130. 



HISTOKY OF H E E E F K D CATTLE 



thousand were slaughtered annually, selecting 

 the best for the New York market, and the 

 whole time I did not see an ox that was border- 

 ing on goodness (for what I call a show beast) ; 

 good breeding must be looked to for such an 

 animal, and requires as much skill as it does to 

 breed a bull or cow. I should have been much 

 surprised at this remark from a breeder, had I 

 not known he was led astray by the study of 

 theory alone. Mr. H. may have seen larger 

 oxen, but I doubt whether he ever saw the first 

 quality. I shall leave the breeders of our cattle 

 to answer the unwarrantable attack he has 

 made on them. I shall only tell him that were 

 they disposed to steal 'crosses/ represent them 

 pure when not so, they could not show them for 



ERASTUS CORNING, ALBANY, N. Y. 



a premium; a true certificate of their pedigree 

 is demanded. If they are entered as pure Here- 

 fords, they must prove so, or the beast is dis- 

 qualified, the owner erased from the list and 

 never allowed to show an animal again. Match- 

 less [Mr. Sotham's cow, entered in the Herd 

 Books as Spot 1070. T. L. M.] was entered as 

 a pure Hereford, won the first prize, and I defy 

 any man to prove 'there is a drop of Durham 

 blood in her veins, or any other of our animals 

 that I say are Herefords. I hope this is plain 

 enough for Mr. Hepburn. We have a half- 

 bred Durham heifer, as I have before stated, 

 and a man that can distinguish a mule from a 



Spanish ass, can see this cross, though I think 

 her a superior animal. I refer these gentlemen 

 to a late number of the 'Farmers' Magazine,' to 

 peruse the letters of Mr. Price and Mr. Bates; 

 there they may profit from practical knowledge, 

 and see what the Herefords were forty years 

 ago in their estimation. 



"I was honored by a letter from the Earl of 

 Warwick a few days since, which I send you, 

 and trust his lordship will not feel displeased 

 at his name appearing in your valuable paper. 

 Much information may be gleaned from it. 



"I think I may say, with confidence, we have 

 just received from E. Lovel, Esq., Edgecott 

 Lodge, one of the finest Shorthorn heifers, com- 

 ing three years old, that ever crossed the water. 

 I will send you her likeness and pedigree at 

 some future period; she is a pure herd book 

 animal. 



"I could say much on Mr. E. and Mr. H.'s 

 articles, but will leave it to consult your space, 

 or some other means, to do it. Their ideas of 

 arriving into notice as breeders, in six or eight 

 years, are quite ridiculous unless at an enor- 

 mous expense to start with. 



"Yours sincerely, 



. "WM. HY. SOTHAM. 

 "Perch Lake Farm, Jefferson Co., N. Y., Feb., 



1841." 



The following is the letter from the Earl of 

 Warwick, mentioned by Mr. Sotham : 



"7 Carlton Gardens, Dec. 28, 1840. 



"Sir: I received your letter of the 13th of 

 November, and accompanied by a 'Cultivator' 

 paper; your wishing an answer induces me to 

 send one, but not breeding myself any Here- 

 fordshire cattle, I fear I have little satisfactory 

 to communicate; or any breeding stock on my 

 farm to show you should you visit this country. 

 I consider they can breed better stock in the 

 counties where the whole attention of the farm 

 is devoted to that object. I therefore buy in 

 my stock, poor, between two and three years 

 old ; fat them, and feed them off for the butcher 

 as I can get them ready on grass for summer 

 keep; Swede turnips (on which I mostly de- 

 pend) and hay for the winter keep, with some 

 finish only, of oil-cake when necessary. To do 

 which it would be immaterial to me what breed 

 I bought, or where, depending on what would 

 grow fat fastest as good butcher's beasts, the 

 butcher being my customer, and I have no 

 doubt the Herefords are the best breed for such 

 objects, and notwithstanding well-bred ones are 

 bought very dear (a proof of their estimation), 

 I think they pay for their keep, turning into 

 money fastest for the food they eat, and less 

 liable to casualties from the thriving disposition 



