62 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



During 1 all that time, like his brother Charles, 

 he had been a large seller of stock as well as a 

 considerable purchaser. He sold his surplus 

 animals to other breeders, through which the 

 blood of many of his best animals was im- 

 parted to their herds, since become famous. 

 Like his brother Charles, whenever he had 

 found a well-bred female whose superior good 

 qualities pleased him, if it were possible he 

 also availed himself, by purchase, of her merits. 

 As with the sale of Charles in 1810, the widely 

 advertised first sale of Robert in 1818, with a 

 greater number of animals, brought a large 

 attendance of the most spirited breeders of Eng- 

 land. It took place on the 29th and 30th days 

 of September. Sixty-one cattle were sold for 

 7,852 19s., an average of 128 14s. 9d. The 

 top price was 621 guineas for the four-year-old 



fully as fine In quality, or perhaps rather thicker, though not such a per. 

 fectly elegant animal as Comet. Young Phoenix, their dam, only produced 

 one other calf, a heifer, that died young. 



"Major (397), a nice bull, but not particularly handsome, and of a red- 

 and-white color, begot much good stock in Lincolnshire for many years. 

 He was hired by Mr. John Charge, who bred Western Comet (689) by him, 

 out of Gentle Kitty. Western Comet was acknowledged to be the best bull 

 and finest stock-getter ever brought into Cumberland. He was used to his 

 daughters and granddaughters, and from this close alliance came the 

 Wharfdale tribe, recently so successful in Ireland. Petrarch (488) was a 

 splendid-looking bull, but wanted hair, whilst Northumberland (464), who 

 had big knuckles, was used, like Ossian (476) in Westmoreland, for several 

 seasons, both becoming celebrated sires. Ketton (346) also showed strong 

 knuckles and eventually went into Nottinghamshire. Albion (14) is said to 

 have done more good than any other bull used at Killerby [Thomas 

 Booth's]. Young Duchess, known afterward as Duchess 1st [bought by 

 Thomas Bates], was a fine red heifer and developed into a large, handsome 

 cow, with a good deal of the elegance and style of her sire, Comet. She 

 was never quite so splendid an animal as her grandam, the Duchess, by the 

 Daisy Bull (186)." 



