PREPOTENCY. 51 



were for years used as stock bulls, and out of 

 these six showed a high degree of prepotency. 

 They were Oliver (2387), in use from 1833 to 

 1840; Goldfinder (2066), from 1836 to 1841; 

 Cossack (3508), from 1841 to 1844; Young 

 Comet Halley (1134), from 1844 to 1847; Ren- 

 ick 903, from 1847 to 1856; Muscatoon 7057, 

 from 1866 to 1873; and Baron Butterfly 49871 

 from 1883 to 1887. These bulls were all ani- 

 mals of an unusual capacity for impressing 

 their own excellence upon their get. Oliver, 

 the first in the list, belonged to the old Powell 

 stock and came to Kentucky at a time when 

 Short-horn bulls were chiefly used for breeding 

 cattle for the beef market. The steers of his 

 get were famous for their size and their extra- 

 ordinary capacity for taking on flesh, accom- 

 panied with the greatest fineness of bone. So 

 great was their bulk and so great the fineness 

 of bone that it was found almost impossible to 

 drive them, as the custom of the day was, to 

 the Eastern cities, which then as now were the 

 great consumers of Kentucky beef. His breed- 

 ing was no less excellent in his own harem, 

 where the cows were Short-horns of the best 

 strains. From him were bred a large number 

 of prize-winners, all of which showed their 

 descent very plainly. I have seen few, if any, 

 bulls that were superior to him as a sire, but 

 he was not remarkable for individual fineness. 



