SHORTHORN HERDS OF ENGLAND. 457 



following year, calling in the aid of Mr. Strafford, the entire herd 

 was dispersed, the highest price being 80 gs., paid for Goodness, to 

 go to America, whose descendants, as " Duchesses of Goodness," 

 acquired Considerable fame in that country. Two years later, Mr. 

 Dre\vry whose name has been honourably connected with the 

 management of the herd for over 40 years purchased Nonsuch 

 and Oxford 15th at the Toitwoith sale, and it may be safely pre- 

 dicted that never has one owner Fold so many thousands of pounds 

 worth of stock descended from one cow and bred by himself as 

 Mr. Drewry has on behalf of His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, 

 which have traced to Oxford 15th. The rise of the Holker herd, 

 during the half century it has been in existence, may be said to 

 illustrate most forcibly the rise and decline in fashionably bred 

 shorthorns. At the 1864 sale, the thirty head averaged =66 3s. ; 

 in 1871, forty-three head, .240 13s. lOd. ; in 1874, the exactly 

 same number, .383 13s. 3d. ; in 1878, thirty head, .664 Is. Od. ; 

 and lastly in 1883, when forty-four animals brought only 

 =162 Is. 2d. each, and nine more Oxford females were included than 

 on any previous occasion. 



The Oxfords are both meritorious and numerous, but the 

 "pride of place" must be given to the half dozen Duchesses the 

 sixth arriving betwixt the taking and re-writing of these notes 

 as Grand Duke of Holker 52963, the stylish roan son of the two 

 Sholebroke purchases Grand Duke 46th 49671 and Grand Duchess 

 41st occupies the bull house which his illustrious predecessors, 

 Baron Oxford 8th 41057, Baron Oxford 4th 25580, Duke of 

 Glo'ster 7th 39735, Duke of Wetherby 5th 31033, Grand Duke 

 10th 21848 and Lord Oxford 20214, have had as their home; thus 

 to gain the prestige of these well known names he will have to 

 prove one of the best stock getters in this country. His sire was 

 considered the best young bull at the Sholebroke sale, and Grand 

 Duchess 41st, a beautiful fronted roan with excellent sprung ribs, 

 has proved herself a capital breeder ; her twin heifers, Grand 

 Duchess of Holker and Grand Duchess of Holker 2nd, own sisters 

 to the Grand Duke of Holker, are a splendid pair of yearlings 



