46 



Bracebridye Heath and Reepham Farm Herds Milk Records. 



THE HEREFORD. 



The Hereford,* although only a local breed in England, has 

 become almost cosmopolitan in its distribution and it is perhaps the 

 most highly esteemed breed for open ranges in Australia and in both 

 North and South America. This prominence may be attributed 

 to the high quality of the beef, the docility, activity and ability of 

 the animals to travel long distances, together with their value for 

 crossing with other breeds, but above all to their hardiness of con- 

 stitution and ability to grow and fatten where grass is neither 

 plentiful nor of high quality. 



Appearance. The characteristic features of the Hereford are : 

 The face, the throat, the belly, the brisket, and the inside and lower 

 parts of the legs, and the tip of the tail are white, with a strip of 

 the same colour along the top of the neck and the anterior part of 

 the back ; the greater part of the body is red or brown, varying 

 from a light to a dark shade. The hide is thick yet mellow, and 

 is well covered with soft glossy hair which has a tendency to curl. 

 The body is uniformly covered with flesh; and the twist is also 

 good. The setting on of the tail is not so square as in the Shorthorn, 

 and the whole conformation of the hind-quarters is more rounded, 

 after the type of the Aberdeen-Angus. The muzzle is white or 

 flesh-coloured, and the horns yellow or white and waxy. The breed 

 is claimed to be particularly free from tuberculosis. 



Some strains of modern Herefords have a tendency to delicacy 

 in the eyes when exposed to the influence of a tropical or semi- 

 tropical sun, owing to the albino-like deficiency of protective 

 pigment in that delicate region. A brown patch on the eyelid or 

 the immediately surrounding parts, or rather the pigment correlated 

 with this external evidence of its presence, is the best protective 

 against the sun, and animals so protected are preferred by 

 exporters. 



Origin of the Breed. The breed, like the Devon and Sussex 

 breeds, is believed to have descended from the old Red cow of 

 Southern England, and, about a century and a quarter ago, it was 



* See History of Hereford Cattle, by Macdonald and Sinclair. 

 Vinton and Co., Ltd., 1909. 



London : 



