366 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



wards very successful in making up animals for sale 

 or show in a number of other western herds, both 

 Hereford and Shorthorn. 



American Herd Book Established. The buy- 

 ing of bulls for the range that now set in had the 

 inevitable effect of starting many cornbelt farmers 

 into the breeding of pedigree Herefords. Included 

 in the number were a coterie of wealthy gentlemen 

 whose operations soon dwarfed into comparative 

 insignificance all that had been previously accomp- 

 lished. Purebred heifers were "going like hot 

 cakes ", and leaders in the business, foreseeing a lu- 

 crative trade ahead, now planned a public registry. 



The American Hereford Herd Book was con- 

 ceived at a conference held at Beecher, 111., in the 

 month of August, 1877, at which time and place a 

 committee was named to undertake the publication 

 of the first volume. Mr. Miller, the leading spirit 

 in the matter, gave liberally of his time and money, 

 and with the cooperation of a small but aggressive 

 band of breeders, being actively assisted by Thomas 

 Clark, E. S. Shockey and others in the collection 

 and arrangements of data, he succeeded in produc- 

 ing in 1880 Volume 1 of the herd book ever since 

 maintained for this breed in the United States. The 

 charge for recording in this initial volume was $2, 

 the company standing behind it being known as the 

 " Breeders ' Live Stock Association." 



Old-Time Controversies. We should mention 

 at this point that the press of this period reflected 

 much bitterness on the part of certain prominent 



