The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-07-06

nnoly formed pOlleu race u CdIIlC
as depicted on the walls of the cav
erns-the homes of the oldest of men.
In the period when Britain was con-
tinuOus with the continent and was the
lands end of Europe the polled cattle
strayed throughout it's hooks and cor
ners. Fossil and semi-fOssil remains,
found in Scotland, establish the fact OF
the prehistoric existence of wild polled
cattle in those very districts occupied
by the ancestors of the present Aber-
deen-Angus breed. King Kenneth Mac
Alpine of Scotland, when promulgating
the laws at Perthshire, specifically
mentions "black homyl" cattle, which
is the first historical reference to the
breed we have.
Memorial stones erected by the ma
tive Scots in commemoratiOn of their
repulse of invading Norsemen, and now
found at Aldbar and Meigle in For
farshire, and Burghead in Morayshlre
certainly depict the shOrnless cattle OF
the country" Kenneth's laws applied
to the region that became the early
seat of the Aberdeen-Angus breed, ana
there is documentary evidence to show
that in 1923 the black homyl cattle
Occurred in Aberdeenshire, but the first
specific mention of polled animals OF
the breed is that of the prize-winning
sblack humble" exhibitedin 1911 from
a we'll known Aberdeenshire source,
the influence of which on the breed
is still felt. These concentrated facts
prove that the Aberdeen-Angus is the
oldest polled breed in Britain at least
and accounts for it's extraordinary
prepotence in transmitting it's color
and hornless character.
At very early date, history tells,
they had fairs in Scotland Where
breeders disposed of their surplus
stock, and it was easily snapped up by
English graziers. Englishmen = al
ways great beef eaters-found that
their choicest meats came from the
Scottish side of the border, and 1T was
while this trade was at its height, IN
the middle and latter portions OF the
18th century, that authentic record
was made Of the breeds progress in
Aberdeenshire, Augustine, Kincar-
dineshire and Morayshire. In Aber-
deenshire we find the breed described
as having been improved by putting
the best males to the best females,
rules being laid down for breeding
both for beef and the dairy, when
proves the breed to have been origi-
nally what we term dual-purpose one.
The breeds of Aberdeenshire are
fully described and innumerable de-
scriptions are given of the fine speci-
mems killed in the City of Aberdeen.
The butchers or fleshers there had
their own guild and were men OF
high class, and among them particular
mention is made of the WilliamsODs
of st. Johns Wells and Robert Walker
of Wester Fintray. Both were breed
ers, though the Williamsons were the
largest dealers in Scotland, their only
rival being, as we are told, Charles
McCOmbie of TillyfOur.
Hugh Watson made the first great
exhibit of the black polls at Perth
show in 1929. Mr. Watson also showed
pair bred by himself, the other by Mr..
tombstone. Mr.. Watson also exhib-
tied at Kelso in 1882; Aberdeen in
1884; Perth, 1886; Dundee, 1913; In
verness, 1916, and lastly at Perth,
1852.
Being at this time well established
as national breed, it was felt that
trip abroad would extend it's fame,
and it's first foreign exhibition was at
the Paris International Exhibition OF
1856, where it was shown in cOnsid-
cradle strength. This was the show
at which Charlotte and HantOn, shown
| by Mr.. McCombie, made such an i'm
preston on the judges that they
wrote the following:
1.-THE specimens of this breed pos
sess the following characteristic
points: Perfect homogeniety of race,
beauty, richness and regularity OF
| form, softness of skin, mellowpess
| in handling; the whole united to a
muscular system sufficiently developed.
| They presented, besides, a consider
able mass of flesh, supported by a
comparatively small volume Of bone.
| We are aware, besides, that the breed
| joins sobriety to a great aptitude to
fatten, and that it supplies the but
chers stall with beef of much esteemed
quality; that it produces milk in sat-
isfactory quantity, is Of sweet temper,
and is also endowed with prolific quail
| ties"
Dutrone, writing % years later, after
the GROWING event of 1873 says: Il
| well remember the stately masses OF
the polled cattle, drawn up in black
and imposing array, even and level,
/! as if the chisel of the sculptor had
been piled over their grandly feshed
| frames"
| (Third of a series of articles on the
| purebred cattle industry, containing
| facts and figures of striking impor-
lance and value to every farmer and
| stock raiser For free illustrated lit