South Devon Cattle. 57 



As far as the future is concerned, it is full of promise. 

 South Devons have l)een imported to South and East Africa, 

 Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Brazil, China, 

 Jamaica, Colombia, and by the Japanese Government, and 

 wherever they have gone they have maintained their reputation 

 excellently and held more than their own. In South Africa 

 they are a favourite breed. They acclimatise rapidly, prove 

 hardy and vigorous, live nearly always on the veldt, and greatly 

 improve the native stock. Among the first to recognise their 

 value there was Mr. Thomas Hall, the Mooi River breeder. 



Mr. T. Bourke, of Pretoria, who has extensive stock interests 

 in the Orange River Colony, seven years ago purchased per- 

 sonally from Messrs. J. Sparrow Wroth (Aveion Gifford), J. D. 

 Ellis (Yealmpton), W. H. Pain (Kingsbridge), and W. H. B. 

 Ash (Ipplepen), bulls which proved to be the progenitors of a 

 magnificent herd of robust animals, reproducing the type and 

 gentle character as well as the early maturity and heavy milking 

 characteristics of their sires and dams at his Karookom Farm of 

 1-4,000 acres. 



It was mainly due to the success attained by Mr. Bourke's 

 herd that over a score of South Devons were acquired and 

 sent out in 1909 to the Orange River Colony Government 

 Experimental Farms at Tweespruite and Grootole at high 

 figures. 



In 1911, Mr. Hamilton Grepe, of Devon Farm, Reddesburg, 

 in the Bloemfontein district of the Orange River Colony, who 

 has imported over 100 beasts from Devon and Cornwall, swept 

 the boards with his South Devons at the Central Agricultural 

 Show, among other awards carrying off the Governor-General's 

 Cup in the dairy cattle competition. He has had ample ground 

 for satisfaction, and found that they stood the dry cold winters 

 of the country well, besides having other qualities to commend 

 them. In a letter from London, on September 27th, 1912, 

 Mr. Grepe wrote : "I may say that our experiment in importing 

 a pedigree herd fulfils expectations. They are proving to be 

 an excellent dual purpose type of cattle and increase in favour 

 with the South African farmers because the bulls improve in 

 size and milk the native cattle of the country. The richness of 

 the milk, and the abundant quantity, please those who sell 

 cream to the creameries. The South Devon forages well on 

 the South African veldt, is hardy, and the oxen are large, heavy, 

 active draught animals." In South Africa the Herd Book 

 Society has a number of members, and in 1910 Sir Hamilton 

 Goold Adams, K.C.M.G., made some purchases of the cattle 

 on behalf of the Land Settlers' League. For the last two 

 years South Devons have beaten all breeds in the milking 

 and butter trials at the Central Show at Bloemfontein. 



