INTRODUCTION 



of Mr. Alvin H. Sanders (so ably assisted by 

 the greatest master of English language that 

 ever graced an agricultural editor's chair, 

 William E. Goodwin, Jr.), that its influence 

 has been greater than all others combined; for 

 the "'Oazette" of recent years has been the pat- 

 tern copied more or less successfully by all 

 other agricultural journals. The Herefords 

 now get a fair and impartial hearing; not as a 

 matter of sufferance, but of right. All that 

 their late champions, Messrs. Wm. H. Sotham 

 and T. L. Miller, fought for has been accorded, 

 but there is much yet to be gained before the 

 beneficent influence of Hereford blood, upon 

 the prosperity of the cattle trade of the world, 

 is completely felt. 



NEW HOUSE, KING'S-PYON, HEREFORDSHIRE. 

 (Rear view. J 



Much disappointment in years past has fol- 

 lowed the use of the bloods of certain breeds 

 of cattle erroneously pushed into prominence. 

 Farmers have tried animals of certain fancy and 

 fashionable strains of blood, and found the re- 

 sults of their use inferior to that obtained by 

 the use of plainer Ijred animals to be had for 

 less money, so that Hereford breeders even at 

 this late day receive daily inquiries from farm- 

 ers for prices on "good individual" animals for 

 farm use. The inquirer usually adding 

 that he does not care for a "fancy pedi- 

 gree." A well-bred Hereford, if he has 

 had care sufficient to develop his inherent good 

 qualities, should invariably be a "good indi- 



vidual," for a well-bred Hereford is descended 

 from good individual ancestors, and like 

 should produce like. The "good individual" 

 character of the ancestor makes the "good pedi- 

 gree." There is nothing in Hereford breeding 

 to compare with the "line-bred Erica" or 

 "Pride" of the Aberdeen-Angus, or with the 

 "Absolutely pure Bates" and "straight Scotch" 

 of the Shorthorns. The same individual ex- 

 cellence which recommends a Hereford to the 

 breeder for the improvement of a pure-bred 

 herd is the acme of perfection sought by 

 the breeder of steers; and the same lines of 

 blood produce the improvement desirable in 

 both places. In other words, it is primarily 

 the province of the Hereford breed to improve 

 the beef cattle of the world, whereas with other 

 breeds the prime object appears to be the up- 

 building of certain lines of blood for specula- 

 tive purposes. 



For centuries the Hereford breed of cattle 

 has been bred for the production of the highest 

 quality of beef — under the most natural con- 

 ditions — at the lowest possible cost. Held 

 largely during these centuries by tenant farm- 

 ers wfio bred them exclusively for practical pur- 

 poses, theory, fancy and fashion have alwavs 

 been obliged to give v/ay to the practical wants 

 of pasture and feed lot. The Hereford breeder 

 ever preferred the useful to the useless, and, 

 therefore, despite any and all claims of other 

 breeds, the Hereford must be considered the 

 "Utilitarian Cattle," and having this backing 

 of unparalleled usefulness, the Hereford can- 

 not fail to hold every position gained, and last, 

 as a prime factor in the production of the 

 world's beef, when all other breeds are for- 

 gotten. 



The writer had it from his father (born in 

 1801), who was on intimate terms with the 

 greatest Herefords breeders of the past cen- 

 tury, that the Hereford was the oldest of all 

 the recognized breeds of British cattle. The 

 writer at all times asserted this truth on the 

 strength of the information so gained, but feel- 

 ing that he should have some indisputable data 

 to back up his assertion, he has earnestly sought 

 for absolute-, unimpeachable public records. 

 Thanks to the untiring efforts of Mr. W. H. 

 Bustin, of the city of Hereford, England, we 

 are- able to back up, with such undeniable 

 proofs, every assertion along this line that we 

 have made. Mr. Bustin prepared a manuscript, 

 the following copy of which explains itself. 

 The facts brought out by Mr. Bustin ought 

 really to have been incorporated in Mr. Miller's 

 history, but as this could not have been done 

 without meddling with Mr. Miller's order and 



