ns have also been widely and
successfully used to cross with most other breeds, and with inferior
mixed cattle, as they are found to impress strongly upon them their
own characteristics.

Without entering into the question of its original composition, or of
its antiquity, regarding both of which much doubt exists, it may
suffice here to say, that about a hundred years ago, Charles Colling
and others entered zealously and successfully into an attempt to
improve them by careful breeding, in whose hands they soon acquired a
wide spread fame and brought enormous prices; and the sums realized
for choice specimens of this breed from that time to the present, have
been greater than for those of any other. Much of their early
notoriety was due to the exhibition of an ox reared by Charles Colling
from a common cow by his famous bull "Favorite," and known as the
"Durham" ox, and also as the "Ketton" ox, (both which names have since
then been more or less applied to the breed, but which are now mostly
superceded by the original and more appropriate one of Short-horn,)
which was shown in most parts of England and Scotland from 1801 to
1807, and whose live weight was nearly four thousand pounds, and which
was at one time valued for purposes of exhibition as high as $10,000.

The old Teeswater cattle were remarkably deep milkers, and although it
does not appear that good grazing points necessarily conflict with
excellence for the dairy, the fact is, that as improvement in feeding
qualities was gained, the production of milk in most cases fell off;
and although some families at the present time embrace many excellent
milkers, the majority of them have deteriorated in this respect about
in proportion to the improvement effected as meat-producing animals.
The earlier Short-horns introduced into this country were from the
very best milking families, and their descendants have usually proved
valuable for dairy purposes--but many of those more recently imported
are unlike them in this respect. By crossing the males upon the common
cows of the country the progeny inherited increased size and symmetry
of form, more quiet dispositions, greater aptitude to feed and earlier
maturity. Notwithstanding the prejudices with which they were at first
received, they gradually rose in estimation, more of them have been
introduced than of any other breed, and probably more of the
improvement which has taken place in cattle for the last forty years
is d