HISTOEY OF HEEEFOED CATTLE 



143 



carcass. These carcass-weights would make 

 the live-weights, according to the fixed English 

 system, 2,100 to 2,660 Ibs. for cows and 2,200 

 to 3,920 Ibs. for oxen. T. L. M.] 



"A Hereford steer and heifer, both bred in 

 the parish of Northleach, Gloucestershire, fed 

 in the County of Wilts and slaughtered at Ox- 

 ford this Christmas, the former under four 

 years old, weighed nearly eighteen scores per 

 quarter [1,440 Ibs. dressed, equal to 2,520 Ibs. 

 live weight. T. L. M.] and the latter three years 

 and six months old, more than seventeen scores 

 per quarter [1,360 Ibs. carcass, equal to 2,380 

 Ibs. live weight. T. L. M.] 



"I now take my leave of the 'lady-like' fe- 

 males, for the purpose of pursuing their 'lordly' 

 sons of the Smithfield Club Show, where the tug 

 of war is annually kept up between the two con- 

 tending breeds. Of their extraordinary fame 

 there, let the annals of the t?lub testify ; but I 

 would observe, by the way, that they are by no 

 means well represented there, in proof of which 

 a great number of graziers of high reputation, 

 viz., Messrs. Eowland, Lidbrook, Terry, Hewett, 

 Manning, the three Pains, Bull, and many oth- 

 ers equally well noted, who are purchasers of a 

 large quantity of the very best steers Hereford- 

 shire produces, seldom, if ever, exhibit an ani- 

 mal ; the reason of which, as some of them have 

 stated to me, is 'that winning a prize entails a 

 certain loss,' while the breeding and feeding of 

 them is almost neglected by wealthy owners of 

 the soil. 



"Not so with Shorthorns. They are reared, 

 fed and shown under the fostering care of the 

 Marquis of Exeter, Lord Spencer and Brown- 

 low, Sir Charles Knightly, and other opulent 

 men to whom expense is not an object. In mak- 

 ing these observations, do not suppose that I 

 wish to detract anything from their merits. On 

 the contrary, I consider them a credit to their 

 noble owners. But I cannot pursue this subject 

 further without transcribing the opinion of an 

 eminent breeder, Mr. Bates of Kirkleavington, 

 Yarm, Yorkshire, whose cattle bore away nearly 

 all the Shorthorn prizes from Oxford. He says, 

 at page 426, 'Farmer's Magazine' for Decem- 

 ber, 1840 : 'I visited Hereford about fifty years 

 ago, and was then and continue still an admirer 

 of the best variety of cattle (Here fords). But I 

 consider now and have for above forty years 

 been convinced that the very best Shorthorns, 

 which are only a few, are capable of improving 

 all other breeds of cattle in the United King- 

 dom, as well as the ordinary Shorthorns, which 

 are far from a good breed, and inferior to the 

 Herefords, Devons, and others.' And so would 

 any moderate judge of stock conclude from tak- 



ing a survey of Smithfield market at Christmas, 

 where and when some of the meat of nearly 

 every kind are pitched, the Herefords reigning 

 paramount to any other breed, in numbers and 

 quality combined, making more money per head 

 than a like number of any other variety. 



"Should the position I have taken be doubted 

 by any of your American opponents I would 

 say to such, come and see, and do not be satis- 

 fied with a view of a few inferior of their kind, 

 but go home to the best breeders' houses, where 

 they will be met with a hospitable reception 

 and a hearty welcome, and will find such ani- 

 mals as are worthy of a place in a herd book; 

 but in the absence of their names and pedigrees 

 in print their own good qualities will be found 

 sufficient passport. 



"It may be asked what reason can a man find 

 for resorting to a cross breed who so extols the 



LUTHER TUCKER, SR. 

 (America's first great Agricultural Editor.) 



Herefords? The question is solved in a few 

 words. I was resolved to breed rather a large 

 size, and it being difficult to procure large, well- 

 bred Hereford cows, except at very high prices, 

 and, not having a long purse, I preferred as 

 good Shorthorns without pedigrees as I could 

 procure, rather than Herefords under the like 

 disadvantage, considering, with the 'alloy' in my 

 mind's eye, that by so doing I should procure 

 a rent-paying, though not a bull-breeding stock, 

 and I have much reason to be satisfied with the 

 steps I took at that time, since which I have 

 added some well-bred Herefords to it, and am 

 now in possession of one bull by Cotmore, the 

 Oxford pet, and two others, embracing the blood 

 of old Trojan and Old Sovereign in a high de- 

 gree, which, I think, would be likely to do good 

 in America, as a very near relative of the two 

 latter has done in Scotland, a son of which won 

 a prize in London this Christmas. 



"I should deem it impossible to get up a 



