CROSS BREEDING. 193 



Virginia, and thence a few head passed, through 

 the instrumentality of the Messrs. Patton, to 

 Kentucky. This was between 1783 and 1800, 

 and none of the stock was very highly im- 

 proved, except that it is just possible that the 

 Longhorns may have felt the impetus of Bake- 

 welFs work. These cattle were interbred with- 

 out regard to the distinctions of breed, and as 

 they were few and the early cows neither very 

 prolific nor very fortunate in producing fe- 

 males, a hodge-podge of Short-horn and Long- 

 horn was made, all somewhat diluted by native 

 blood. No chance was lost to make a cross 

 with bulls of either of the original breeds, and 

 at a later time Hereford blood was probably 

 added to the mixture. The cattle known as 

 "Patton stock" were very decidedly superior to 

 the common native stock, and it was much es- 

 teemed and sought after; but after 1817, when 

 the number of pure-bred cattle in the State 

 began to be considerable, they rapidly sank out 

 of sight as they could not bear the competition 

 with the pure-bred stock. 



The famous Kentucky importation of 1817 

 also consisted of Longhorns and Short-horns, 

 which in some cases were interbred; but no 

 new Longhorn blood being brought to America 

 the produce all came to Short-horn bulls, and 

 the Longhorn blood sank out of sight, and the 

 status of the cattle was changed to the third 



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