BEEF CATTLE 383 



496. The Hereford. The Hereford breed takes its name from 

 the county of its origin, Herefordshire, in southwest England. 

 Long before modern methods of breeding had been employed, 

 the cattle of Herefordshire had attained a high individuality 

 and excellence. For generations the cattle of this district had 

 been raised with special attention to size, strength, and docility 

 and to fitness for the yoke. The first great improvers of this 

 breed were the members of the Tompkins family, four gen- 

 erations of which were breeders of the early Hereford cattle. 



FIG. 193. Shorthorn cow and calf 



Hereford cattle (Fig. 192) were first imported into the United 

 States in 1817 by Henry Clay of Kentucky. The first importa- 

 tion of much consequence, however, was made in 1840 by 

 W. H. Sotham of Albany, New York. For the next thirty years 

 the Hereford breed gained adherents in the United States very 

 slowly. About the year 1875 the ability of the breed to thrive 

 under the conditions of the Western ranges began to be appre- 

 ciated. From that time the popularity of the Herefords increased 

 rapidly, especially west of the Mississippi River. 



In weight the Herefords stand next to the Shorthorns and 

 are noted for their wide-sprung ribs and full heart girth. They 

 are somewhat lacking in the development of the hind quarters, 

 but they are a thick-fleshed, early-maturing, and quick-feeding 

 type. In milk production they are below the average. 



