122 HISTORY OF THE SHORT-HORNS. 



his purpose, he made a visit to the Collings, and was attracted by the 

 superior qualities of the Short-horns of their several herds. He saw 

 the "Durham Ox," bred and reared by Charles, and the peerless 

 "White Heifer that Traveled," bred by Robert, and immediately 

 concluded to adopt that blood for his future breeding. 



At this point it may be well to mention that Mr. Bates had by gifts 

 from his father and his own earnings come into possession of several 

 thousand pounds, with which to commence and prosecute farming 

 and stock breeding on a considerable scale, and although a " tenant 

 farmer," a comparatively large amount of capital was necessary to 

 establish himself in that branch of business. "At entering on the 

 farm at Halton Castle he received from his father many excellent 

 cattle, and also the improved Leicester sheep. He also obtained 

 some Cleveland bay horses, which at that time had been bred to 

 great perfection on Tyneside. The swine, and even poultry, did not 

 escape his attention ; but it was to his herds of cattle that he devoted 

 his greatest attention. He bought cows of Messrs. Colling in 1800, 

 but I can find no record of them."* It appears that so far as the 

 Short-horns were concerned he soon made a determination to obtain 

 the very best animals which his purse would command, of unimpeach- 

 able blood, and without regard to the profits he should make from 

 them, establish a herd second to none other, and found an enduring 

 reputation as a breeder. This determination, therefore, may be the 

 key to the various controversies in which he was afterwards engaged, 

 and the acrimony with which some of his future correspondence with 

 other breeders was tainted, and into which he was probably goaded 

 by their accusations upon him. Of positive convictions, and deter- 

 mined purposes, he had the pecuniary means to prosecute his plans, 

 and hesitated at nothing which should honestly accomplish them. 



On looking over the Colling herds his attention was peculiarly 

 attracted to the stock descended from the "Stanwick," or first 

 "Duchess" cow (of which Charles had become possessed in 1784), 

 and the bull Hubback, which it did not appear that Colling himself 

 so highly appreciated as to retain it solely to his own use. In a 

 letter written by Mr. Bates to " The New Farmer s Journal" in 

 November, 1842, he gives this account: "Having purchased my 

 original cow Duchess [calved in 1800, got by Daisy bull (186)], of 

 this tribe of cattle, of the late Charles Colling thirty-eight years ago." 

 With some notes on several remarkable animals which he had seen 



* Bell's History, pp. 119-20. 



