IOTH DUCHESS OF GENEVA 



One of the beautiful bodies of water 

 in western New York is Seneca lake. 

 At its foot lies Geneva, an old town with 

 many attractive homes along the bluff 

 overlooking the lake. About two miles 

 to the west, on a fair eminence, is 

 White Spring- farm. Here almost a half 

 century ago J. O. Sheldon began the 

 development of a Shorthorn herd by 

 importing a number of cattle of Bates 

 blood. Later he acquired from Samuel 

 Thome imp. Duke of Gloster (11382), 

 Duchess 64th and Duchess 66th and 1st 

 Duchess of Thorndale, daughter of 

 Duchess 64th, and Duchess 71st, daugh- 

 ter of Duchess 66th. Eventually Mr. 

 Sheldon possessed a herd of Shorthorns 

 pre-eminently of Bates breeding, for in 

 1866 he bought Mr. Thome's entire herd, 

 at that time the leading Duchess herd in 

 America. In 1866 Sheldon exported to 

 England two Duchess bulls and a heifer 

 and six Oxford heifers. This exporta- 

 tion was sold at auction and caused 

 much talk on both sides of the Atlantic. 

 Sheldon developed a great herd, and 

 finally in 1869 sold half of it to Walcott 

 and Campbell of New York Mills, Oneida 

 county, N. Y., the following year selling 

 them all his remaining animals. Thus 

 the New York Mills herd, of which 

 Richard Gibson was manager, came into 

 possession of the greatest aggregation of 

 Bates blood cattle in America. 



In this herd transferred to Wolcott 

 and Campbell was the roan cow 10th 

 Duchess of Geneva. She was calved on 

 May 15, 1867, and was sired by 2d Duke 

 of Geneva (23752) 5562 and out of 5th 

 Duchess of Geneva by Grand Duke of 

 Oxford. Her sire was a bull of consid- 

 erable merit that died comparatively 

 young. However, he sired a number of 

 animals that became celebrated in the 

 show and sale ring. The dam of 10th 

 Duchess of Geneva was a great grand- 

 daughter of Duchess 66th, while on the 

 sire's side Duchess 66th also occurred 

 in the line of female descent one gen- 

 eration further back. Tenth Duchess of 

 Geneva was essentially a commingling 

 of Oxford and Duchess blood on both 

 sides, much of which for three genera- 

 tions back had been bred by Sheldon, 



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