FIRST AMERICAN IMPORTATIONS 335 



Merryman says, "I considered him the best bull 

 ever on the place excepting Sir Eichard 2d." 



A Man of Mark. Mr. Merryman was President 

 of the Maryland State Agricultural Society in 1857 

 and under his administration successful fairs were 

 held at Baltimore and Frederick in 1858, 1859 and 

 1860. He was again elected president of the asso- 

 ciation after its reorganization in 1879. He also 

 served his state in the legislature, and in 1870 was 

 state treasurer. He was the head of the commercial 

 fertilizer house of John Merryman & Co., of Balti- 

 more, and in 1880 was elected President of the old 

 organization known as the United States Agricul- 

 tural Society. . 



Mr. Merryman 's heart was ever at Hayfields and 

 with the Herefords. This is well illustrated by the 

 following extract from a private letter to a gentle- 

 man of his acquaintance written some years after 

 the founding of the herd : 



"I am as earnestly devoted to Herefords as you 

 found me upon my arrival at Owego in January, 

 1859. At the last annual fair of our state agricul- 

 tural society, in September last, my Herefords had 

 three gold medals awarded them, and nine first 

 prizes, including one for best fat steer. I have now 

 owned 209 Herefords, 181 of which I have bred 

 myself. I claim that they are the most valuable 

 stock for this vicinity, and for the purposes of the 

 south, being hardy, active and better milkers than 

 the Devon, which is the only breed to compare with 

 them for this section and south of us. They have 

 also another great advantage over Devons their 

 size, I slaughter several steers each year, and have 



