THE DEVON. 



to the present time there has been no break in the chain of the Devon 

 breed of cattle." 



Like the Hereford cattle, the Devons were introduced into New 

 South Wales by various admirers of the breed since 1800 up to the 

 present time, as shown in the records published elsewhere. Those 

 writers who have previously taken upon themselves the task of ex- 

 plaining away the history of the Devon breed of cattle in Australia 

 seem to have 'fallen into the same errors as the Hereford historians 

 that is, they simply did not previously study Australian history. 



In a book published in connection with the history of the Devon 

 breed of cattle, it is stated that : " Mr. Hobbler, of Aberglassey, 

 Hunter River, was the pioneer breeder of New South Wales, and it 

 is also believed of Australia. Mr. Hobbler brought his ca.tle with 

 him from Tasmania, but it is now uncertain whether he took them 

 to that colony from England, or whether a small Devon herd had 

 been established by someone else in New South Wales." Here tjae 

 writer shows his utter lack of knowledge of the New South V\ ales 

 herds that flourished prior to 1820, including those of Captains Kent, 

 King, Sir John Jamison, Messrs. Dixon and Hannibal Macarthur. 



The North Devon, like the mottled-faced Hereford, had been in 

 tormer times good dairy cattle, possessing strong vigorous constitu- 

 tions, with a strong frame, covered with a good coat of hair attached 

 to a very thick though pliable skin, which suited the many varieties 

 of our Australian climate. As will be seen by the records, Devon 

 cattle were being constantly imported and largely bred in New South 

 Wales long prior to the arrival of Mr. Charles Reynolds in the colony. 

 But probably no breeder has given the breed so much study and at- 

 tention as he did. Mr. Charles Reynolds, the founder of the Tocal 

 herd, Paterson River, was manager for his -father, Mr. Thomas Rey- 

 nolds, of Raddon Court, Thorverton, Devon, England. This herd was 

 sold in England in 1839, and in 1840 Mr. Charles Reynolds came out to 

 New South Wales ana commenced breeding pure Devons at Louth 

 Park, near West Maitland. He afterwards removed to Tocal, on the 

 Paterson River, where the herd is still kept up-to-date by his sons. 



Although Messrs. Yeo, White, Mitchell, and others have made many 

 importations of Devon animals of high quality, all have been asso- 

 ciated more or less with the Tocal stud herd, all of whom had stud 

 animals from Mr. Hobbler's Aberglassy stud, on the Hunter River, 

 who possessed a good herd of Devons prior to 1840. 



In the " Annals pi Agriculture," published 1801, vol. 26, it is stated : 

 " In the large districts of Somersetshire and Dorsetshire there are 

 numerous dairies full of Devon caws, which yield a large supply of 

 milk of the best quality. The breed has, indeed, when the milking 

 qualities have been attended to and developed, been famous for milk 

 production, but they are mostly of the North Devon type." 



According to the most reliable opinions, it was by crossing these 

 North Devon dairy cattle with Shorthorns that produced the red 

 Lincoln breed so often rererred to throughout the early history or 

 dairying in New South Wales. Since, however, the destruction of the 

 milking qualities of both the Shorthorn and the Devon in o'rder to 

 produce more beef, it is almost impossible to produce a milking herd 

 which under the circumstances would not be at all advisable, as being 

 by means of that cross without the introduction of Ayrshire blood, 

 a roundabout way of getting; at a practical result. 



161. 



