278- 



The SJiort-korns in Jhnerica. 



Vol. XL 



The Short-horns in America. 



The fuFlowrng history of the ear^y introductrnn of 

 Short Herns into this country, taken from Allen's Ame- 

 rican Herd Bosh, can hardly fail to be valuable to 

 every one of our readers. Great national benefits 

 often result, not only from saiall beginnings, and indi- 

 vidual enterprise, but they not unfrequently are tardy 

 in their consummation. The introduction of improved 

 breeds of cattle and sheep, will entail a debt of grati- 

 tude to those who foresaw its advantages.— Ed. 



We are informed by Dr. Samuel D. Mar- 

 tin, of Colby ville, Kentucky, "As early as 

 1783, there were short-horn cattle imported 

 into Virginia. Some animals of this im- 

 portation were called the " milk breed," and 

 some the " beef breed ;'" and in 1785, one of 

 the Mr. Pattons brought to Kentucky a half- 

 blood bull of the " beef breed." In 1797, 

 old Mr. Patton brought to his residence in 

 Clarke county, Kentucky, a bull and cow, 

 directly descended from imported stock, of 

 what was then called the "milk breed" of 

 cattle ; also some halfAAooAeA cows of both 

 the " milk" and " beef breeds." The "beef 

 breed" were Zon§--horned cattle, — large, 

 coarse, and rough; coming slowly to matu- 

 rity, and fattening badly, until fully grown, 

 and were tolerable milkers. The "milk 

 breed were «/tort-horned cattle, coming ear- 

 lier to maturity, and fattening more kindly. 

 Their milking qualities were extraordinary. 

 It was not at all uncommon for cows of this 

 breed to give 32 quarts of milk daily. Mr. 

 Patton's short-horn bull was called Mars; 

 his cow, Venus. The cow died, leaving 

 only two calves, both bulls. The produce 

 of Mars was spoken of by our old breeders 

 in the highest terms, being superior, both for 

 beef and milk. 



"In 1803, Mr. Daniel Harrison, of Clarke 

 county, Kentucky, purchased of Mr. Miller, 

 of Virginia, a bull called Pluto, of the "milk 

 breed." Messrs. Welton and Hutchcrofl 

 also brought to Kentucky a bull called Sha- 

 ker, of the "milk breed." Capt. Wm. Smith 

 also brought to Kentucky a very large bull 

 called Buzzard, a mixture of the 'milk' and 

 ' beef breed.' Messrs. Cunningham and 

 Inskeep brought to Kentucky two bulls of 

 this breed: in one the 'beef,' and in the 

 other the 'milk breed' appearetl to predomi- 

 nate. The descendants of all these cattle 

 were called, in Kentucky, the ' Patton stock.' " 



According to this account, no pure short- 

 horn bloofl descended beyond one genera- 

 tion, as the cow Venus died, leaving only 

 bulls, of her produce. Doctor Martin con- 

 tinues: 



"Stock of 1817. In this year, Mr. Lewis 

 Sanders, a wealthy merchant of Lexington, 

 Kentucky, sent an order to England for 



twelve of the best cattle that could be pur- 

 chased, for breeders. They were selected 

 by Mr. Etches, of Liverpool, a capital judge 

 of short-horns, who since assured Gen. Gar- 

 rard, of Kentucky, that they were the best 

 of their kind then to be bad in England. 

 Six of this importation were short-horns, or 

 Teeswaters. The balls looked very much 

 like the picture of Mr. Coates^ 'Patriot,' and 

 the cows were generally fine milkers. 



"In 1818, Mr. Prentice imported fron> 

 England two bulls of the short-horn breed. 

 These also have been spoken of as the stock 

 of 1817, and are remarkably fine animals. 



" The names of these importations stand 

 thus: 



" Bulls. — Sam Martin, Teeumseh, Comet. 

 Cows.— Mrs. Motte, The Teeswater Cow, 

 The Durham Cow; imported by Mr. San- 

 ders. 



" Bulls. — Prince Regent, and John Bull ; 

 imported by Mr. Prentice. 



" These cattle were bred pure until other 

 short-horns of later importations were intro- 

 duced, which were extensively crossed upon 

 their descendants." 



Previous to the revolutionary war, — A. D. 

 1775, — a Mr. Heaton emigrated from Eng- 

 land to New York, at which latter place he 

 was for many years a butcher. In the year 

 1791, he went to England and obtained se- 

 veral short-horn cattle from George Culley, 

 of Grindon, Northumberland. Afterwards, 

 in 1796, he obtained from Charles Colling, 

 a short-horn bull and a cow, all which he- 

 brought to his farm in Westchester county. 

 New York, where he then resided. 



Mr. Heaton bred these cattle some years 

 in their purity; but after his death they 

 were scattered, and there are many of their 

 grade descendants now in Westchester 

 county. 



About the year 1815-16, Mr. Cox, an 

 Englishman, imported from England a bull 

 and two heifers — which were pure short- 

 horns — and settled in Rensell'aer county. 

 New York. The heifers are said to have 

 been remarkable for their milking qualities. 

 Uix>n his death, or removal, — wo are not 

 certain which, — these cattle and their pro- 

 duce were purchased by Mr. Matthew Bul- 

 lock, of Bethlehem, Albany county, who 

 bred them many years. About the year 

 1822, Mr. Bullock, in connection with a 

 Mr. Wayne, imported two short-liorn bulls; 

 one a light roan, called * Comet," or "Cor- 

 net," for he went by both names ; the other 

 a red, called " Nelson.** These bulls were 

 used alternately on the Cox stock, and from 

 them descended the valuable tribe locally 

 known as the "Bullock" stock, remarkable 

 tor their robust size and extraordinary milk- 



