332 



HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



pounds each, with suet in. The beef was of 

 excellent quality, well marbled, and showing 

 that as good cattle can be produced in New 

 England as anywhere in the world. The loin 

 which weighed 106 pounds carried 28 pounds 

 of suet. Farmers should bear in mind, how- 

 ever, that it will not pay to rear or feed coarse, 

 rough, leggy cattle, in this part of the country 

 at least. 



"Few cattle are received in this market that 

 show so small a shrinkage as 21 per cent. Some 

 of the best quality of Western steers, such as 



IT 851 



MR. JOHN PRICE'S ELKINGTON CHALLENGE CUP 

 WINNER, AT 3 YEARS. 



are now selling at 7y 2 to 8 cents per pound, 

 live weight, will shrink only 25 per cent. These 

 cattle the butchers call 'rattling good' steers. 

 A shrinkage of 26 to 27 per cent, shows well- 

 fed and profitable steers. Some good cattle 

 shrink 30 to 35 per cent., and common New 

 England cattle about a third. Coarse cattle, 

 old cows and the like shrink 40 per cent, or 

 more." 



NEW ENGLAND'S LIVE STOCK INTEREST. 



Mr. E. E. Parkhurst discussed in the "Am- 

 erican Cultivator" the question whether New 

 England can compete in beef raising with the 

 Western cattle range, and says: "Our markets 

 are daily supplied with beef from the West, 

 produced under great difficulties and trans- 

 ported to our markets over long lines of rail- 

 roads and often suffering from hunger, thirst, 

 and cold, while New England beef, when it is 

 ripe, can be put into the market as fresh as 

 when it leaves the stables, making it much 

 more desirable as food for the consuming 

 classes. With good and well-bred stock and 

 intelligence and care in feeding, we need not 

 fear competition from any one or any section 

 of our country. The farmer who has lost 

 money by raising steers and feeding high to 

 get them ready for the butcher at 24 to 30 



months has yet to be heard from. The farmer 

 who cannot make his farm grow better by such 

 farming had better go West, or change his 

 occupation." 



HEREFORDS IN ENGLAND. 



The Earl of Coventry, who has taken a de- 

 cided interest in breeding cattle, has given his 

 views on Herefords in an English paper, and 

 says: "That for early maturity and aptitude 

 to fatten the Herefords are very remarkable." 

 This, combined with "wonderful constitution 

 and general hardiness," ought to convince every 

 man who wants to realize the most money on 

 his grass that he cannot afford to be without 

 Hereford cattle to convert his grass and grain 

 to money. The Earl of Coventry, Croome 

 Court, Worcester, England, is very wealthy, but 

 breeds Herefords for practical purposes. He 

 has some of the best cattle in England, and has 

 been very successful with his stock in the show 

 ring. The cut of Rare Sovereign (fl 236). a 

 Hereford bull bred by him, was published in 

 the "Breeders' Journal." His bull Good Boy 

 (ft 235), is a most wonderful, thick-fleshed and 

 massive animal. These facts make the Earl's 

 opinion .very valuable. He says: 



"As you ask me for my opinion of Hereford 

 cattle, I can 'only say that after an experience 

 of twelve years, I am still as great an admirer of 

 them as I have ever been. It is true that in con- 

 sequence of the prohibitory duty in America the 

 demand for this breed has not been so great as 

 in former years, but I believe the check is only 

 a temporary one, and that we shall soon witnesa 

 a return to fair and steady, if not sensational, 

 prices again. On my land I find that for their 

 early maturity and aptitude to fatten, Here- 

 fords arc very remarkable, whilst their wonder- 

 ful constitution and general hardiness would 

 point to them as being specially adapted for 

 crossing with other breeds in our colonial de- 

 pendencies." 



It was on the Earl of Coventry's estate that 

 John Price, of Ryall, did most of his work. 

 Breeders' Journal. 



JUDGES AND JUDGING. 



While I have undertaken to show the char- 

 acter of the judging, and the manner in which 

 our American agricultural and live stock fairs 

 are run, I have had very little to say about the 

 judging in England. "The Agriculturalist," a 

 live stock journal published in London, has the 

 following to say on this subject. While it does 

 not touch the two breeds, Herefords and Short- 

 horns, it is a point to show what is thought of 

 the English shows: 



