CATTLE HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF BREEDS. 747 



butcher's block. At the prize shows in the London market, 

 they compete successfully with other improved breeds. It is 

 claimed by some English breeders who oppose the Herefords that 

 the improvement shown in them in modern times is due to a 

 stealthy cross with Short-horns. Whether or not this is true is 

 difficult if not impossible to determine, but in any event the 

 Herefords of to-day are possessed of valuable points and are 

 growing in popularity. 



When they were first introduced into the United States is 

 not known, but occasional marks among our native cattle show 

 evidence of Hereford blood, which must have come from some 

 importation of which we have no record. The first of which we 

 have a record was by Henry Clay in 1816 or 1817, but as Mr. 

 Clay soon after became a breeder of Short-horns and discarded 

 the Hereford's, this importation left no permanent impress on the 

 herds of that vicinity. A few years subsequently, a Hereford 

 bull, and possibly a cow or two, was sent from England to Mas- 

 sachusetts by Sir Isaac Coffin, and this bull was crossed exten- 

 sively on native cows, and left his impress on the cattle of the 

 vicinity where he was used. A large importation was made in 

 1840 by an Englishman. These cattle were first taken to Jeff- 

 erson County, New York, and the herd was afterwards scattered, 

 the bulk of it going to near Albany, New York, and a part into 

 Vermont, where they were bred for some years, sold, and scat- 

 tered. Among those who have been successful breeders of these 

 cattle may be named Mr. Erastus Corning, of New York, Mr. 

 George Clark, of the same State, and Thomas Aston and John 

 Humphries, of Lorain County, Ohio. 



In 1860 and 1861, Mr. Frederick Stone made two importa- 

 tions of superior Hereford's into Canada, and about half these 

 cattle and their descendants were sold to breeders in the United 

 States. More recently numerous importations of good Hereford 

 cattle have been made, both into the United States and Canada, 

 and scattered chiefly through the Western States for crossing on 

 the native and Texas cattle, as the cross has proved extremely 

 valuable for beef. They are also now largely bred pure to sup- 

 ply the demand for this purpose, as they are rapidly gaining in 



