774 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



ties on the range would be impaired. Referring to 

 this situation, Mr. Mackenzie says : 



"I realized that several important changes must 

 be made to put the company on a paying basis, that 

 instead of selling off our fat cows we should dispose 

 of those undesirable for breeding purposes, and 

 that we must supply the herd with purebred bulls 

 exclusively. It took several years to accomplish 

 this because the purchase price of the bulls, as well 

 as the running expenses of the company, had to be 

 paid from the revenue derived from the annual 

 sales of cattle. Furthermore, I suggested that in- 

 stead of selling our two-year-old steers to northern- 

 buyers we adopt the plan of sending all our steer- 

 cattle to northern ranges of our own and holding 

 them there for two years and then sending them to 

 the Chicago market. This policy has been carried 

 out by the company since that time. ' ' 



Manager Mackenzie Discards Grade Bulls. At 

 the 1 time that Mr. Mackenzie took hold of the Mata- 

 dor company there were a few Hereford grade bulls 

 being used in the herd, and not first-class ones at 

 that, the balance being Shorthorn grades and a few 

 Aberdeen- Angus. The Hereford was not altogether 

 yet in favor at that date, many claiming that the 

 produce was smaller both in bone and size than the 

 cross by the Shorthorn. This was undoubtedly the 

 truth in certain instances, but was explained, in part 

 at least, by the fact that many of the so-called Here- 

 fords in use were only grades and in other cases 

 were very inferior specimens of purebreds. Accord- 

 ingly it was decided to change the policy instead of 

 using grades to breed from purebreds only. 



The first pedigree Hereford bulls bought for the 



