Chapter XXXVIII. 



HEREFORDS. 



There is much to be said of the Hereford cattle, as they existed in 

 Herefordshire, and adjoining counties, England ; and also of the cattle 

 of Wales. Previous to the time of Tomkins, the cattle of these dis- 

 tricts had a reputation for the best of quality, and were of uniform 

 character varying in size according to elevation and fertility of the 

 range. It was from cattle of this uniform character that the Hereford 

 breed had its origin. 



The more reliable records place Mr. Benj. Tomkins as the improver, 

 if not the founder, of the breed. Mr. Tomkins was born in 1745, at the 

 Court House, Canon Pyon, and began farming at Black Hall, King's 

 Pyon, 1766 then in his 2ist year. He afterward lived at Wellington, 

 and then at Brookhaven, King's Pyon, where he died in 1815. His 

 herd was sold in 1819, and brought (for breeding stock) as follows: 



15 cows $11,245 oo an average of $75 o 



2 two-year-old heifers . . 1,415 oo " 460 oo 



2 one-year-old " . . 780 oo " 390 oo 



4 bulls 5,355 oo " 1,335 



2 bull calves 1,81000 " 905 oo 



Total, 26 animals $20,605 oo " $79 2 



Mr. Tomkins came from a line of ancestors who were prominent 

 men of the county of Hereford as cattle breeders, and many of them 

 were prominent men of the nation. He pursued a steadily systematic 

 course in his breeding, and stands, undoubtedly, as regards the his- 

 tory of the improvement of Hereford cattle in the west of England, 

 as do the Colling Bros, in improvement of Shorthorn or Durham cat- 

 tle in the east. Other noted breeders may be mentioned, among them 

 such men as Yarmouth, Walker, Hoskyns, Penn, Jellicoe, Smith, Lord 

 Talbot, Price, Sherif and others ; but the blood of Tomkins' cattle was 

 always found strongly diffused throughout their herds as may be seen 

 by consulting the Herd Book records. 



To show the recognized value of the Hereford breed for beef at 

 that early day, we give the following prices of cattle sold by Mr. West- 

 car, and obtained from his books by Mr. Smythies, of Marlow. The fig- 

 ures represent 20 Hereford oxen, selected from the entire record as each 



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