1074 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



enced to a very large degree by the mere fact that 

 he was of the so-called pure Duchess lino. Unlike 

 Beau Perfection 24th, it is more than doubtful if 1 1 is 

 Grace of Thorndale could ever have gained a prize 

 on his own merits in any great showy a rd. How- 

 ever, the breeders of Shorthorns long ago got over 

 that folly and are today doing a good business on 

 the sound basis of inherited individual worth. 



It is sometimes well to recall the mistakes of 

 others, because weeds grow in every garden and as 

 Mr. John W. Cruickshank of Aberdeenshire once 

 wrote to the author, "the weeds produced even by 

 the good sorts should be carefully avoided. ' ' Popu- 

 larity, however attained, breeds the tendency to 

 save and exalt all the material that emanates from 

 a given source. There is temptation at times to 

 throw the mantle of a great and deserved blood 

 popularity over the defects of animals that by the 

 rigid tenets of the Hereford faith should be dis- 

 carded. We counsel all true friends of the "white 

 face" to stand steadfastly against any such prac- 

 tice. One of the fundamental elements in Hereford 

 success has been freedom from fads and fancies. 

 Their breeders have never been dragged as slaves 

 at the wheel of an indefensible fashion or pedigree 

 speculation. They have the blessed privilege of buy- 

 ing and using any bull, out of any Herd, in England 

 or America, so long as it comes up to herd book 

 requirements, and there are none to say ' * thou shalt 

 not!" In this liberty lies the seed of all true 

 progress, all lasting success. 



