128 



HIST GEY OF HEBEFOKD CATTLE 



would bo to obtain the breed best calculated for 

 the particular situation for which it was de- 

 signed. Each has its peculiar excellencies and 

 defects, and the one which may be best for some 

 locations and purposes, may be worst for others. 

 The great error in public opinion of the pres- 

 ent day in regard to all kinds of stock is the 

 passion for great size. The only correct me- 

 dium is, I think, that of your correspondent R. 

 in the August number, 'that the only desirable 

 size is where we find the greatest weight in the 

 smallest relative compass.' 



"SANFORD HOWARD. 



"Zanesville, Ohio, Nov. 7, 1840." 



Wm. Hy. Sotham thus wrote the "Cultiva- 

 tor": 



"Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker : In looking over 

 the back numbers of the 'London Farmers' 

 Magazine/ I find in that of September, 1837, a 

 portrait of Sir George, and as he is the sire and 

 grandsire of a portion of our Herefords, I copy 

 the accompanying account: 



" 'The subject of the plate is a Hereford bull, 

 called "Sir George" [* (405) 9999 T. L. M.J, 

 the property of John Hewer, Esq., of Hampton 

 Lodge, near Hereford. In giving some descrip- 

 tion of him to our readers we cannot do better 

 than to quote Mr. Hewer's own account of him. 

 "Sir George," now ten years old, was got by 

 Waxy, Waxy by Wellington, his dam Beauty by 

 Old Wellington, the sire of Wellington. They 

 are of the old original blood, and I believe con- 

 fined to myself. Sir George has won five pre- 

 miums/ 



"I send you this account to show you a por- 

 trait of the original breed ; and it is my inten- 

 tion to answer, as briefly as possible, the re- 

 marks of Mr. Randall and Mr. Hepburn. The 

 latter says : 'I have selected my weakest adver- 

 sary, confident of an easy victory.' I know not 

 why, when each derives his information from 

 the same source, both making many quotations 

 from theory, the language of one may be rather 

 more classical than the other, each grounding 

 their hope of success on the name of a standard 

 work, that standard not written by a breeder. 

 Mr. R. launches out with similes from other 

 writers, and then says : 'But, after all, I am not 

 convinced that the Herefords have been con- 

 verted into Durhams,' and I see from the ex- 

 tract of the Hon. Henry Clay's letter, that his 

 cattle must have been selected from such breed- 

 ers as Mr. Youatt describes, not from the best; 



therefore I perceive nothing formidable in any 

 remark from either that would cause me fearful 

 thoughts of an overthrow. If I cannot gain the 

 victory justly, I shall not feel entitled to the 

 reward. 



"Now, gentlemen, I am quite willing to take 

 you individually or collectively; you may quote 

 theory back to the fall of Adam if you choose, 

 and breed cattle from that instruction, and if 

 you do not possess a fallen race I shall be mis- 

 taken in judgment. 



"If we are to enter into a detailed contro- 

 versy, we must suggest some means of bringing 

 it before the public for inspection and decision. 

 The 'Cultivator' (according to your account) is 

 pressed with too much important matter to ad- 

 mit of long articles; this can be agreed upon, 

 and winter evenings are best for farmers' 

 study. 



"I do not see anything more to be noticed in 

 Mr. R.'s article, further than this : He presses 

 me to challenge the Shorthorn breeders for 

 milking. I am not disposed to give challenges, 

 but as he has called it forth, I will show a milk- 

 ing cow in May next against him or Mr. Hep- 

 burn for a silver cup, value $15; mine shall be 

 a pure Hereford, my opponent's a pure Short- 

 horn. I shall not extend it unless it is urged 

 upon me. Mr. H. says : 'According to my own 

 showing, many a good ox has been bred from 

 an inferior animal.' I should like to know when 

 this assertion was made to me. Have I ac- 

 knowledged this Hereford cow to be inferior, 



* Note. Where, In this volume, In early communications 

 the herd book numbers are given for Herefords, they 

 have been inserted by the author for proper identification, 

 the herd books not being in existence at the time. As 

 far as possible the American as we}l a the English (in 

 parenthesis) numbers are given, T> k, Mi 



WALFORD (871) 47, CALVED ABOUT 1844. 



(Bred by T. Longmore. Walford won many prizes and his 



blood has a powerful influence in the improvement 



of the breed.) 



because Youatt has? Never. This must be a 

 wild thought ; probably I have seen as many of 

 the best oxen in this country as Mr. H., or any 

 other person. In the fall of 1838 I purchased 

 myself, for barreling, nearly five thousand head 

 of cattle, in the western country in the course 

 of two months, and was engaged in that busi- 

 ness four years previous, when from four to six . 



