47 



generally whole-coloured " brown or reddish-brown with not a spot of 

 white." Up to the beginning of the 19th century, the main object 

 for which the breed was kept was the supply of draught oxen, which 

 grew to an immense size in height at the shoulder. Most of them 

 were fed off about six years old, before the animals had passed their 

 prime or begun to fall off in weight as well as in quality of flesh. 

 Since the latter part of the 18th century, Hereford bullocks have 

 had a high reputation as graziers throughout the Midland and 

 Eastern counties of England; and in the early days of the Smith- 

 field Club, before continuous house feeding became common, the 

 breed held a wonderful record as grazing beef-producers. " During 

 the first 52 annual meetings of the Smithfield Club, when all breeds 

 met in open competition, 185 prizes were awarded to Hereford 

 steers or oxen, while only 190 fell to the lot of all the other breeds 

 or cross-breeds put together." 



Early Breeders. Benjamin Tomkins (1748-1815) was the 

 principal improver of the breed. He paid no attention to uniformity 

 of colour, and as late as 1 846, when the Herd Book appeared, there 

 were four colour divisions, distinguished by the face being mottled, 

 dark grey, light grey, or white. Only white-faces are now left 

 among pure-bred cattle. Tomkins adopted Bakewell's system of 

 in-and-in breeding and the best of his famous herd sprang from two 

 cows and one bull. He imitated Bakewell in keeping his methods 

 of breeding secret, and, like Bates, he did not exhibit his cattle at 

 agricultural shows. " He was a peculiar, proud, exclusive kind of 

 a man and regarded the cattle belonging to others as quite beneath 

 his notice, considering his own to be beyond comparison the best." 

 The herd, numbering 28, was sold by auction four years after his 

 death for 4,172, an average of 149. 



The name of John Hewer (whose activities extended from 1803 

 to 1873) will always be associated with the history of the improvement 

 of Hereford cattle. It would be " difficult to find a single animal 

 of note at the present day that does not inherit the blood of Hewer 

 cattle." The influence of this blood (which traces back to Eichard 

 Tomkins' Silver cow of 1 720) was exerted upon surrounding herds 

 by the practice of letting out bulls. It is to Tomkins' Silver bull 

 (41) that the modern Hereford is mostly indebted for its uniformity 

 of colour and for a good deal of the massiveness of flesh and the 

 prominent eyes characteristic of the best specimens of the breed. 

 He was not of a silver grey colour, as is frequently inferred, but a 

 red bull with, a white face and a little white on his back ; his 

 dam was a cow called Silver. 



Albion (15027) was the most successful sire of recent years ; no 

 Hereford bull except Lord Wilton has got so many winners at 

 shows. Ancient Briton (15034) was bred at Leinthall on the same 

 lines as the two Aldforton bulls, Lord Wilton and Regulator. 

 Sold to go to the World's Fair at Chicago in 1892, he won there 

 first prize and champion prize as best Hereford. He next took 

 first prize and champion of all breeds at the great Show at Illinois ; 

 first and champion at the Iowa State Fair ; first and champion at 

 Nebraska and other State Shows. 



Milking Powers of #<?w/or</s. Hereford cows are as a rule only 

 moderate milkers, and as calves are usually allowed to suck their 



