114 



HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



that case the blood of the Devons, to which the 

 Herefords are so nearly allied, could not but 

 tell, like that of the thoroughbred racer on the 

 course." 



In the same volume of the "Cultivator," p. 28, 

 there is an essay on cattle by Henry S. Randall. 

 Of the Herefords he says as follows : 



"The Hereford ox is supposed to be descend- 

 ed from the same stock with the Devon, but is 

 larger, heavier in the bone, usually of a darker 

 red or brown color, with a white face, throat 

 and belly. They are shorter-legged than the 



HEREFORD CATHEDRAL. 



Devon, hardier and kindlier feeders, but less 

 docile in temper, and even worse milkers. In- 

 deed, a Hereford cow is rarely seen in an En- 

 glish dairy. Their hardihood and great muscu- 

 lar power give them the first rank among 

 working cattle. This, together with their su- 

 perior grazing qualities, has led to their intro- 

 duction into the United States, by the Hon. H. 

 Clay of Kentucky and several other individuals. 

 But it is probable that their deficiency in milk- 

 ing properties will always prevent their very 

 general adoption, either as a cross or in a pure 

 state." 



This, as well as what is further stated, is 

 selected mainly from Youatt (by Berry), and 

 the essay has the evidence in itself as being 

 for the purpose of bringing forward the Short- 

 horns. Mr. C. W. Bement notices Mr. Ran- 

 dall's reference to Herefords in the same vol- 

 ume, page 125 : 



"I was much gratified on perusing the excel- 

 lent 'Essay on Cattle' in the February num- 

 ber of the 'Cultivator,' from your talented cor- 

 respondent Henry S. Randall, Esq. His short, 

 pithy histoty of several varieties is well calcu- 

 lated to arrest the attention of farmers, and 

 guide them in the selection of that breed best 

 adapted to the different sections and purposes, 



for which they may be wanted, whether for the 

 dairy, yoke or shambles. For instance, where 

 the climate is mild, and a full and rich bite of 

 grass at hand, and the dairy and beef the ob- 

 ject, I would by all means recommend the Dur- 

 hams; but where the climate is cold, seasons 

 short, land rough and hilly, with a short and 

 sweet bite of grass, with labor and beef the 

 object, I would recommend the Hereford or 

 Devon ; and at the Northwest, in- Missouri, Illi- 

 nois and Wisconsin, where only beef is wanted, 

 and where they have to be driven any great 

 distance to market, from what I have seen and 

 can learn, the Hereford certainly would be 

 preferable, being hardy in constitution, good 

 travelers, of great size, will fat at an early age, 

 and will make more pounds of beef with the 

 quantity of food consumed, and when better 

 known in market will command the highest 

 price/' 



Mr. R. L. Allen says, as follows, on p. 112: 

 "The best specimens I have seen are the Here- 

 fords recently imported by Mr. Sotham, and 

 now in the neighborhood of Albany; but as he 

 promises a description in your journal, we may 

 all hope to know more about a breed that has 

 for a long time assuredly been held in high 

 estimation abroad." 



Mr. J. H. Hepburn, on page 102, says: 

 "Another matter of surprise, not only to me 

 but to many others who derive their book knowl- 

 edge of these matters from your paper, is the 

 effort now apparently making both in England 

 and America to elevate a different breed of cat- 

 tle over the heads of the Durhams. I have par- 

 ticularly examined the account of the recently 

 imported Herefords in the few last numbers 

 of the 'Cultivator,' and read the appended rec- 

 ommendations. I have never seen a sample of 

 the Herefords, but have been familiar with 

 their history as recorded by MR. YOUATT in his 

 work on 'British Cattle;' and taking the text 

 as laid down by him minutely, the recent dis- 

 coveries of excellencies in these cattle, calculated 

 to place them before the Durhams or Short- 

 horns, have been matters of considerable sur- 

 prise. This, to some of the advocates of the 

 Herefords, may sound strange, but the strange- 

 ness of the observation will disappear, if they 

 examine fully the chapters devoted by MR. 

 YOUATT to the different breeds of cattle, in 

 what may be now, strictly speaking, called their 

 native country. If I understand the work re- 

 ferred to, the engravings in it are calculated for 

 correct representations of the living animals; 

 and, independent of the writings,, they alone 

 will be sufficient to satisfy any breeder that 

 some of the allegations made of the superiori- 



