Mr. D. R. Dairies Herd. 409 



the lineal descendants of the black-breasted reds, he 

 had quite deserted " the Sod." We remember him 

 once saying, as he put a carving-knife into a pair of 

 noble pullets which tasted like pheasants, after their 

 final three days' bread-and-milk probation in a dark 

 pen, " It's like carving gold ; what would my poor 

 father say if he saw us ? he wouldn't have killed them 

 for two hundred guineas apiece." Our friend had, 

 however, only anticipated the change in public taste, 

 as these martial roosters did not average more than 

 16s. to 1 8s. per pair at the hammer. 



Mr. D. R. Davies' herd is kept near his residence, 

 Mere Old Hall, at the Bucklow Hill Farms, where he 

 has nearly 400 acres, inclusive of plantation belts, in 

 his own hands.* Mr. Davies had a second herd of 



* He began in February, 1862, at Mr. Grundy's, where he purchased 

 after the sale Victoria Regina of the Booth, and Roan Queen (served 

 by First Grand Duke of Wetherby) of the Bates blood, by way of 

 starting impartially. To these were added in due course Medora by 

 Master Rembrandt from Mr. Barber's, Surmise by May Duke from Mr. 

 Hales', Mildred Rose and Dairymaid (both of the Sylph tribe) from 

 Mr. Jonas Webb's, Leonora from Mr. jolly's, Countess of Burlington 

 by Third Grand Duke and Minstrel 2nd from the Duke of Devonshire's, 

 Cherry Empress from Mr. Logan's, Stanley Roan from Mr. A. May- 

 nard's, Lady Best from Mr. Langston's, and Thorndale Duchess and 

 Thorndale Rose from Mr. Robinson's. Gradually he went for Bates, 

 weeded-out animals not of that blood, and began with Marquis of Ox- 

 ford by Sixth Duke of Oxford from Moth. After him he bought Ebor, 

 who was third to Forth in the old bull class at Newcastle Royal, and 

 second at the Manchester and Liverpool meeting. Then he went on 

 with Garibaldi by Third Grand Duke from Cambridge Rose 6th, which 

 he bought in 1864 from Miss Combe. On February 23rd, 1864, he sold 

 two dozen females and nine bulls, and made 120 guineas for Master 

 Warlaby from Leonora, whereat the Cheshire fanners, who know of no 

 «,uch prices for "a bull fed on rushes," cheered lustily. The average 

 was 31/. os. gd., and Mr. Piatt and Mr. Whitworth were the leading 

 purchasers. Since then he has purchased Cleopatra 5th by 9th Duke 

 of Oxford and Charlotte 4th by Duke of Knowlmere (first prize at 

 Plymouth Royal) from Mr. Logan, Bracelet and Bland (own sisters) by 

 Sir James from Mr. Wythes, Moss Rose 2nd by 4th Duke of Thorn- 

 dale from Mr. E. H. Betts (Preston Hall), Moss Rose (dam of the 

 above) from Mr. Foster (Killhow), Wellingtonia by 3rd Duke of 

 Thorndale from Mr. Mcintosh (Havering Park), Harmony by Cherry 



