ture took place, and the name " common cattle" 

 was only known in their application. This name 

 is now continued to distinguish them from the 

 improved breeds of later years. 



Occasionally, and at different times in the last 

 century, tradition has informed us that enter- 

 prising men of wealth had imported some 

 choice cattle of " improved" blood from Europe 

 the names of the breeds not remembered but 

 they were so few, and so little attention was 

 paid to their propagation in their own distinct 

 lines, that they soon became amalgamated with 

 the common stocks. Yet that the iufusion of 

 their blood among the others to some extent 

 made their progeny better than the older herds 

 we have good reason to believe, particularly as 

 the working oxen of the Eastern States, and 

 their superior dairy cows, for some generations 

 past, have been held in high estimation. This 

 assertion may, however, be qualified by saying 

 that the oxen were chiefly used in labor on the 

 farms, and the dairy formed a considerable 

 staple of their agriculture ; consequently draw- 

 ing closer attention to tne cultivation of their 

 cattle. In the more fertile soils of the Middle 

 States, which were chiefly grain growing, horses 

 were used for labor and cows in the dairy main- 

 ly for domestic consumption, while the steers 

 and bullocks grown by them were for meat pur- 

 poses, or, if for labor at all, only for a few 

 years, until the forests were subdued and the 

 land made clear for horse cultivation. 



BREEDS OF CATTLE. 



Of improved cattle we now have several valu- 

 able and distinct varieties. A few remarks on 

 each of them must suffice ; and first in order, 

 as they are by far the most numerous in attract- 

 ing the attention of our farmers, breeders, and 

 graziers, I name the 



SHORT-HORNS. Soon after the revolutionary 

 war, and previous to the year 1800, a few ani- 

 mals of this breed were imported by two dififer- 

 ert Englishmen into the city of New York. The 

 fact of their importation is the chief thing 

 known about them, as only a few results are 

 now recognized from their breeding. One of 

 the imported cows was taken back to England 



-"the American Cow," so called, of the En- 

 glish Herd-Book from which, afterward, many 

 noted and valuable animals descended. About 

 the same years, also, two different importations 

 of cattle, supposed to be Short-horns, were 

 made from England into Baltimore and taken to 

 the valley of the south branch of the Potomac 

 River, in Virginia, and from there, within a few 

 years afterward, some of their descendants 

 were driven to the blue-grass region of Ken- 

 tucky, where they were carefully propagated, 

 and in after years, crossed by bulls of still later 

 importations, became an important item of the 

 cattle-wealth of that state. 



We hear of no further Short-horn importa- 

 tions until after the war with England, in 1812-'- 

 15. Soon afterward, several importations of 

 them were made into New fork, Massachu- 

 setts, Kentucky* Maryland, and Pennsylvania. 

 They were industriously bred by their enterpris- 

 ing owners, and the valuable qualities of their 

 own distinct blood, and the improvement 

 through their crosses upon the common 

 cows of the country for most useful pur- 

 poses, soon gave them a popularity and dissemi- 

 nation attained by no other breed, and since fol- 

 lowed by numerous importations into many of 

 our states and the Canadas. They now stand 

 largely in excess of numbers over all other 

 foreign breeds put together. The various merits 

 of this breed it is not now necessary to discuss, 

 as different opinions may be entertained regard- 

 ing them, but the fact may be stated that their 

 recorded pedigrees in the Herd- Book now num- 

 ber more than 60,000 well-bred animals, and at 

 the present time they are increasing more rapid- 

 ly than at any previous period io their history. 



DEVONS. This is A strikingly distinct breed in 

 form and quality, medium In size, uniformly re4 

 in color, comely in aopenrancp, and of decided 

 excellence: the ox f>r Inhor. as his ainle form 

 indicates ; the cow for milk, whpn cultivated for 

 that object, and the uniform excellence of their 

 flesh when properly fed and matured. Nor can 

 there be any doubt of the original distinctive 

 blood of the Devon. Their advocates in England 

 claim them to be HS ancient in blood and descent 

 as the Roman rule in that island, many hundred 

 years ago ; but by what evidence, other than in 

 their peculiar style of form and character, is not 

 known. That animals allied to them in blood 

 were brought to America from England so long 

 ago as in the seventeenth century is altogether 

 probable, as many of the native New England 

 cattle, for many generations back, have borne 

 strong resemblances to the Devon in some of 

 their characteristics. 



The first authentic knowledge we have of thor- 

 oughbred Devons being imported into our coun- 

 try was in the year 1817, by Messrs. Caton and 

 Patterson, of Baltimore, Md., and in the next 

 year by the late distinguished statesman. Rufus 

 King, of Long Island, N. Y. By those gentlemen 

 they were bred and cultivated, and herds from 

 them considerably disseminated in different sec- 

 tions of the country. Later importations of 

 them have been made into Maryland, Massachu- 

 setts, New York and some other states. There 

 are now several fine herds of them existing in 

 different sections of the country, but, we regret 

 to say, not in the numbers which their good 

 qualities should command, but of excellence 

 quite equal to the original importations. It is 

 hoped that they will still further increase, until 

 they become numerous among the standard 

 breeds of our country. 



HEREFORDS. Next in order of improved cattle 

 this breed may be named. The first distinct ac 

 count we have of thoroughbred ones of the kind 

 were an importation by the great Kentucky 

 statesman, Henry Clay, in the year 1816. An ar- 

 dent admirer of fine stock, he saw them in Eng- 

 land in 1815, and purchased two pairs of bulls 

 and cows, which afterward came out and were 

 placed on his farm at Ashland, near Lexington. 

 Whether any or what number of thoroughbred 

 produce came from them, we are not informed, 

 as no record was kept, and they are not now 

 known in Kentucky. The bulls were bred to 

 some of the native cows in their vicinity, but the 

 Short-horns, which were imported there soon 

 afterward, superseded them in propagation, and 

 we hear nothing further of their produce. 



About the year 1834, one or more Hereford 

 bulls, and perhaps a cow or two, were imported 

 into Massachusetts. We hear of no thoroughbred 

 produce from them, but the bulls were bred to a 

 limited extent on common cows, and no marked 

 result followed, except some grand working 

 oxen, afterward fed into excellent carcasses of 

 beef. In later years, a few importations of choice 

 animals were made into New York, Ohio and 

 Upper Canada. Their descendants have been 

 scattered in small herds into several states, but, 

 we regret to say, not with the popularity which 

 such excellent grazing and beef-producing ani- 

 mals merit. As flesh producers they strongly 

 rival the Short-horns, and in size nearly equal 

 them. They are mainly red in color, with white 

 or mottled faces, aud occasionally white legs and 

 bellies, and stripes along the back. In England 

 they are claimed as an ancient breed, and their 

 distinctive uniform appearance well beard out 

 the assertion. 



The three English breeds already named may 

 be classed as the best flesh-producers. 



Next in order may be named the breeds more 

 distinctly used for dairy purposes: the 



AYRSHIRE. This is claimed as a dairy or milk- 

 ing breed, and wherever known, either at their 

 native homes in Scotland, or in their later ones 



