top, and wal
the highest, as | understand, of any full
blood steer of any breed.