HISTOEY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



We have called attention previously to the 

 fact that J. H. Campbell, of Charlton, Kent, 

 and Mr. Westcar, were buyers of Hereford cat- 

 tle, at the Hereford Michaelmas fair in Octo- 

 ber, 1779, probably earlier and up to 1819. This 

 is true at least of Mr. Westcar, and he won the 

 first premium at the first Smithfield show in 

 1799 with a Hereford ox. 



Mr. John Westcar lived at Creslow, Buck- 

 ingham. There are reported sales of his at 

 Smithfield at long prices. The first ox that 

 Mr. Westcar exhibited, and which won first 



Kightley's oxen were sold by himself, and Mr. 

 Westcar's were sold by Mr. Thomas Potter. The 

 old and famous breed of Herefords are not so 

 large in frame as they were fifty years back, 

 and are more complete and mature at an earlier 

 age. Nearly all the above high-priced, gigan- 

 tic oxen had been worked, and had earned home 

 money at the plow and other labor before they 

 were fed. At that time it was well known that 

 Mr. Westcar had a large close that kept the 

 whole of the summer 300 large oxen, and with 

 the 200 oxen he fed 300 ewes and their lambs, 



RED ROSE 393, BRED BY MR. JOHN HEWER. 

 (This was Mr. Hewer's favorite cow.) 



prize at the meeting of 1799, was bred by Mr. 

 Tully, of Huntington, Herefordshire, and was 

 a grey six-year-old, fed by Mr. Westcar ; weight 

 2,198 pounds. He showed also a grass-fed ox 

 the same year at 1,806 pounds. 



Mr. Armesley says : "If memory serves me 

 right, in the year 1812 or 1813, I saw sold in 

 the Smithfield Christmas market 50 Hereford 

 oxen belonging to the high-famed Mr. Westcar, 

 living in the Vale of Aylesbury, that averaged 

 50 guineas ($250) each, making 2,500 guineas 

 ($12,500). At the same time, Mr. Eichard 

 Kightley, of Castlethorp, Berks, sold 30 Here- 

 ford oxen that averaged 47 guineas ($235) 

 each, making 1,410 guineas ($7,050). Mr, 



and all went to market the same year. It is 

 impossible to overrate the value of the services 

 rendered to the breed by the old graziers." 



Mr. Westcar is reported as saying that the 

 heaviest Hereford he ever fed, dead weight, 

 weighed 157 stone, 2 pounds (14 pounds to 

 the stone, making 2,200 pounds). It is re- 

 , ported on examination of his books, that they 

 show sales as follows : 



In 1799, Dec. 16th, two oxen to Mr. Chap- 

 man for 200 ($1,000). 



In 1800, Dec. 4th, one ox to Mr. Chapman 

 for 127 ($635). 



In 1800, Dec. 13th, one ox to Mr. Harring- 

 ton for 100 ($500). 



