"SET YE UP A STANDARD IN THE LAND" 181 



northern fairs; but I hastened to add, "they are not 

 looked upon with favor by leading breeders, because 

 they say that these cattle, while good beef animals, 

 are too plainly-bred to be introduced into first-class 

 herds." 



Sounds funny now, doesn't it, in the light of all 

 that has since transpired? but it was a truthful 

 answer then. At that moment our host re-entered 

 the room, and the Sittyton catalogue, with all that 

 it meant at that hour to the future of the breed in 

 England and America, was for the time being dis- 

 missed altogether from our minds. At length our 

 delightful pilgrimage had reached its termination. 

 Although Gol. HARRIS was at this time my senior 

 by many years, we were both at the threshold alike 

 as students of the existing situation in respect to 

 pedigree cattle-breeding. This chance meeting had 

 revealed to my mind a new viewpoint. It had not 

 up to this time occurred to me that the headlong 

 BATEs-ward drift in the Shorthorn trade could or 

 would be checked. I took it for granted at that 

 time that "whatever was" in the Shorthorn world 

 at that date "was right." It was Gol. HARRIS' in- 

 sistent reiteration of the absolute necessity for cattle 

 of greater constitution and feeding capacity and his 

 absolute refusal of the BATES bait so alluringly set 



