THE BEEF BREEDS OF CATTLE 207 



interest of agriculture and introducing an improved breed 

 of cattle." Felix Renick was chosen agent of this com- 

 pany to go to England to select cattle for the company. 

 While it was not restricted to purchase all Shorthorns, it 

 decided, after considerable investigation, to import only 

 Shorthorns. Among the herds visited were those of May- 

 nard, Booth, Bates, Whitaker, Althrope, Craddock, Raine 

 and Paley. Seven bulls and twelve females were carefully 

 selected for the first importation. In this lot were the two 

 heifers, Rose of Sharon and Young Mary, which were 

 destined to play such an important part in the history of 

 Shorthorns in the United States. This importation was 

 so satisfactory to the shareholders of the Ohio Importing 

 Company that their agent was soon authorized to make 

 arrangements for further importations. In 1835 and 1836, 

 Whitaker, through Renick's authorization, sent out two 

 shipments comprising forty-two animals to the Ohio 

 Importing Company. Among these were Josephine, 

 Young Phyllis, Illustrious and Harriet. In August, 1836, 

 this company held a sale on Felix Renick's farm in Rose 

 county, Ohio. Forty-three animals were sold at an 

 average price of $803.25, or a total of $34,540. The final 

 dispersion sale of the company was held in 1837, at which 

 the fifteen animals averaged $1071.65. A number of 

 importations were made to Ohio from 1836 to 1840. In 

 1839, the Kentucky Importing Company brought over a 

 number of Shorthorns. 



239. History since 1840. From 1840 to 1850, agri- 

 culture in the United States was in a very depressed state, 

 and the cattle industry, along with other farm interests, 

 remained practically at a standstill. There was little 

 demand for breeding cattle, which resulted in large num- 

 bers of Shorthorn breeding stock finding their way to 



