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HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



CHAPTER XXXVIII, 



HEREFORDS ON THE BLOCK 



The following items in regard to the beef 

 price of Hereford cattle as they ranged from 

 1881 to 1886, taken as they are from publica- 

 tions of those dates, give information as to the 

 actual cash value of the Herefords : 



HEREFORD BULLOCKS IN LONDON. 



Mr. George T. Turner says in a letter to the 

 "National Live Stock Journal": "The Here- 

 ford bullock in London is quite a season animal, 

 and comes only as grass-fed beef in the late 

 summer and autumn, then it tops the market, 

 for there is no better grass beef sent to London 

 than the Hereford, except the West Highland- 

 ers, which are older and few in number. These 

 generally make prices which are above the ordi- 

 nary top quotations. The Polled Scotch cattle 

 are stall-fed, and do not come under the same 

 category as the Herefords." 



THE LONDON METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET. 



On Monday, Jan. 16, 1882, the best supplies 

 comprised a fairly conditioned assortment; a 

 few choice Scots brought 6s. per stone, but the 

 more current topping rates for first quality 

 Scots, Devons and Herefords were 5s. 8d. to 

 5s. lOd. ; Shorthorn, 5s. 4d. to 5s. 6d., occa- 

 sionally 5s. 8d. Some Danish cattle were on 

 offer, and ranged from 4s. 8d. to 5s. 4d., and in 

 a few instances 5s. 6d. At Deptford there were 

 about 1,100 head, comprising Dutch, French 

 and American ; the top rates for the two latter 

 were about 5s. 4d. to 5s. 6d. 



This, in the language of American reports, 

 would be quoted about as follows : 



Live, Dressed, 

 per cwt. per Ib. 



West Highland Scots, extra choice,? 10.75 18%c 



Choice Herefords, Scots and Devons. 10.50 17%@18 1 /ic 



Shorthorns, extra choice 10.00 17%c 



Choice Shorthorns 9.50@ 9.75 16V 2 @17c 



Danish and French 8.25@ 9.50 14%@16^c 



Americans 9.50 9.75 16%@17c 



It is said that the quality of the best Amer- 

 ican beef is such that when dressed it is often 

 sold as British raised, and that it is impossible 



to do this with the product of any other coun- 

 try. 



HEREFORD COW JENNIE. 



The Hereford cow Jennie, that won and took 

 the champion prize as the best cow at the Fat 

 Stock Show in 1878, and won, but did not take 

 it at the same show in 1879, was slaughtered 

 and dressed at Providence, R. I., December 5, 

 1879, by T. M. Lincoln & Co., of that place. 

 We give below a letter of Messrs. Lincoln & Co. 

 to Mr. Imboden (ft 261) (one of the best judges 

 developed by the American Fat Stock Show), 

 showing the dressed weight and their opinion as 

 to the character of the meat: 



Providence, R. I., Dec. 11, 1879. 

 Mr. J. Gr. Imboden. 



Dear Sir : In answer to your letter of Nov. 

 21st, concerning the Hereford heifer, Jennie, 

 Avill say that she was dressed last Friday. The 

 day before dressing she was exhibited in front 

 of our store, and attracted considerable atten- 

 tion. She dressed a very pretty color, and is 

 very thick, and mixed beautifully. Her per- 

 centage of shrinkage was the lightest of any- 

 thing that has been dressed about here. 



Her live weight is given as she weighed 

 the day she was dressed, which you see is 98 

 pounds less than her Chicago weight. Live 

 weight, 1,622. 



DRESSED WEIGHT. 



Lbs. Lbs. 



Meat 1,110 Liver 12 



Hide 92 Heart 8% 



Tallow 154 Tongue 5 



Total 1,356 Total 25V 2 



Shrinkage 16.39 per cent, and meat 68.44. 

 The caul, which weighed 37 pounds, is included 

 in the 154 pounds of tallow. The Aveight of 

 the meat in quarters, hinds being cut with one 

 rib on them, is 267 and 264 for hinds, and 

 287 and 292 for the fores. 



Yours respectfully, 



T. M. LINCOLN & Co. 



On November 27, 1882, the beef market in 

 London, England, was quoted as follows ; 



