CATTLE. 33 



In New England, the middle, and many of the northern states, as well as other dairying 

 sections, the milk or dairy breeds and their grades predominate, the old style, or unimproved 

 Short-Horn, forming in many cases the basis of the stock to be graded up or worked upon. 

 In nearly all the more settled grazing regions of the country, the Short-Horns have for some 

 time predominated, since their large size, fine, compact, and massive forms, early maturity, 

 and the readiness with which they lay on fat, render them very profitable for the production 

 of a superior quality of beef; but within a few years the merits of the Herefords for beef 

 production have been more fully appreciated in this country, and they at present seem to be 

 competing with the Short-Horns for the palm of excellence. Since the year of 1876 more 

 especial pains have been taken towards improving the cattle of the great western plains, and 

 large numbers of Short-Horn and Hereford bulls have been transported to those immense 

 grazing regions that lie east of the Rocky Mountains, and the valleys that lie interspersed 

 within them, for the purpose of producing grades for the great markets of this country and 

 Eui ope. 



Grade Short-Horns and Herefords have been known to attain a weight of 3,500 pounds 

 live weight, and it is said that at the stock yards in Chicago it is not uncommon to find 

 many that will average from 1,800 to 2,000 pounds. 



The grade Hereford Steer &quot;Conqueror,&quot; of which we give an illustration, weighed when 

 twenty-seven months old 1,845 pounds. The weight of the grade Devon Steer, &quot;Jim 

 Lockwood,&quot; when three years and five months old was 1,649, having made an average daily 

 gain from birth, of about one and one-fourth pounds. 



Native Cattle. The genus Bos cannot properly be said to be a native of America. 

 The wild cattle of the vast plains of South America, Texas, Mexico, and other portions of 

 this continent, do not owe their origin to this country, but are descended from cattle 

 brought here by the early Spanish adventurers, some of which, escaping from domesti 

 cation, became wild, and in time increased to such an extent that in South America innumera 

 ble numbers of them have been slain simply for their hides and tallow. The buffaloes seem 

 to be the only original cattle of this country, and the so-called &quot;native cattle&quot; of the older 

 settled portions, are the descendants of those brought over by the early colonists from time 

 to time, as settlements were made. Our present native or common cattle are therefore a 

 mixture of various breeds that have been imported at different times. 



The early settlers, of course, took with them the cattle common at the points from which 

 they sailed, and on arriving at this country, had too much to do in establishing for themselves 

 a home in the wilderness, clearing the lands, and defending themselves from the Indians, to 

 pay much attention to the breeding of their cattle. During the past century, more especially 

 during the last half, greater attention has been paid to breeding cattle in this country than 

 formerly, and crosses have been made with the improved types of the better breeds of 

 Europe, especially England, that have greatly improved the common stock. It is probable 

 that the first importations of cattle to this country were those taken to Virginia previous to 

 1609, although nothing definite is known respecting the exact date of their arrival. History 

 states that several cows were taken to Virginia from the West Indies in 1610, and during 

 the next year no less than one hundred arrived there from abroad. The earliest importation 

 of cattle into New England was doubtless in 1624 by the Plymouth Colony. In 1631 they 

 are mentioned in the old records at Plymouth, as having greatly increased. It seems that a 

 division of these cattle took place in 1627, three years after their arrival here, one or two 

 being described on. the records as black, or black and white; others as brindle, which proves 

 that there was no uniformity of color among them. Shortly afterward a large number of 

 cattle were brought over from England for the settlers at Salem. In 1625 the first importa 

 tion was made into New York from Holland, by the Dutch West India Company, and the 

 foundation was then and there laid for a valuable race of animals, which have been greatly 



