SOME AMERICAN BREEDERS. 301 



engaged in farming on his own account, meeting with indifferent success. In 

 the year 1857 he engaged as manager on the farm of A. S. Abel near Baltimore, 

 Md., and while here he saw the first black and white cattle, consisting of three 

 head, which had been sent over from Holland to a Mr. Barnum. He liked them 

 from the first and made up his mind if he ever was able, he would have some. 

 After three years work there, he picked up his possessions, consisting of a wife, 

 three children and a few hundred dollars in money, and went to Elgin, 111. 



For three years he worked the land of B. W. Raymond, within the city 

 limits, and then bought his present home, struggling along under difficulties 

 until 1874, when, in partnership with Messrs. Tefft and Hoag, he bought the first 

 Holstein bull owned in Kane county. Since then he has worked for the 

 advancement of the Holstein cattle to the best of his ability with hands, tongue 

 and pen. 



Those who have been so fortunate as to examine Mr. Wright's herds have 

 discovered a master's skill in selection and breeding these famous cattle. Mr. 

 Wright is an old and highly esteemed member of the Holstein-Friesian Asso- 

 ciation of America. 



Evidence of his skill in selection and his intimate knowledge of a milch 

 cow may be observed in various sections of the West, where there are many 

 large herds whose foundation animals Mr. Wright has been called upon as an 

 expert to select. 



MR. J. H. D. WHITCOMB of Beaver Brook Stock Farm, Littleton, Mass., was 

 born June 15, 1861, upon the farm which he now occupies. This farm has been 

 in the Whitcomb family for no less than eight generations and the various 

 members of the family have been prominently identified with agricultural 

 matters. 



In the fall of 1879 Mr. Whitcomb completed the course of study at the 

 Bryant and Stratton Commercial School at Boston, acted as his father's fore- 

 man until 1883. He then purchased the herd of Ayrshire cows owned by his 

 father and began business. 



In January, 1884, he visited the Lakeside Stock Farm, the great Holstein- 

 Friesian breeding establishment of Smiths & Powell Co., at Syracuse, N. Y., 

 and selected two very choice animals, a bull and a heifer. These animals were 

 fine representatives of the breed and from the Aaggie and Alexander families, 

 the bull being Sir Rupert of Aaggie, and the heifer, Amy Alexander. These 

 constituted the foundation of the now widely known Beaver Brook Herd of 

 Holstein-Friesians, which has been gradually increased until at present it num- 

 bers about fifty pure-bred recorded cattle. 



Mr. Whitcomb found in his early experience with the breed that it was con- 

 sidered too large for New England pastures, but with trial and investigation 

 this unfounded prejudice disappeared, and he now finds it difficult to supply 

 the demand. As milk and butter producers Mr. Whitcomb considers the breed 

 has no equal and probably no family in New England has had longer or greater 

 experience in milk producing than the Whitcombs. 



For the. past few years Mr. Whitcomb has been a large and successful 

 exhibitor at the Bay State and New England Fairs. The high quality of his 

 herd has here been demonstrated to the public by the many prizes awarded to 

 its members by expert judges of the breed. 



The blood lines followed in the breeding of Beaver Brook herd are those 

 whose performances have been the means of their popularity as great producers. 

 Most prominent are the Aaggie, Netherland, Queen of the Hill and Clothilde 

 families. The leading sire of the herd, Sir Netherland Soldene Clothilde, is also 

 of these lines and has the additional qualifications of much beauty and sym- 

 metry of form. In the public competitions at the various fairs, this grand bull 

 has never failed to bring the highest award to Beaver Brook. 



Mr. THERON G. YEOMANS was born in Cairo, Greene county, N. Y., Jan- 

 uary 31, 1815. He removed to Walworth, Wayne county, N. Y., in 1830, where 

 he has since resided. Until sixteen years of age his home was on a farm, and 

 for the next fifteen years he was engaged in mercantile business. In 1840, in 

 connection with his other interests, he engaged in the nursery business, which 

 for more than forty years has been known as the Walworth Nurseries, in con- 

 nection with which he planted extensive orchards embracing about 150 acres, 



