NOTED EARLY HERDS 127 



superior excellence of their beef, which has been acknow- 

 ledged for ages. Robert Bakewell paid them the highest 

 compliment they could receive, by declaring to an enquirer 

 that the Devons could not be improved by any alien cross. 

 |P . These cattle have generally, for a century past [200 

 years from the present date], commanded the best price at 

 Smithfield. . . . The Devons are the speediest working 

 oxen in England, and will trot well in harness." 



Richard Parkinson's account of the breed (1810) gives 

 the colour round the eye and muzzle as " light dun." This 

 strengthens the conviction that whatever breeds of cattle 

 were drawn upon to form the true type of the North Devon, 

 the traditionary cattle brought by Cornish miners (page 124), 

 played no insignificant part. The rings of light-coloured hair 

 which have disappeared from the modern type of Red Ruby, 

 but have been mentioned by several early writers, are a 

 characteristic of certain of the cattle of the great European 

 Peninsula (Plate LXV.), that have formed the foundation stock 

 in North and South America and also in South Africa, where 

 the breed is noted for hardiness and activity, and power of 

 endurance in the yoke. The colour, as well as the head and 

 forward part of the body, of the Africander cow is so Devon- 

 like, that a speculative belief based on no trustworthy evidence 

 exists that the Devon breed must have contributed to its 

 formation. 



Two periods of degeneration in the Devon breed 

 occurred during the first half-century of its written history, 

 " at one time from selling-off the best cows, and at another 

 time from feeding-off the best calves;" but they seem to 

 have entailed no permanent injury upon the latter-day 

 representatives. 



Francis Quartly of Great Champson, in Holland, North 

 Devon, filled the position in the history of North Devon 

 cattle which the Collings did among Shorthorns, and Tomkins 

 among Herefords. Francis was the great-grandson of James 

 Quartly, who migrated from Somerset in 1703 ; was grandson 

 of Henry Quartly, who died in 1725 ; and son of James Quartly 

 (born 1720, died 1793), who had two other sons, Henry George 

 and William (a clergyman). These were all closely associated 

 with the development and fame of the breed. Francis 

 Quartly began his career as a successful breeder at a time, 



