HISTOEY OF HEEEFOED CATTLE 



383 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



The Hereford cattle have been successful in 

 all the countries to which they have been taken. 

 Their history in other countries than ours 

 proves their value as beef animals and their 

 hardiness and strong constitution, their worth 

 as grazing beasts. 



We quote the following from the "Mark Lane 

 Express/' 1880: 



"Eeports are continually coming to hand 

 relative to the success of the Hereford breed of 

 cattle in various parts of the United States, and 

 they do equally well in the Australian colonies. 

 In an excellent report on the live stock of the 

 colony of New South Wales, Mr. Alexander 

 Bruce wrote as follows in 1876: 'The Here- 

 fords have proven themselves in Australia to 

 be an excellent race of cattle, with distinctive 

 type, characteristics and form, thoroughly es- 

 tablished, and capable of being transmitted to 

 any other race with which they may be inter- 

 bred. They are principally located in the north 

 of Sydney, in the eastern and northeastern por- 

 tions of the colony. The effect of the introduc- 

 tion of Hereford blood into our herds has so 

 far been satisfactory, and if a constant supply 

 of pure bulls of this breed is kept up, in the 

 herds in which it has been tried, still further 

 good results may be expected, as the Herefords 

 are hardier, more active and carry heavier and 

 thicker coats than the Shorthorns. They are 

 better suited than the Shorthorns for inferior 

 pasturage and outlying runs, and they stand the 

 read and winter better. A good many owners 

 are now breeding from Herefords, and it is to 

 be expected that they will eventually displace 

 the Shorthorns on the lighter soils and colder 

 country, and on the more distant runs.' 



"This is precisely the same sort of testimony 

 we see almost daily in the United States press; 

 and from occasional notices in Queensland and 

 New South Wales papers we find that the Here- 

 fords are found to be better 'wrestlers' as well 

 as better beef makers in Australia as well as in 

 the United States." 



We give the following extract from a letter 

 of a friend in Australia : "I am glad to see that 

 you still stick up for the 'white faces.' I have 

 taken the 'Hereford Times' about 45 years, 

 and I see that you are a 'thorn' in the sides of 

 the Shorthorn breeders. I am glad to find that 

 you are succeeding so well in America with the 

 Herefords. It seems to me from the reports 

 that you are pushing the Shorthorns off the 

 ground. I wish I could say the same here, but 

 I am sorry to say that that cursed thing called 

 fashion takes the lead in everything. The 

 Shorthorn is the most aristocratic, as most of 

 the noblemen of England breed them. The rich 

 colonists here follow their example. Now that 

 the ports are thrown open, some of these rich 

 men have gone to England and purchased many 

 of the best Shorthorns they could find. I be- 

 lieve it is nothing but pride, to show the Eng- 

 lish noblemen the depth of their purses. One 

 gentleman in this colony has bought about 20 

 head, which are now in quarantine. He breeds 

 Herefords as well as Shorthorns. He bought 

 his Herefords from me and told me he could 

 keep three Herefords where he could keep two 

 Shorthorns, but he must 'follow the fashion of 

 the nobles.' 



"I do not think I have written you since I 

 was at Sydney last April twelvemonth. I was 

 there judging the Herefords. There were some 

 first-class Herefords there. I intended to have 

 shown a pair of heifers at the Sydney exhibition, 

 but the breeders were determined to hold their 

 show in April. My heifers were too young to 

 show for a prize. I offered 5 5s. for the best 

 pair of heifers of any breed under 24 months 

 old. I am very sorry that I could not go to see 

 the show. I gave the prize on purpose to put 

 the Herefords against the Shorthorns, and am 

 happy to tell you that the Herefords were vic- 

 torious. There was but one pair of Herefords 

 against all the Shorthorns. The white-faces 

 were so good that there was no comparison. 

 The Shorthorns had not a chance with them. 



