1858.] SENATE— No. 4. 31 



Mr. Price, a skilful Hereford breeder, wlio sacrificed every thing 

 to form, disregarding milking properties, breeding often from 

 near relations, and thus fixing the fault incident to his system 

 more or less permanently in the descendants of his stock. The 

 want of care and attention to the udder, soon after calving, 

 especially if the cow be on luxuriant grass, often injures her 

 milking properties exceedingly. The practice in the county 

 has generally been to let the calves suckle from four to six 

 months, and bull calves often run eight months with the cow. 



But with the exception of the descendants of Mr. Price's 

 stock, it has been said that the Hcrefords are, in general, better 

 milkers than the pure bred short-horns ; though, as already 

 remarked, neither of these races have been bred with reference 

 to milking qualities, and neither would be kept for that purpose. 



Though not so remarkable for early maturity as the improved 

 short-horns, yet the Herefords generally arrive at the Smithfield 

 market well fatted, at two years old ; and so highly is their 

 beautifully marbled beef esteemed, that it is eagerly sought by 

 the butchers at a small advance, pound for pound, over the 

 short-horn. They weigh less than the short-horns, but yield a 

 larger weight of tallow, which is one reason of the preference 

 for them. 



In an experiment carefully tried in 1828, for the purpose of 

 arriving at the comparative economy of the short-horns and 

 Herefords, the latter gained less by nearly one-fourth than the 

 former, which had consumed far more food. The six animals, 

 three of each breed, were sold after being fed, in Smithfield 

 market, the Herefords bringing less by only about five dollars 

 than the short-horns, while the cost of food consumed by the 

 latter was far greater, and the original purchase greater than 

 that of the former. 



The short-horn produces more beef at the same age than the 

 Hereford, but consumes more food in proportion. " In all the 

 fairs of England," says Hillyard, *' except those of Hereford- 

 shire and the adjoining counties, short-horn heifers are more 

 sought after and sell at higher prices than the Hereford ; but it is 

 not so with fat cattle, for with the exception of Lincolnshire and 

 some of the northern counties, they much prefer the Herefords. 

 Then at Smithfield, where the quality of the beef passes its final 

 judgment, the pound of Hereford beef pays better than the pound 



