HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



61 



CHAPTER VI. 



''You ATT" ON BRITISH CATTLE 



One of the important events in the cattle in- 

 terest, especially as regards the Herefords, was 

 the issuing of what has been styled, "Youatt's 

 History of British Cattle" (1835), and pur- 

 ported to he "a full history of the various 

 races." The author, Mr. W. Youatt, is rated 

 "a scholar, distinguished for the extent, variety 

 and elegance of his attainments," "a veterinary 

 surgeon." His work was published under the 

 auspices of the "Society for the Diffusion of 

 Useful Knowledge," of which the following 

 were officers: Chairman, The Right Honora- 

 ble the Lord Chancellor, F. R. S., member Na- 

 tional Institute of France; Vice-Chairman, 

 The Right Honorable the Lord J. Russell, M. 

 P., Paymaster of Forces; Treasurer, Wm. 

 Tooke, M. P., F. R. S. ; Secretary, Thos. Coates, 

 No. 59 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. These 

 committees were of the leading men of England 

 in Parliament, in the church and in common 

 business, but as with members of such societies 

 in our day, they were not especially interested 

 or proficient in agriculture. The north pole or 

 a new star were of vastly more importance to 

 these scientists. It was with the organization 

 of the Smithfield Club in 1798 that we begin 

 to make a connected and reliable cattle record. 



That part of Hereford history easiest to es- 

 tablish is the pre-eminent fact that as early as 

 1766, B. Tomkins, Jr., evolved from the efforts 

 of his ancestors a systematic work with a view 

 to making a standard, by which, or to which, 

 the Hereford breed should conform later. 



Editor Youatt, in giving the history of the 

 Herefords, says: "The Herefordshire white- 

 faced breed, with the exception of a very few 

 Alderney and Durham cows, have almost exclu- 

 sive possession of this county. The Herefords 

 are considerably larger than the North Devon. 

 They are usually of a dull red and some of 

 them are brown and even yellow. A few are 

 brindled, but they are principally distinguished 

 by their white faces, throats and bellies. In a 

 few cases the white extends to the shoulders. 

 The old Herefords were brown, or red-brown, 

 with not a white spot upon them. It is only 



within the last fifty or sixty years that it has 

 been the fashion to breed for white faces." 



"Whatever may be thought of the change of 

 color, the present breed is certainly far superior 

 to the old one. The hide is considerably thicker 

 than that of the Devon, and the beasts are more 

 hardy. Compared with the Devon, they are 

 shorter in the leg, and also in the carcass; 

 higher and broader and heavier in the chine; 

 wider and rounder across the hips and better 

 covered with fat; the thigh fuller and more 

 muscular, and the shoulders larger and 

 coarser." He then refers to an ox that belonged 

 to the Duke of Bedford, and he quotes Mar- 

 shall's opinion as given elsewhere. 



Youatt continues: "They fatten to a much 

 greater weight than the Devons, and run to 50 

 or 70 score (or 1,000 to 1,400 Ibs.). A toler- 

 able cow will average from 35 to 50 score (700 

 to 1,000 Ibs.). A cow belonging to the Duke 

 of Bedford weighed more than 70 score (or 

 more than 1,400 Ibs.). An ox belonging to 

 Mr. Westcar exceeded 110 score (2,100 Ibs.). 



"They are not now much used for husbandry, 

 though their form adapts them for heavier 

 work, and they have all the honesty and docil- 

 ity of the Devon ox, and greater strength, if 

 not his activity. 



"The Herefordshire ox fattens speedily at a 

 very early age, and it is therefore more advan- 

 tageous to the farmer, and perhaps to the 

 county, that he should go to the market at three 

 years old than to be kept longer to be employed 

 as a beast of draught. 



"There are few cattle more prized in the 

 market than the genuine Hereford. The Dev- 

 ons and Herefords are both excellent breeders, 

 and the prejudice of Devonshire and Hereford- 

 shire farmers being set aside, a cross of the two 

 breeds will give the Devons more bulk and 

 hardihood, and the Hereford a finer form and 

 activity. 



"They are evidently an aboriginal breed and 

 descended from the same stock -as the Devons. 

 If it were not for the white face and somewhat 

 large head and thicker neck, it would not at all 



