HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



119 



so much so that they were really better adapted 

 for the inspection of a committee of butchers 

 than of breeders. 



" 'The practice, now too common, of fatten- 

 ing breeding animals for exhibition is not only 

 wholly without utility, but is so bad and in- 

 jurious in every point of view that it ought to be 

 discountenanced. 



" 'It will not fail to be noticed that all the 

 foregoing premiums are given to animals of 

 the valuable breed known as "Durham Short- 

 horns," against which kind there were on this 

 occasion no other breed shown in competition, 

 except Herefords, of which there was a beautiful 

 and very creditable exhibition, consisting of a 

 portion of the herd of Messrs. Corning and So- 

 tham, some individuals of which this committee 

 would highly recommend, especially as being 

 good specimens of that important quality, good 

 handling, always essential to excellence. 



'"Your committee (of which a portion if 

 not a majority is composed of what might be 

 called "Shorthorn men," either by preference 

 or interest, as Shorthorn breeders), from mo- 

 tives of delicacy, not to say generosity, did not 

 deem themselves called on to decide between 

 these two rival breeds and against the Here- 

 fords, which would have been, for the most part, 

 and in effect, their decision, if made on this oc- 

 casion. 



" 'In England, the home of both breeds, where 

 beef is the first and almost governing considera- 

 tion, the Herefords as a breed, it is well known, 

 have long maintained a sharp and often success- 

 ful competition with the Shorthorns for feed- 

 ing purposes, especially as a grazing stock, while 

 it is claimed and now generally conceded by 

 well-informed, dispassionate persons in Eng- 

 land, that the well-bred Shorthorns have the 

 merit of earlier maturity and are also entitled 

 to the preference for stall feeding and more 

 especially and decidedly so for dairy purposes, 

 in which the Shorthorns and their crosses are 

 believed to excel all other breeds and that the 

 pure-bred males of this breed are capable of 

 improving all other breeds of cattle, certainly 

 a most important consideration, and especially 

 so in this and all the northern portions of the 

 United States. 



" 'It is understood that the Herefords have 

 not yet been sufficiently tried in this country as 

 milkers, in the absence of which there seems to 

 prevail at present an unfavorable impression 

 of them as dairy stock, which impression, it is 

 hoped, may be soon done away, if, as their 

 friends claim, the Herefords are really a su- 

 perior milking breed. Some of their crosses 

 with native live stock, now existing in Massa- 



chusetts, descended from an importation of 

 Herefords made many years since, by Admiral 

 Coffin, are understood to have proved excellent 

 milkers. 



" 'It is, besides, claimed for the Herefords 

 that they will make good working cattle, being 

 strong and active, which is not doubted. It is 

 also conceded that the quality of the Hereford 

 beef is excellent. Therefore, taking no more 

 than a fair view of their case, the Herefords 

 must in all probability prove a highly valuable 

 stock in those portions of this country where 

 the grazing cattle for beef is a primary object. 



" 'Under these circumstances your committee 

 would ask in behalf of the newly-imported 

 Herefords a fair chance and that they be al- 

 lowed after coming from on shipboard to get 

 well upon their feet before they "enter the 

 lists" against the now well-established Short- 

 horns. If the Herefords are cherished and en- 

 couraged for a time it is to be hoped that the 

 now favorite Durhams may by-and-by, in future 

 competition, find in them "foemen worthy of 

 their steel." 



JOHN MERRYMAN, OP "THE HAYFIELDS," COCK- 

 EYSVILLE, MD. 



" 'If the Herefords were distributed in more 

 hands so as to give room for competition among 

 themselves, your committee would suggest the 

 expediency of hereafter offering premiums for 

 them in a class distinct from other breeds. 

 Also for North Devons, a highly useful and 



