132 HISTORY OF THE SHORT-HORNS. 



them and which, in fact, he never did but to achieve a success in 

 breeding up a herd which should, in future hands, carry his name 

 down to posterity. In this he succeeded after an anxious labor of 

 forty years, as is fully evinced in the almost fabulous prices at which 

 they have been sold and still sell $3,000 to $5,000 each, and even 

 more than the latter price for bulls, and much higher prices for cows, 

 when they can be purchased at all, which is seldom ; in such close 

 corporation do their owners hold them that such an event in Short- 

 horn history is properly worth recording. Nor, need these prices be 

 altogether called infatuation. Many noblemen, as well as common- 

 ers in England, who can wield the purses, and intelligent, enterpris- 

 ing men in America, who have the spirit and means at command, 

 are eager to purchase and breed one or the other, or both the 

 "Duchess" and "Oxfords," and when they feel unable or unwill- 

 ing to grapple with the "pure Bates" in its fullness, they strive to 

 get all they can of the blood wherewith to cross their herds. Such 

 is the fact, in the year 1872 ; and although a succeeding generation 

 may call it a folly, yet the additional fact that the use of this blood 

 on both sides of the Atlantic has improved the qualities of many of 

 the Short-horn race, and increased their popularity with their breed- 

 ers, proves that the result has been both good and profitable. 



Notwithstanding the above laudatory remarks, let it be understood 

 by the reader that we take no sides in the question of the superior 

 merit of the " Bates stock " over many others of different strains of 

 blood and breeding. We only write history. There no doubt may 

 be, and are, individual animals of divergent blood, and miscellaneous 

 breeding, of pure Short-horn stock equally good possibly better 

 than the average animals of the "Bates stock," and perhaps equally 

 valuable for practical uses. Of this each one will judge for himself; 

 we wish, in our remarks, to prejudice nothing. 



MR. BATES' OTHER TRIBES. 



Of the Oxford tribe, from the year 1834 to the year 1849, inclusive, 

 Mr. Bates had bred fourteen females. 



Of the Waterloo tribe (the first cow got by Waterloo (2816), dam 

 by Waterloo (1816), being two crosses by that bull, as we find in her 

 pedigree, Vol. 3, E. H. B., which he bought at Thorpe, Durham), 

 Mr. Bell's history gives the following account written by Mr. Bates: 

 " I have seen the gentleman who bred the Waterloo cow, lately, and 

 he stated to me that he and his father had had the breed for fifty 



