94 



THE GUERNSEY BREED 



The first interest in a herd book was manifested in 1876, 

 when a few gentlemen proposed a book in which the entries 

 should be limited to animals in which they were interested. 

 A list of some 170 animals was published in, 1879 under the 

 name of "The Guernsey Herd Book." The total number reg- 

 istered by them was 36 bulls and 297 cows with their produce, 

 selected from about 50 herds. The following quotation from 



?,: y'^P'* 



Mabel 330, F. S. 1st prize, 1909. 



the introduction to Vol. I. of the Herd Book of the Royal 

 Guernsey Agricultural Society continues the history of the 

 development of the registry: 



"The question was by this time seriously entertained in com- 

 mittee whether a Herd Book ought not to be issued under the 

 auspices of the Royal Guernsey Agricultural Society. Then the 

 promoters of the existing registry offered to hand over their work 

 to the society, which, after careful deliberation, was eventually ac- 

 cepted by a general meeting of its members. It was also decided 

 that all bulls and milch cows that had been awarded prizes by the 

 society since the year 1877 should be added' to the list as qualified 

 stock. At subsequent meetings it was further resolved in order 

 that no really good specimens may be excluded from the registry 



