116 



HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



"We shall show a number of our cattle at the 

 show at Niblo's, in October, where we invite the 

 owners of the best cattle in America to appear 

 against us (with the best of feeling), for it is 

 opposition and competition that spurs us on 

 to superiority, but prejudice must be put out of 

 the question. Let reality be our helmsman and 

 perseverance our motto, and then our country 

 can be equal in stock to any on the globe. It 

 all depends on the people. * * * 



"Mr. Hewer has numerous backers, if he will 

 allow it, to show from one sheep to a hundred 

 against any person in the world, either ewes or 

 rams. He has been very careless about showing 

 his sheep and cattle, having met with a ready 

 sale without it. 



"I am, dear sirs, yours sincerely, 



"WM. HY. SOTHAM. 



"Portsmouth, Aug. 24, 1840." 



We find the following letter from Mr. Sotham 

 at page 176. We quote from this: 



"Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker: * * * In 

 perusing your valuable paper I noticed an ar- 



HEREFORDSH1RE FARMYARD SCENE. 

 (Taken at Mr. Newton Moore's, Sutton.) 



ticle from Mr. Randall on cattle, which dif- 

 fered widely from my opinion in many in- 

 stances. I cannot say I agree with him or his 

 quotations on Herefords. I am sorry to dis- 

 pute a person who has so much zeal for his 

 country, but I know his good sense will hark 

 back to a fault if caught on a bad scent. When 

 he catches me running the same course I will 

 hail his correction with pleasure and profit 

 from his good intention. 



"He says : 'They are larger boned, usually of 

 a darker red, or browner color than the Devon 

 and even worse milkers; indeed, a Hereford 

 cow is rarely seen in an English dairy/ Prob- 

 ably he might have made these assertions 

 twenty or thirty years ago without fear of con- 



tradiction, but no practical man of the present 

 day will allow them to pass with impunity, un- 

 noticed. The Herefords, like everything else 

 that is looking towards perfection, have met 

 many unjust accusations, and I must say that 

 breed, with the Cotswold sheep, have had to 

 contend against prejudice and abuse in Eng- 

 land more than any other breeds ever ex- 

 hibited; but they have fought their up-hill 

 course with great credit; their good qualities 

 have triumphed even over the most prejudicial, 

 and have won a permanent standing in the esti- 

 mation of the first breeders that will not be 

 easily forestalled. The Hereford oxen have 

 taken the first prize in each class at the Smith- 

 field shows for the last two years. * * 



"I must say to Mr. Randall that the pure 

 Herefords are not larger and heavier in their 

 bone; there is as much good breeding shown 

 in their limbs as any breed in existence. The 

 working oxen are as good and as docile as any, 

 and I think I can forward a Hereford cow that 

 will fill the pail as high as most Durhams or 

 Devons, and if Mr. Randall will take an ocular 

 survey of English dairies he will find in them 

 more Herefords and crosses from them than 

 any other breed, though the best breeds of cattle 

 are far between, even in England. This con- 

 demnation has arisen more from theory and 

 hearsay than practice. The best proof of this 

 is to refer Mr. Randall to Class 5 of the Royal 

 Agricultural Society at Oxford, 1839, and he 

 will there find that the Hereford cow won the 

 first prize against all England, in the opinion 

 of the judges, as the best calculated for dairy 

 purposes ; the Durham obtained the second. This 

 is a quotation that cannot be disputed, and one 

 much calculated to retrieve the injured char- 

 acter of the Herefords as milkers though an 

 animal that can be fattened with facility is 

 sufficient recommendation, as the steer, the ox 

 and the cow must ultimately come to the sham- 

 bles. A pure-bred Hereford bull will cross well 

 with any breed, and I shall be much disap- 

 pointed if they do not afford more actual bene- 

 fit to the United States than any other breed 

 ever imported. It was this impression that in- 

 duced me to give them the decided preference. 

 The female Durham is thought to be a better 

 cross with other breeds than the bull. Mr. 

 Randall, in extolling the Durhams, quotes from 

 the 'Farmer's Series' the following: 



" 'In early maturity they have confessedly no 

 rivals, being ready for the butcher for from two 

 to four years earlier than the other English 

 breeds.' I should imagine his author meant 

 Herefords when he advanced this ; if not, prac- 

 tice and experience will admit them to have at 



