118 HISTORY OF THE SHORT-HORNS. 



CHAPTER V. 



THOMAS BATES His SHORT-HORNS AND THEIR BREEDING. 



PARTIALLY contemporary in time, but much younger in years, Mr. 

 Bates came onto the stage during the full career of the Collings and 

 the elder Booth. He established himself as a breeder in the later 

 days of the Collings, and obtained his earliest Short-horns directly 

 from Charles, and afterwards from the herds of Robert, which formed 

 the foundation for his ultimate success in breeding. 



We have recently been favored with a book entitled " The History 

 of the Improved Short-horn or Durham Cattle, and of the Kirkleaving- 

 ton Herd, from the Notes of the late Thomas Bates, with a Memoir by 

 Thomas Bell, Brockton House, Eccleshall, Staffordshire," The book 

 contains 375 pages, smcfll octavo, compiled by one who intimately 

 knew Mr. Bates, and for many years was a tenant and herdsman on 

 a portion of the very considerable farm which Mr. Bates occupied at 

 Kirkleavington, not far from Darlington. 



Of Mr. Bates, we have for more than thirty years past known 

 somewhat, both in his various writings, from what other Englishmen 

 have written about him, and from men on both sides of the Atlantic, 

 who were personally acquainted with him and his herds of cattle, so 

 much as to learn his personal character, his manner of breeding, and 

 the extent of success which he achieved in the long course of his 

 action. From Mr. A. B. Allen, of New York City, who visited Eng- 

 land in the year 1841, and for some time was a guest of Mr. Bates, 

 we obtained the first particulars of him as a Short-horn breeder, and 

 through Mr. A., as editor of the "American Agriculturist" he was 

 first prominently introduced to the acquaintance of the Short-horn 

 breeders of the United States. A few of his animals had previ- 

 ously in the year 1834 come to America through the purchases 

 of an importing company formed in the Scioto Valley, Ohio. Not 

 long afterwards he sent over, as a present, to Kenyon College, in Ohio, 

 two or three animals. In 1840 he sold to Mr. George Vail, of Troy, 

 N. Y., a bull and cow, which will be hereafter noticed. 



