190 THE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



strong workers in plough and cart, and beasts that, when their 

 allotted period of farm labour was done, would, at six or seven 

 years old, fatten into brave oxen on the broad English pastures, 

 on their way up to London and other great centres of the beef- 

 eating population. The Glamorgan breed was celebrated for 

 these desired qualities, and about the commencement of the 

 present century they were highly prized and much sought for 

 by the great English graziers and feeders in the counties of 

 Northampton, Warwick, Wilts, and Leicester. George III., 

 who has been dignified by Youatt with the character of being a 

 ^'good judge of cattle," was very partial to this breed. He 

 stocked his farm at Windsor with them, and periodically re- 

 cruited the herd with fresh blood from the Welsh country 

 fairs. 



Notwithstanding the high patronage of a king, and other 

 circumstances which might be thought favourable to their 

 development, they have gradually declined in character and in 

 numbers, until at the present time there is no pure herd of 

 these cattle to be found in the county where they were so long 

 held supreme. The Glamorgans are almost extinct. A cow 

 here and there of the old type might be found, but they have 

 greatly degenerated in size and quality ; and a pure-bred bull 

 of the true sort it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find. 

 The reason of the decline of these once famous cattle is popu- 

 larly attributed to the high price of corn during the French 

 Revolution and the succeeding wars of Napoleon, which were 

 followed by the breaking up of the old fine pastures of Gla- 

 morgan for the purpose of growing greater breadths of grain 

 crops. Why the Glamorgans should succumb under such 

 influences more than many other well-known breeds I cannot 

 say. It is, however, certain that from that time less care was 

 bestowed on them, and they diminished in number. Conse- 

 quently their fame became more circumscribed, and when the 

 farmers of the county once more turned to breeding cattle, they 

 took advantage of the fashionable improved breeds that had 

 already gone so far in advance of their native stock. 



The Shorthorns, Herefords, and Devons had stolen a march 

 on the Glamorgans. The native breed still held its own for a 

 long time in the dairy, being much superior to either of its 



