158 HISTORY OF THE SHORT-HORNS. 



animals were said to have been purchased of Mr. Gough. It is not 

 necessary to further note these animals, as they were but grades, only 

 to show the spirit of enterprise among some of the early cattle breed- 

 ers of the State, in obtaining better stock than Kentucky then afforded 

 for their improvement. 



In 1790, the elder Mr. Patton removed from Virginia to Clark 

 county in Kentucky, and took with him a bull and cow directly 

 descended from the Gough and Miller importation of the " Milk " 

 breed, also some half-blooded cows of both the "Milk" and "Beef" 

 breeds. The "Beef" breed were "long-haired, large, coarse, slowly 

 coming to maturity, and fattening badly until fully grown, yet tolera- 

 ble milkers." The "Milk" breed (of which the bull and cow first 

 named were of pure descent) were short-horned, coming early to 

 maturity, and fattening kindly. Their milking qualities were extra- 

 ordinary. It was not at all uncommon for cows of this breed to give 

 thirty-two quarts of milk daily. The Short-horn bull, red in color, 

 with white face, rather heavy horns, yet smooth and round in form, 

 was called Mars. He is recorded by number 1850, American Herd 

 Book. The cow was called Venus, white in color, with red ears, 

 small, short horns, turning down. She bred two bull calves to Mars, 

 and soon afterwards died. Mars got many calves on the native cows 

 in Kentucky, which were said by the old breeders to be both excellent 

 milkers and good fattening animals. Mars remained with Mr. Patton 

 until the death of the latter in 1803, when the bull was sold to a Mr. 

 Peeples in Montgomery county, Ky., in whose possession he died in 

 1806. Of the two bulls descended from Mars and Venus, one was 

 taken to Jessamine county, Ky., the other to Ohio, probably the 

 Scioto valley ; but as all this breed, or breeds, in their various intermix- 

 tures after their introduction into Kentucky, were called "Patton 

 stock," they became commingled, the shorter horned, and refined 

 ones, with the longer horned and coarser ones, and were, for many 

 years afterwards, universally known by that name only. 



In the year 1803 Mr. Daniel Harrison, James Patton and James 

 Gay, of Clark county, Ky., bought of Mr. Miller, the importer, liv- 

 ing in Virginia, a two-year-old bull, descended from a bull and cow 

 of his importation. This bull was called Pluto (825 A. H. B.), and 

 said to be of the "Milk" breed. He is described as "dark roan or 

 red in color, large in size, with small head and neck, light, short horns, 

 small-boned, and heavily fleshed." He was bred mostly to "Patton" 

 cows, and produced some fine milkers. He was taken to Ohio about 

 the year 1812, and died soon afterwards. 



