LECTURE NO. n. 



HEREFORD CATTLE THEIR ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 



I. But little is known regarding the origin 

 and history of Hereford cattle prior to the last half 

 of the eighteenth century. 



(1) John Speed in a book published in 1627, speaks well 

 of the cattle of Herefordshire. 



(2) The next reference is made by Marshall in 1788 



(3) His description of a Hereford ox would answer we 

 for one of the present day. 



II. A careful analysis of the somewhat con- 

 flicting statements of the principal writers on Here- 

 fords pretty certainly establishes the following: 



(1) That Hereford cattle are descended from one or 

 more of the aboriginal breeds of Great Britain, and that in 

 this respect they share a common ancestry with the Devon 

 and Sussex breeds. 



(2) That the original color as in the case of the Devon 

 and Sussex was probably a whole red. 



(3) That at an early period the white cattle of Wales 

 were crossed upon the native stocks, thus enlarging their 

 frames and imparting a tendency to white markings. 



(4) That the white markings thus originated were further 

 enstamped by a cross of white-faced Flemish cattle imported 

 by Lord Scudamore from Flanders prior to 1671, and by using 

 certain other white-faced bulls obtained in various parts of 

 England. 



(5) That the white face, though generally recognized as 

 indicating purity of breeding for some time prior to the close 

 of the last century, was not universal, as some of the animals 

 had mottled faces and some were possessed of but little white 

 of any kind. 



(6) That the greater size of the Herefords as compared 

 with the Devon and Sussex breeds is owing to the abundance 

 of the food products in Herefordshire, and to the effect of 

 crossing them by animals of large size. 



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