Live Stock Breeders' Association. 281 



quickly seen that some beasts were vastly better killers than others, 

 and as the drovers were not slow in impressing this fact on the 

 breeders, those animals with poor conformation, and those that 

 were poor feeders, were speedily weeded out of the north country 

 herds, for the very good reason that they were not profitable, and 

 in a land where money was hard earned they had no place. 



What I have said of the origin and land of the breed, I have 

 said for the purpose of bringing out clearly the following facts: 



1. The breed originated from polled stock of ancient lineage 

 and purity of blood. 



2. It originated in a district where climatic conditions are 

 as severe as in any part of the United States. 



3. It originated in a district where the food, though good, 

 was high-priced, and where it was harder to make a living than 

 most countries. This made the breeders careful to select only the 

 most profitable beasts — those that were good feeders, and that 

 would bring a top price when ready for the block. Utility was 

 ever kept closely in mind. The unprofitable animal was a "bad 

 beast," no matter how well-bred he might be from a pedigree 

 standpoint. 



These factors combined to enable the breeders to produce an 

 animal of great value from the producer's standpoint, for they were 

 hardy and vigorous, were good feeders, and were of the type which 

 found greater favor with the slaughterer. To these good points 

 the breeders had settled on the polled head and black color as dis- 

 tinct breed characters, and within less than fifty years made the 

 breed so good that it was winning championships in competition 

 with other breeds of longer standing. 



The aggressive advertising policy followed by Watson, Mc- 

 Combie, and their contemporaries, by 1860 had its effect in Scot- 

 land, where the breed grew rapidly in popularity. By 1873 its fame 

 had spread beyond the Atlantic. Grant of Kansas, in this year, im- 

 ported three bulls. The Ontario Experimental farms followed in 

 1876 with the importation of two cows and a bull, and in 1878 An- 

 derson and Findlay imported five cows and a bull. This was the 

 year of the Universal Exposition in Paris, where Mr. McCombie 

 was awarded a prize of honor, offered by the French government, 

 for the best group of cattle, consisting of one bull and four cows 

 or heifers, open to competition from all breeds foreign to France. 

 He added to this by winning the prize offered for the best group of 

 beef-producing cattle in the entire exhibition. Inasmuch as there 

 were 1,700 head of cattle at this great show, the winning of these 



