GREAT SALE OF THE CENTURY. 51 



Of all these early importations made by public-spirited in- 

 dividuals, the Patton stock probably made the most mark. 

 They did much to teach people the possibility of improve- 

 ment. They were the pioneers, and, together with subse- 

 quent importations, not only infused their blood into the 

 stock of that great Western country, but did something to ex- 

 cite a spirit of emulation among the farmers there, and this 

 may be said to have laid the foundation for the splendid re- 

 sults which Kentucky, Ohio and adjoining States have since 

 realized. 



FREQUENT IMPORTATIONS. 



After 1820, that is within the last half century, importa- 

 tions became more frequent. But though from time to time 

 all the prominent breeds, the Shorthorns, the Herefords, the 

 Devons, the Ayrshires, and the Jerseys, were introduced on 

 trial, and, to some extent, crossed with our common cattle, 

 the interest in stock was confined chiefly to individuals. The 

 mass of farmers were slow to make changes, especially among 

 the smaller farmers at the East. We may discover the first 

 evidences of some general interest at the West about the year 

 1834, when the Ohio company for importing English cattle 

 gave a great impetus to the spirit of improvement by large 

 importations of Shorthorns, and from that date the progress 

 in cattle-husbandry became very rapid, and we see the mag- 

 nificent results of it at the present day.* Early maturity 



* The results of these freqtient importations and the enterprise they indicated and 

 created in the improvement of stock, may be said to have culminated, so far as the 

 Shorthorns are concerned, in the great sale of the New York Mill's herd on the tenth 

 of September, 1873. Nothing like it has ever been known in the history of any herd of 

 domestic animals in any part of the world. A hundred and eight head of cattle, old 

 and young, brought ^380,890, or an average of over $3,500. Eleven cows of the 

 Duchess fiimily of Shorthorns brouglit $238,650, and a bull of the same family sold 

 for $12,000. Seven head of the Oxford family brought $31,600. A heifer calf, five 

 months old, a Duchess, brought $27,000. The 1st Duchess of Oneida, three years 

 old, brought $30,600, to go to England. The 10th Duchess of Geneva brought 

 $35,000, also to go abroad. The 8th Duchess of Geneva sold for $40,600. Four cows 

 averaged over $33,000 apiece. 



The Duchess family of Shorthorns was established by Thomas Bates, a distin- 

 guished English breeder, in the early part of the present century. The herd of the 

 celebrated Charles Colling was brought to the hammer in 1810, and Bates, who al- 

 ready had some of the Duchess blood, bought of Colling at private sale, here laid 

 the foundation of what he called the Duchess family. " Comet," an uncommonly 

 finely formed bull, brought at that sale a thousand guineas, the highest price that had 

 ever been paid for such an animal. After breeding ^vith gi-eat skill for many years, 



