302 A HISTORY OF SHOUT-HORN CATTLE. 



Johnson once gained a champion prize at the 

 Bourbon County Fair, with something over 

 twenty bulls in the ring, probably as good a lot 

 as were ever shown at one time in the State.* 

 About the only objection that was urged 

 against either of these bulls was their color. 

 The "craze" for red cattle was already setting 

 in, and both Sweepstakes and Joe Johnson had 

 too much white to suit the public taste. They 

 had white spots to the extent of perhaps one- 

 fourth of their entire color. Airdrie 3d was 

 quite a successful show bull also. Had he been 

 as perfect behind as he was in front he would 

 have been fairly invincible. At one time bulls 

 sired by Airdrie were gaining prizes at all of 

 the best fairs of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri 

 and Illinois almost without defeat. 



Inbreeding of the Rose of Sharons. Mr. 

 Renick was so pleased with the results of Air- 

 drie's use that he adopted a comprehensive 

 course of in-and-in breeding, using the sons 

 and grandsons of the bull for many years with 

 great success, attracting the attention of the 

 entire cattle-breeding world. John Thornton, 

 the veteran Short-horn salesman of England, 



* Joe Johnson was a successful prize-taker in Kentucky, and also stood 

 at the head of the $300 prize herd, composed wholly of Rose of Sharons, at 

 the Ohio State Fair of 1870. He was the sire among other high-priced cat- 

 tleof the heifer Duchess 10th, sold in 1872 to Earl Dunmore at $5,000. He 

 represented a double cross of imp. Duke of Aird^ie, having been sired by 

 Airdrie 2478 out of Cordelia by Dandy Duke 2691. The latter was a red-roan 

 bull Mr. Renick had secured by breeding Easterday (daughter of Poppy) 

 bv Pilot 817, to imp. Duke of Airdrie (12730) 



