544 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



regard for sound principles of breeding. Tn 

 some herds they were mated with consummate 

 skill and judgment, and the original merit of 

 the stock was in these exceptional cases fairly 

 well maintained. Too often, however, these 

 unfortunate descendants of a noble ancestry 

 became the mere tools of speculators and the 

 victims of a vicious system which could have 

 but one result; to-wit.: inevitable deterioration. 

 A certain set even undertook the foolhardy 

 task of breeding the Bates tribes "absolutely 

 pure." There were still in existence more 

 than thirty-five years after the death of Thomas 

 Bates cattle belonging to families originated 

 either by himself or his tenants, the Messrs. 

 Bell, which had been kept squarely within 

 strict Bates lines; that is to say entirely free 

 from admixture of blood from any other than 

 the Bates source. One has but to hark back to 

 the practice of Bates himself to find ample 

 warrant for characterizing this procedure on 

 the part of certain of his alleged disciples as 

 utterly unworthy not only of the master of 

 Kirklevington, but, as a proposition in scien- 

 tific breeding, not to be considered by intel- 

 ligent men. Fortunately there were but few 

 who undertook to carry this reckless practice 

 to extreme lengths. It was pointed out that 

 but for the outcrossed families, not only of the 

 Bates but of the Booth tribes, the main chai?- 



