A MASTER OF ARTS 87 



the leading breeders of the day were present and did 

 not hesitate to say to Mr. BOOTH that they thought 

 his wonderful cow fairly beaten. "Then I am satis- 

 fied," rejoined that good sportsman, and the great 

 rival breeders remained the best of friends. 



The Duke of Northumberland was the crowning 

 triumph of Mr. BATES' career. It was this bull and 

 his dam, Duchess 54th, to which the veteran breeder 

 alluded in a letter he addressed to a publishing house 

 about to produce pictures of these animals, when 

 he made the following characteristic, caustic, yet 

 clever, comment: "I do not expect any artist can 

 do them justice. They must be seen, and the more 

 they are examined the more their excellence will 

 appear to a true connoisseur; but there are few 

 good judges. Hundreds of men may be found to 

 make a Prime Minister for one fit to judge of the 

 real merits of Shorthorns." 



Throughout almost his entire career BATES quar- 

 reled with his contemporaries as to their methods 

 and standards, but the time had nearly arrived when 

 his life-work was to be completed, and the blood of 

 the Dukes and Duchesses started on its great career 

 of modifying the type of the cattle of two continents. 

 He died in 1849, and in May, 1850, his herd was 

 dispersed at auction. The times were not propitious 



