Cattle 1853 - Lewis Family Farm

SHOUT-HORNS. 121
horn heifer ever known. The Durham Ox was the largest short-horn,
one ever known, except the Spottiswood Ox. Mr. Colling fed and
sold, in 1799, a heifer by Favorite, which Berry states in his first
history, "weighed, at three years old, one hundred stones, (1400
lbs !) within a few pounds." Her live weight must have been 1700
lbs.—a wonderful three year old heifer.
It will be seen that here are three animals, the- only ones bred by
Colling whose weights are on record, that have no superiors (indeed
where are their equals ?) in point of wonderful weight in all the records
of short-horns.
To attain these extraordinary weights, "they must not only have
been very deep fleshed and very fat, but must have had large, very
large, frames, to give the space to make such great weights.
Can there be a doubt that Charles Colling increased the size of his
cattle ? Mr. Berry in his first history mentions nothing of a reduc-
tion of size, and nothing of the Galloway cross ; yet when he proposes
in his second history to show the excellence of the alloy, as
the Galloways are a very small breed, it became necessary to discover
that Mr. Colling had reduced the size of his cattle. Mr. Berry
states, that Mr. Colling always ", declined on all occasions to throw
any light on his views and proceedings." Of course Berry got no
authority from Mr. Colling for this alleged reduction of size, but is
himself the originator of the supposition. Facts, and the history of
the Short-Horns, contradict him.
5. Hubback was a pure short-horn—had no Dutch blood ; and
was vigorous until thirteen years of age, when he was killed.
In his second history Berry says (page 97), " Hubback, an animal
respecting which there has been much controversy, principally
touching the purity of his blood, a question now of little importance,
because it is admitted on all hands that Mr. Colling adopted another
cross, which prevails in 'a majority of superior short-horns of the
present day." " Without entering on an inquiry by what circumstances
Hubback's title to be considered of pure blood is supported
or weakened, it may suffice to observe, that it appears probable he
possessed on one side the imported [Dutch] blood. The possessor
of his dam was a person in indigent circumstances, and grazed his
cow in the highways. When afterwards she was removed to good
land, near Darlington, she became so fat that she did not breed
again ; and her son, having the same feeding propensity in a high
degree, was useful as a bull during a very short period." Such is
Mr. Berry's account.
All the authorities for the impurity of Hubback's blood shall be
quoted.
Major Rudd in 1816 says, "The bull Hubback was descended
from the stock of Sir James Pennyman, who, about the year 1770,
paid much attention to the improvement of short-horned cattle, and
R