GEORGE VAIL'S IMPORTA 



had encroached upon him, rendering the necessary accommodations 

 for his cattle stock impossible, and with reluctance he parted with 

 his herd, then nearly forty in number, and one of the best, at the 

 time, in the country. 



About the same time, 1835 or '36, or soon after Mr. Prentice, 

 Mr. George Vail, of Troy, N. Y., began breeding Short-horns at his 

 villa farm, near that city. He purchased some imported animals, 

 and others, selecting them with care and judgment. In the year 1839 

 he imported direct from Mr. Thomas Bates, of Durham, Eng., the 

 bull Duke of Wellington, 55 (3654), got by Short Tail (2621), 

 out of Oxford Premium Cow, by Duke of Cleveland (1937); the 

 first one of the Duchess and Oxford crosses combined, which had 

 been brought into America. With him came the cow Duchess, by 

 Duke of Northumberland (1940). Although called Duchess, she was 

 not, on the dam's side, of .the Duchess tribe so long identified with 

 Mr. Bates' breeding, but running, after her dam, by Belvedere (1706), 

 into another family. This cow, after producing the bulls Meteor, 104, 

 and Symmetry, 166, (both by Duke of Wellington, 55,) died, leaving 

 no female progeny. 



During several successive years Mr. Vail made importations from 

 Mr. Bates' and Mr. Bell's herds, of crosses with the Duchess and 

 Oxford bulls, and various families of their well-bred cows, down 

 to the year 1851. Among them were the bull Earl Derby, 456; and 

 the cows, Cecelia, by 3d Duke of Northumberland (3647); Hilpa, 

 by Cleveland Lad (3407); Lady Barrington 3d, by Cleveland Lad 

 (3407); Arabella, by 4th Duke of Northumberland (3649); Yarm 

 Lass, by 4th Duke of York (10167) ; Yorkshire Countess, by 3d Duke 

 of York (10166); Agate, by 3d Duke of York (10166); Boukie, by 

 4th Duke of York (10167 ; Bright Eyes 3d, by Earl of Derby (10177) J 

 Frantic, by 4th Duke of York (10167). 



To the above named were added some from other importations. 

 Mr. Vail was enthusiastic in the love he bore to his cattle ; he bred 

 successfully, making many and frequent sales until the month of 

 October, 1852, when he disposed of his entire herd. 



About the year 1836, Mr. Erastus Corning, of Albany, imported the 

 cow Wildair, by Anthony (1640). She bred successfully, and her 

 descendants are now found in the American Herd Book. There 

 may have been another or two heifers, and possibly a bull in the 

 importation, but of them we have no particular account. 



Sometime between the years 1835-40, Messrs. James Gowen, 

 Dennis Kelley, and perhaps another or two associates in the neigh- 



