246 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



ordered, to present MR. COLLING with a piece of silver plate bear- 

 ing the signatures of over fifty breeders, "as a token of gratitude 

 due from the benefit they have derived from his judgment, and 

 also as a testimony of their esteem for him as a man." 



ROBERT COLLING'S individual accomplishments were perhaps 

 lesser than those of CHARLES, but it is difficult to say just where 

 his counsels ended and CHARLES' began, so intimate was their 

 association. Early in his career, he bought Leicester sheep from 

 BAKEWELL (78) and developed a system of ram leases that be- 

 came a certain source of profit. Three tribes of Shorthorns were 

 created at Barmpton, the Wildairs, the Red Roses and the Prin- 

 cesses, while the bulk of the foundation bulls of THOMAS BOOTH 

 were here produced. The Princess blood was indeed epochal as 

 through the Princess-bred Belvedere, MR. BATES (74) ultimate 

 success occurred. ROBERT COLLING'S partial dispersion was in 

 1818 and completed in 1820. At the first sale sixty head sold for 

 $40,000, while two years later forty-six head brought only $10,- 

 000, due to the deep agricultural depression of the time. 



