516 



HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



to be free from prejudice where the rules for 

 the admission of pedigrees are made to con- 

 form to the views of one man, and the great 

 body of breeders whose interests are affected 

 have no means of expressing or enforcing their 

 views of the matter. 



"Thus it is seen that to secure for the record 

 of pedigrees the character, reliability and qual- 

 ity necessary to such a record, and also neces- 

 sary for the protection and advancement of the 

 interest of breeders, it must be controlled and 

 published by an association of the breeders 

 themselves and in no other way can the de- 

 sired end be obtained ; and as the matter is dis- 

 cussed there can be no question about the great 

 body of breeders approving the action had at 

 the Jacksonville meeting of the association, 

 looking for an association record. It can be 

 made purer, more reliable, more accurate, more 

 systematic, more methodical, and, therefore, 

 more intelligible than under any merely private 

 management. At the same time it will cost 

 less money, and be a bond of union between 

 breeders sufficient to create and maintain a 

 strong and active association, the existence and 

 work of which will be a source of pleasure and 

 profit to all legitimate breeders. 



"There are some other features of the mat- 

 ter referring to how the record should be con- 

 ducted, what it should be, and how it can be 

 reduced in bulk and cheapened in price, that 

 are reserved to another occasion." 



This is Mr. Rust's entire article, from which 

 we quoted, of which quotations Mr. Rust com- 

 plained. 



We now give our quotation, as found on page 

 43, Vol. Ill, of the "Breeders' Live Stock 

 Journal" for January, 1882 : 



"Geo. W. Rust. Many who read the above 

 name will remember the man who bore it, as 

 the editor and maker of the 'National Live 

 Stock Journal,' a man who wrote fearlessly and 

 ably. We met an article of his written in the 

 interest of the new movement for a Shorthorn 

 Herd Book. In speaking of those who have 

 endeavored to improve their stock by using 

 Shorthorn bulls, he says: /They had heard 

 and read much of the excellence of Shorthorn 

 cattle, and felt they had a right to realize 

 something of it in their own herds. But time 

 brought only disappointment. And they com- 

 mitted the monstrous error of ascribing their 

 failure to a want of merit and excellence or 

 adaptability in the great race of Shorthorn cat- 

 tle; and their desire for improvement not be- 

 ing satisfied, there immediately sprang up a 

 demand among them for another breed of cattle 

 which does have the power to favorably im- 



press itself upon the stock with which it is 

 interbred.' 



"Quoting this much from Mr. Rust's article, 

 we will say that it is well stated, and that Mr. 

 Rust has always been considered good authority. 

 But it is due to Mr. Rust to say that he as- 

 cribes this failure to the old Herd Books, and 

 not to the Shorthorn race of cattle. But the 

 fact remains, and the farmer or bullock 

 breeder does not care whether this inabil- 

 ity of the Shorthorn race of cattle to im- 

 prove the common or native cattle of the 

 country comes from an original defect in 

 the breed, or the admitting of bogus Shorthorns 

 to record, and therefore giving them a diploma 

 to go forth to deceive the purchaser ; or whether 

 it comes from speculative malpractice in breed- 

 ing. The cause is immaterial the fact remains 

 the same. They fail to improve the stock upon 

 which they are bred, and the breeders want 

 something else some breed that will favorably 

 impress itself upon the stock upon which it is 

 bred, if they have to pay two or three times 

 as much as they can buy Shorthorns for. 



"Mr. Rust intimates that the manner to re- 

 form and improve the Shorthorns is to estab- 

 lish another record of course, if there is to be 

 any improvement it must be by recording only 

 the best Shorthorns. 



"The Shorthorn men are in a bad fix, and 

 they will find it difficult to get out of it by 

 using Shorthorn bulls. Their only sure and 

 quick remedy is by using Hereford bulls upon 

 Shorthorn cows. Many have accepted our ad- 

 vice and are taking this course, and are finding 

 good results. 



"A prominent bull dealer who has been sell- 

 ing Shorthorn bulls to Wyoming, advises the 

 bull breeders to breed Hereford bulls to their 

 Shorthorn cows if they wish a better price. 

 And another equally prominent bull dealer and 

 breeder, who has been selling bulls to Wyoming, 

 says Herefords are a failure in Wyoming, but 

 he knows what he states is not true, and many 

 of whom he has bought Shorthorn bulls are 

 buying Hereford bulls, and some of them are 

 getting thoroughbred cows as well. 



"We would advise the Shorthorn breeders to 

 take the Hereford remedy and not to try and 

 patch up a hreed with consumptive Shorthorn 

 bulls, and establish a cross-breed record. Start 

 new, gentlemen. 



"We will quote Mr. Rust again. He says: 

 'This unfortunate condition of affairs has 

 grown worse from year to year, and it is high 

 time the breeders, acting through a regularly 

 organized association, should move for a reform- 

 ation of the Record, and the protection of their 



