530 



HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



ments of those plains are concerned, or capa- 

 bilities of demonstrating the point, being suffi- 

 cient, it is difficult to understand the necessity 

 of looking further on that score. A good many 

 Herefords have been introduced, and the in- 

 fluence of this blood can be seen here and there, 

 but not so widely disseminated and tried as 

 the Shorthorns; as a general thing the Here- 

 ford blood has had the advantage of being rep- 

 resented upon the range by animals more deeply 

 bred than the animals representing the Short- 

 horn blood. That is to say, a great many of 

 the animals brought upon the range and classed 

 as of Shorthorn blood have had but a 'meager 

 proportion of that blood, while of those brought 

 upon the range and classed as Herefords, most 

 of them have, until- recently a't any rate, been 

 fairly crossed with that blood. There appears 

 to be no lack of hardiness in the range animals 

 showing Hereford blood, and in this respect 

 they are fully equal to those owning Shorthorn 

 blood, but, I do not believe, any better. If in 

 the years to come experience shall finally indi- 

 cate a permanent preference for one breed over 

 another it will be, I am satisfied, not on the score 

 of hardiness, but to difference in maturity, 

 quality and kindly- submission to feeding oper- 

 ations farther east. 



But while the treatment of bulls before they 

 are brought upon the plains has much to do 

 with their usefulness, the manner in which the 

 ranchman conducts his business will have 

 much to do with the satisfaction derived from 

 their use and is a factor which accounts for 

 much of the diversity in the related experiences 

 of individuals, with the various breeds. On 

 one range, for instance, either belonging to the 

 owner or his neighbors, an unusually large per- 

 centage of steers are maintained, which very 

 materially reduces the calf crop, and this is 

 sometimes wrongfully imputed to want of vigor 

 on the part of the bulls. Another range is not 

 favorably situated as to water, and animals have 

 to travel far to get it, and become more widely 

 scattered, and, in consequence, the bulls do not 

 have as free and constant companionship with 

 the cows as on ranges where the cattle find their 

 food and water nearer together. Then some 

 ranchmen turn their bulls upon the open range 

 and expect them to stay there the whole year 

 round, the same as other kinds of stock. The 

 result is that the bulls are working more or 

 less the whole year, which tells on them strong- 

 ly, and then the calves come at all seasons, 

 many are lost before the owner ever sees them, 

 and the shortage in the crop is charged to the 

 inefficiency of the bulls. If the owner happens 

 to inspect the stock and compares experiences 



with some other ranchman who separates his 

 bulls from the herd during a portion of tl^e 

 year, and feeds them during the most inclement 

 season, he will be apt to acquire a very unfavor- 

 able impression concerning his own bulls and 

 what they can accomplish. But about the last 

 thing he will do, will be to ascribe the difference 

 to the treatment which his bulls receive. It 

 is very poor policy, especially with thorough- 

 bred bulls of high type, to require them to 

 make a living the whole year round on the 

 range. If they rough it through, it detracts 

 from their condition for service the next season, 

 and with good bulls it does not pay. A great 

 many ranchmen have discovered this and are 

 careful to bring in their best bulls where they 

 need not be exposed to the vicissitudes which 

 may come to other cattle. 



I have it from a personal acquaintance re- 

 siding near Mr. Campbell that this is his prac- 

 tice, and that he is careful to gather up his 

 thoroughbred Hereford bulls from the range at 

 the close of each season and bring them into the 

 ranch, where they can be cared for during the 

 winter, and brought into proper condition for 

 next season's work. The practice should be 

 commended. No other course will secure the 

 full advantages which should be secured from 

 the use of thoroughbred bulls. 



GEO. W. RUST. 



OF THE SAME OPINION STILL. 



To the "Gazette" : 



Mr. Geo. W. Rust, in his article in your issue 

 of January 1, says: "There is, I presume, no 

 occasion for further discussion between Mr. W. 

 E. Campbell and myself." Thus far he is emi- 

 nently correct. The Herefords have been shown 

 to be superior to Shorthorns, not only as hardy, 

 impressive range cattle, but as feeders also; and 

 furthermore that they bring more per pound 

 when sent to market. All these facts have been 

 demonstrated by actual tests made by wealthy 

 and reputable stockmen, the names of whom I 

 have already given, and not by theories in- 

 vented by correspondents who practically know 

 nothing of the subject at issue. 



To more fully explain my position I will 

 state: Several years ago I bought a herd of 

 Texas cows and calves for $18 for each cow and 

 calf. Allowing the calves to be worth $6 per 

 head, the cows cost $12 per head. Some of 

 these cows escaped from the common herd and 

 lodged with my fine herd some ten miles away, 

 and thus were accidentally bred to Hereford 

 bulls, and afterwards dropped calves that were 

 as shapely and Avell marked as thoroughbreds 

 and when yet yearlings weighed from 1,016 to 



