Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-10-29
ShORTHORN HISTORY.


/ Porto Rico Editor Gets Good
Hamored Calling Down.
One by one the world is being robbed
of its dearest traditions. There was
no Adam; there was no wooden horse
at the siege Of Troy; there were no Rom.
illus and Remus; there was no Hora-
thus on that bridge; william Tell was
not much Of a marksman anyhow;
Bruce got no pointers whatever on en-
pire building from that celebrated spi-
der; George Washington did not hack
his fathers cherry tree. Last, but not
least In point Of interest to those who
follow the gentle arts Of agriculture,
the latest historical research O. takes
from as the Ceilings as the creators Of
the great breed Of cattle known as the
Shorthorns, not only RELOCATING to obliv-
ion the lairds Of Darlington and Ket.
ton, but all Of their contemporaries and
immediate predecessors whom we have
been taught to revere as the fathers of
the Shorthorn breed. 1t is all q mis-
take. They had nothing to do with 1t,
or. granting that they did assist in the
work. they suppressed the facts as to
the materials employed in such man.
ner as to entitle them to the contempt |
rather than the reverence of the cattle |
breeding world. We quote from the |
Porto Rico Trade and Agricultural |
Journal:
1T may not be generally known that
Lord Durham took with him to Europe |
In the eighteenth century number of
Porto Rican cows and bred them to
Holstein stock, thus producing the ia
nous Shorthorn Durham, but such is
nevertheless the case"
Just what part Of Europe was cho-
sen by his lordship for this interesting
experiment Is not specified, but that is
not OF much Importance anyhow. The
main fact is that Porto Rico Is the real
mother Of the great all around the
world breed and should therefore be
taken possession Of Immediately by
those who desire to produce the finest
type of cattle. Our contemporary is
not modest in setting forth the claims
Of our new West Indian acquisition as
q nursery for fine cattle. We quote
again:
There is no spot on the globe where
they raise better milk cows and beef
cattle than in Porto Rico"
The Netherlands and the Channel is
lands have no better dairy stock, Scot
land and our own corn states produce
no richer beef. What a bovine para
disc we have indeed acquired from
Spain! The same purveyor Of infor-
nation about Porto Rico adds that
cattle need no care whatsoever"
Now, If the Porto Rican herds equal
Or excel those of any other land in the
absence of any care whatsoever it re-
luires only feeble Imagination to
what prodigies may read
ly be produced there by the lntroduc-
ion of scientific methods Of manage
nent We suppose the ShorthorD ,
serves as good example Of what can
De done with the native stock. Lord
Durham certainly demonstrated to a
inish the capacity Of tho island cow
We fancy we can see swarms of Amer 7
can cattle breeders setting off post
taste for San Juan on the strength Of
his last development.
We suggest that our newspaper
riends In Manila take hand in this
promoting" business. There can now 7
10 little doubt that the Hereford was !.
eally produced by the crossing Of Nor !
mandy bulls upon the ordinary water [
Of the Philippine Islands -
transferred many years ago to the q
.ondon zoo. AS for the Aberdeen
Angus. their color and physlognomy a
oint SO clearly to an equatorial origin
hat Honolulu can certainly make out
prima facie case In reference t. them 8,
Or the Hawaiian herds. Surely our h
rethren Of the Pacific island press F
I'LL not be outdOne by any West In e.
Ian sheet, however enterprising. :,
Seriously 1t Is Just such rot as this =.
'om sources that ought to be autbori- II
tive that will retard rather than fur r,
Ter the development Of our island pos.
sSiOn.-Breeder's Gazptte