50 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Feb. 



PORTRAIT OF A HEREFORD COW. 



(Fig. 8.) 



Hereford Cattle. 



After discussing the merits of ihe Devons, 

 and the Short Horns, or Durhams, the author of 

 "Domestic Animals," (R. L. Allen, Esq.,) 

 notices the Herefords as follows : 



This is the only remaining pure breed, which 

 has hitherto occupied the attention of graziers 

 in this country. Like the Devons, they are sup- 

 posed to be one of the most ancient races of 

 British cattle. Marshall gives the following de- 

 scription : 



"The countenance pleasant, cheerful, open; the fore- 

 head broad ; eye full and lively ; liorns bright, taper, and 

 spreading ; head small ; chap lean ; neck long and taper- 

 ing ; chest deep ; bosom broad and projecting forward ; 

 shoulder bone thin, flat, no way protuberant in bone (?) but 

 full and mellow in flesh ; chest full ; loin broad : hips stand- 

 ing wide, and level with the chine ; quarters long, and 

 wide at the neck ; rump even with the level of the back, 

 and not drooping, nor high and sharp above the quarters ; 

 tail slender and neatly haired ; barrel round and roomy ; 

 the carcass throughout deep and well spread ; ribs broad, 

 standing flat and close on the outer surface, forming a 

 smooth, even barrel, the hindmost large and full of length ; 

 round-bone small, snug, and not prominent ; thigh clean, 

 and regularly tapering ; legs upright and short ; bone be- 

 low the knee and hock small ; feet of middle .size , flank 

 large ; flesh every where mellow, soft, and yielding plea- 

 santly to the touch, especially on the chine, the shoulder, 

 and the ribs ; hide mellow, supple, of a middle thickness, 

 and loose on the neck and buckle ; coat neatly haired, 

 bright and silky ; color, a middle red, with a bald face char- 

 acteristic of the true Herefordshire breed." 



YouATT further describes them as follows : 

 "They are usually of a darker red some of them are 

 brown and even yellow, and a few are brindled ; but they 

 are principally distinguished by their white faces, throats 

 and bellies. In a few the white extends to the shoulders. 

 The old Herefords were brown or red-brown, with not a 

 spot of white about them. It is only within the last fifty or 

 sixty years that it has been the fashion to breed for white 

 faces. Wlmtever may be thought of the change of color, 

 the present breed is certainly far superior to the old one. 

 The hide is considerably thicker than that of the Devon, 

 and the beasts are more hardy. Compared with the Dev- 

 ons, th( y are shorter in the leg, and also in the carcass ; 

 higher, and broader, and heavier in the chine ; rounder 

 and wider across the hips, and belter covered with fat ; 



I the thigh fuller and more muscular, rmd the shoulders larger 



i and coaser. 



I 'J'hey are not now much used for husbandry, although 



j their form adapts them for the heavier work; and they hffve 

 all the honesty and docility of tlie Devon Ox, and greater 

 strength, if not his aciivity. The Herefordshire ox fattens 

 speedily at a very early age, and it is therefore more advan- 

 tageous to tlie farmer, and perhaps to the country, that he 

 should go to the market at three years old, than be kept 

 longer as a beast of draught. 



They are not as good milkers as the Devcns. This is so 

 generally acknowledged, that while there are many dairies 

 of Devon cows in various parts of the country, a dairy of 

 Herefords is rarely to be found. To compensate for this, 

 they are eveii more kindly feeders than the Devons. Their 

 beef may be objected to by some as being occasionally a 

 little too large in the bone, and the fore-quarters being 

 coarse and heavy ; but the meat of the best pieces is often 

 very fine-grained and beautifully marbled. There are few 

 cattle more prized in the market than the genuine He- 

 refords." 



There have been several importations of the 

 Herefords into the United States, which by 

 crossing with our native cattle, have done great 

 good ; but with the exception of a few fine 

 animals at the South, we are not aware of their 

 being kept in a state of purity, till the importa- 

 tion of the splendid herd within the last six 

 years, by Messrs. Corning & Sotham of Al- 

 bany, N. Y. These Herefords are among the 

 very best which England can produce, and come 

 up fully to the description of the choicest of the 

 breed. Mr. Sotham, after an experience of 

 .several years is .satisfied with the cows for the 

 dairy ; and he has given very favorable pub- 

 lished statements of the results of their milking 

 qualities, from which it may be properly infer- 

 red, that You ATT drew his estimates from some 

 herds which were quite indifl^erent in this prop- 

 erty. They aie peculiarly the grazier's animal, 

 as they improve rapidly and mature early on 

 medium food. They are excelled for the yoke, 

 if at all, only by the Devons, which, in some 

 features, they strongly resemble. Both are prob- 

 ably divergent branchesof the same original stock. 



