CHAPTER X. 



SECOND PERIOD OF ACTIVITY IN 

 AMERICA. 



During the decade from 1840 to 1850 a pro- 

 found depression overtook American agricultu- 

 ral industries. The outburst of activity in live- 

 stock improvement that had found manifesta- 

 tion in the new West during the "thirties" in 

 the operations of the first Ohio and Kentucky 

 importing companies, was followed by ten or 

 twelve years of declining values and waning 

 interest in all things agricultural. Importa- 

 tions ceased. Discouraged by the absence of 

 demand for good cattle, leading breeders reluc- 

 tantly castrated many well-bred young balls 

 that should have been doing service in the 

 herds of the farming community. Large num- 

 bers of good cows and heifers were fed off for 

 the shambles. Pedigree records were in many 

 cases neglected. * In this way many descend- 

 ants of the importations already noted disap- 

 peared from view. As has been true, however, 

 during all such trying times, certain men who 

 knew that history never fails to repeat itself 

 stood steadfastly by the "red, white and roans/' 



(238) 



