FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 297 



have a place of honor in the Hereford column. They 

 not only contributed to the upbuilding of the breed 

 in New England in the old days, but in many locali- 

 ties the farmers are still fond of their white-faced 

 steers. 



The Chamberlain Importation. The Messrs. 

 Clark of West Granby were pioneer breeders in 

 Massachusetts, and exhibited Herefords at the state 

 fair held in Boston in 1858. The report of the award- 

 ing committee upon that occasion stated that "most 

 of these were derived from stock imported from 

 England by William Chamberlain of Eed Hook, 

 N. Y., although one was purchased of Mr. Sotham 

 of Owego, N. Y." We can find no record as to 

 the date of this Chamberlain importation, but it 

 has been placed at about 1849. Mr. George Under- 

 wood at one time communicated with a daughter of 

 Mr. Chamberlain in an effort to obtain definite in- 

 formation as to this importation, but obtained noth- 

 ing further than the mere statement that "the cow 

 Fanny was purchased through a reliable London 

 house as a purebred Hereford/' It is regarded as 

 probable that Mr. Clark bought these cattle of Mr. 

 Chamberlain about 1855, including a bull out of im- 

 ported Fanny that was the sire of Fanny 2d. 



The awarding committee at this fair spoke of the 

 young cow Miss Sotham, to which they awarded the 

 first prize, as "a very fine cow, compact, symmet- 

 rical, hardy and of first-rate handling quality. She 

 had a fine bull calf by her side by Cronkhill 3d, bred 

 by Mr. Dowley." Second prize was given to the 

 cow Fanny, imported by Mr. Chamberlain. She is 



