TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—A very important itemon the farm is the keeping of a profitable breed of cattle. The low prices that have existed of late for stock'that have been reared and turned off bhe farm as beef, have beep very discouraging to the breeder, but as a rule the great portion of such stock that comes under , the hammer at the different markets lacks many of the essential qualities that would command a paying figure—unless a scarcity pre vailed on account of the absence of quality, breeding, etc., whereas by the keeping of a strain of cattle that possesses quality, and the requisites of early maturity and being good doers would not only be a source of profit but a credit to the breeder. Excellent pedigreed cattle of different breeds can now for a moder ate figure be bought m this colony ; and I am quite certain that the return for n little extra outlay m this direction would he of a satisfactory nature. With such backbone on your holding, you can cross with a certain amount of success ; it is universal crossing that does the mischief. IS o one can tell what he may get from the mixed breads. I will refer briefly just to one breed of cattle that lam certain will be more extensively kept by the farming community than hitherto, namely the shorthorn. Although lacking the milking properties of some of the herds, still some strains are excellent, and at the milking trials the shorthorn has always held a good position; but the other qualities that; this breed possesses counter balance any deficiency m the milk yield— docile, quick feeders, high quality as butchers' cattle, short m the horn, and of a hardy nature. Being employed for some .years on a farm m the North of Scotland where nothing but well-bred Shorthorn cows were kept, one would be astonished at the condition these cattle were always m, considering that the feed was nothing extra. To view them as they stood m their stalls before milking, big framed, kindly looking cattle, with an aptitude to lay on flesh on the rump, one would naturally think as milkers they were poor, but the yield of milk would always compare favourably with other dairy strains m the district. 