240 HISTORY OF THE SHORT-HORNS. 



THE AMERICAN HERD BOOK. 



Having compiled and edited the first volume of this work in the 

 year 1846, and its successive volumes to the eleventh, inclusive, down 

 to the year 1872, we purpose to give a brief notice of its beginning 

 and after continuance. 



Although we had seen a few herds in previous years, we began breed- 

 ing Short-horns in 1833, when our first experimental acquaintance was 

 made with them. The importation of Mr. Dun into Kentucky in 1833, 

 and the Scioto valley importation into Ohio in 1834, spread the Western 

 reputation of the Short-horns more widely than any others which had 

 preceded them, and the arrivals which annually followed, for several 

 years continuously, rapidly increased it. The produce of these im- 

 portations added to the produce of previous introductions in other 

 States, brought out many new pedigrees. The inconvenience and 

 difficulty of sending these American pedigrees to England for record, 

 as well as the importance of having a registry nearer home, suggested 

 to our consideration some time afterwards the policy of establishing 

 an American Herd Book. We had occasional conversations with 

 leading breeders of New York on the subject as early as the year 

 1843, and also at different times with breeders in other States, and 

 endeavored to enlist them into taking a part in its compilation. But 

 little confidence, however, was expressed in either the possibility or 

 success of such an undertaking, if attempted. Yet impelled by the 

 growing conviction that such a work must of necessity ultimately 

 come, in the year 1845 we ventured to send out a prospectus for the 

 contribution of pedigrees, and assume the compilation of a pioneer 

 volume, as an experiment, if nothing more. Although the prospec- 

 tus was sent to every then known Short-horn breeder in the country, 

 but few responded to it. Some considered it an act of assumption 

 for one on this side the Atlantic to attempt an American Herd Book, 

 when England had one already established to which the American 

 breeders, equally with its own, had access for their records. Another 

 discouraging obstacle was in the way : Short-horns were then very 

 low in value in this country, as they also were and had been for some 

 years past in England. Sales were few, and many breeders felt indif- 

 ferent either to the propagation of their stock, or recording their 

 pedigrees in a Herd Book anywhere, much less in the United States. 



Under these adverse circumstances the pedigrees contributed were 

 comparatively few ; yet, under the advice of several zealous breeders 

 whose confidence in the future progress of the Short-horns in our 



