EARLY IMPORTATIONS. 17 



bodies and straight-limbed; horns middling in size but gracefully set; their 

 necks were seemingly too slender to carry their heads." 



In 1810 a bull and two cows were imported by the Hon. William Jarvis and 

 placed on his farm at Wethersfield, Vt. About the year 1825 another importa- 

 tion was made by Herman Le Roy, a part of which were sent into the valley of 

 the Genesee. The rest were kept near New York City. Still later an impor- 

 tation was made into the State of Delaware. No records were kept of the 

 descendants of these cattle. Their blood* was mingled and lost in that of the 

 native cattle, yet its impress was long recognized in the various localities to 

 which these importations went. 



The first permanent introduction of this breed was due to the perseverance 

 of Hon. Wintnrop W. Chenery of Belmont, Mass. His first two importations 

 and their increase with the exception of a single animal were destroyed by the 

 government in Massachusetts in consequence of a contagious disease by which 

 they were unfortunately attacked. He made a third importation in 1861. This 

 was followed in 1867 by an importation for the Hon. Gerrit S. Miller, of Peter- 

 boro, N. Y., made by his brother, Dudley Miller, who had been attending the 

 noted agricultural schools at Eldena, Prussia, where this breed was regarded 

 with great favor. These two importations with an Oldenburg cow owned by 

 Hon. William A. Russell, of Lawrence, Mass., and three animals from East 

 Friesland, imported by Gen. William S. Tilton of the National Military Asylum, 

 Togus, Me., formed the nucleus of the Holstem Herd Book, the first volume of 

 which was published in 1872. 



The time was propitious for the introduction of a breed with the character- 

 istics of these cattle. Dairying had become an important industry in the 

 Northern States, and was extending to the prairie land of the West, where 

 especially large cattle were demanded. No breed ever spread with such 

 rapidity. Its progress was opposed by strong prejudice, yet it seemed to gather 

 new force from every public manifestation of such opposition, until now, 

 twenty-five years from the publication of that apparently insignificant volume, 

 it has become one of the largest and most popular breeds in our country. 



Notwithstanding the antiquity of this breed its first herd book was that 

 issued by American breeders in 1872 [The Association of Breeders of Thorough- 

 bred Holstein Cattle]. This was followed in 1875 by one in the Netherlands, its 

 original home. Five years later another was published in America by an 

 association of breeders who objected to the name Holstein by which they were 

 generally known in this country and against which there was strong protest 

 from the breeders in Europe. In view of their origin and the source from 

 whence they were imported this association adopted the name Dutch-Friesian. 

 In the same year another herd book was issued in and for the province of Fries- 

 land, where the breed has been especially guarded for ages. 



Since then herd books of these cattle have been published both in Belgium 

 and Germany. In 1885 the two American associations compromised on the 

 name Holstein-Friesian and united their records. In their native country none 

 but select cattle are admitted to the herd book. It is not enough that they are 

 pure bred, they must also be superior. This requirement is of the highest 

 importance. Being the "common cattle" of the Netherlands, and handled by all 

 classes of breeders, some of whom are indifferent to their standing, in whose 

 hands they degenerate as in other hands they improve, there are great diver- 

 sities in their build, quality and capacity. 



To the credit of American importers they have generally sought for the 

 best, yet it is beginning to be felt that continued selection is the basis for con- 

 tinued success. This is true not only of the breeders of these cattle, but also of 

 those handling other leading breeds. In consequence of this a system of 

 Advanced Registry has been commenced for this breed in this country, condi- 

 tioned on the superior build and quality, and especially on capacity for milk or 

 butter production. This system will be found fully detailed in another chapter 

 of this work. 



