374 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



did bis own business, in a cool Quaker-like-style, with 

 which it was almost hopeless to cope. Ilis first English 

 purchase for Thorndale was a H-guinea bull-calf at 

 Captain Pelham's sale, which he afterwards sold for 

 upwards of 300 gs. to the West of America. It is cal- 

 culated that he laid out at least fifteen thousand in five 

 years on Shorthorns ; and he bought up fifty-two lots 

 when the Morris and Becar confederacy was dissolved by 

 the latter's untimely death, at prices which had hitherto 

 only been read of by his countrymen, in the English 

 prints. 



Previous to the Tortworth sale, Captain Gunter had 

 only a few Alderneys and ordinary Shorthorns, and he 

 had not made up his mind as to whether he should buy 

 on that day ; but the bitter complaints of some Glouces- 

 tershire farmers, who shared his waggon, as to the 

 American's getting Duchess (59) fired him into action 

 at last. He accordingly bid 200 guineas for the twen- 

 tieth lot, Duchess (64), but it was hardly taken, and 

 his 400 gs. was"soon left in the rear by the Transatlantic 

 rivals. He did not touch the 700-guinea Duchess (6G), 

 but Duchess (G7), the fifteen months heifer by Usurer 

 out of Duchess (59) (the highest priced female at the 

 Kirkleavington sale), fell to his nod for 3.)0 guineas, and 

 then Duchess (70) by Duke of Glos'ter (11,382), out 

 of Duchess (66), followed suit for 310 gs. She was 

 only a trifle over sis weeks, and the Americans had no 

 idea of leaving her ; but as one of them said afterwards, 

 it was " the way in which that other bidder said ' and 

 ten guineas,' almost before my bidding was out of my 

 mouth," that made him falter and give in. It was with 

 these two, and Duchess (69) by 4th Duke of York, whom 

 he afterwards bought privately at nine months for 500 gs., 

 from Mr. Tanquoray, that Captain Gunter commenced 

 his herd. Duchess (67) was sent at a 2o-guinea fee to 

 4th Duke of Oxford, and Duchess (69) to Mr. Tauque- 

 ray's Duke of Cambridge, who was afterwards so famed 

 at Fawsley, and Duchess (72) and Archduke were the 

 respective results. His next purchase was the 6th 

 Duke of Oxford, at Ilendon, for 200 gs ; and his dam 

 Oxford Ilth for 500 gs. more, when she was just four 

 years old. He had originally intended to Lave bought 

 the Duke of Cambridge, but Mr. Strafford's sand ran 

 out, in favour of the Fawsley baronet, who, strange to 

 say, had his eye rather on the 6th Duke of Oxford. Lord 

 Feversham had shown his opinion of 5th Duke of 

 Oxford by giving 300 gs. for him as a five month's calf 

 at Tortworth, and the judges twice over last year, at 

 Chester and Northallerton, confirmed his Lordship's 

 dashing decision, iti Banco. 



The farm-buildings at Wetherby are on the right- 

 hand side on the top of the hill, as you cross the bridge 

 in the direction of Bramham Moor. In Mr. Wilson's 

 time, they were used as a kennel ; but their primitive 

 character is fast disappearing, under the hand of the 

 stone-mason. At present twelve female Duchesses, 

 three Duchess bulls, and two Oxford bulls are housed 

 there, but two of the latter were let. It is in fact en- 

 tirely a herd for letting, and not for selling. Captain 

 Gunter candidly says that a thousand guineas would not 

 tempt him to sell one of his cows at all in Kngland, or 



abroad without a guarantee ; and as the tribe are re- 

 markably prolific, we may expect to see the numbers 

 stretch away into an almost infinitesimal series. It can- 

 not be said of us that we 



"Lisped iu nmiibers, and the numliers came," 

 and having been plunged into utter despair at first, there 

 was no hope for it but to commence with Duchess (67), 

 and to ask to have her and her progeny out by her side. 

 And out they came accordingly, into the field where the 

 Wetherby Show is held, preceded by the old cow, whose 

 head and waxy horn at once told her descent. Her 

 oldest daughter Duchess (72), is a roan, and the first 

 calf Captain Gunter ever bred ; and her bull-calf Arch- 

 duke 2nd, by Gth Duke of Oxford, is let to Mr. 

 Langston, M.P. The white Duchess (75), by the same 

 bull, out of Duchess (67), was third in the array, and 

 the handsomest of the three. In her general style, her 

 beautiful breast, and rich coat, she reminds us not a little 

 of Stanley Rose. Then her sisters the twins (78) and 

 (79) came struggling out with the herd boys. The roan 

 had an especially fine coat, and a very fawn-like head; but, 

 perhaps, in all its points, the white was the neater of 

 the two. The old cow has made good use of her time, 

 as, in addition to this quartet, she has lost a bull-calf 

 and is in-calf again. And so having traced tlie pro- 

 gress of the first Tortworth bid, we went gaily on to the 

 second, and Duchess (70) marched out to bear her 

 witness. She retains all the original colour of the 

 Duchesses (for there never was a white one before Duch- 

 ess (50), and has the same beautiful expressive head, and 

 nice hair, but her hind-quarters are not quite in keeping 

 with her fine shoulders. 



The doctrine of chances was never so strangely ex- 

 emplified [as in her grandam Duchess (55), who was 

 bought by Earl Ducie, when six years old, as a doubtful 

 breeder at the Kirkleavington sale. Mr. Bates had been 

 wont to crab her dam, because she was by Norfolk, for 

 whom Mr. Fawkes had given the then great sum of 1 20 gs. 

 at Mr. Whitaker's sale. His inconsistency was all the 

 more striking, as he had himself purchased Norfolk's 

 dam Nonpareil for 103 gs. there, and when he 

 came out such a crack bull, with one of his usual im- 

 pulses, he sent off Duchess (33) and five others to him 

 forthwith. The Messrs. Bootli and Torr liad a strong 

 notion of going as high as 300 gs. jointly for Duchess 

 (55) ; but the prospect of her breeding seemed so very 

 problematical, that they let her pass them at 105 gs., 

 almost without a regret. In the following year, she 

 lost her bull-calf to Usurer, as she fell ill of the local 

 epidemic from which she had escaped scathless her first 

 year, and which caused his lordship to lose no less than 

 sixty calves. They were slunk away in a painless 

 manner, as if under the effect of an irritant poison, and 

 a less lion-hearted man than the Earl would have thrown 

 up the cards in de.^pair. Before his lordship bought 

 this cow, she had bred Mr. Bolden's first thousand- 

 guinea Grand Duke ; and Duchess (64), who was re- 

 sold at Tortworth for 600 gs.,then in-calf of 2nd Grand 

 Duke, who also brought Mr. Bolden a thousand. This 

 double dam and grandam wreath seemed enough for 

 one cow ; but she proved at the Kirkleavington sale to 



