HISTORY OF HEREFOPtD CATTLE 



73 



CHAPTER YIL 



The County of Hereford — Herefordshire 



It is of interest to know about the section 

 of England where the best breed of beef cattle 

 of the present day originated. Probably no 

 more authentic or reliable information can be 

 obtained than the account as given in the "En- 

 cyclopedia Britannica." 



It will be seen in the parliamentary returns 

 of 1873 that some of the well-known thorough- 

 bred Hereford cattle breeders were large land 

 owners. The Hon. J. H. Arkwright (who bred 

 our famous Sir Richard 2d (9702) 4978 and 

 Mr. Sotham's recently imported sensational 

 Improver (19206) 94020) having over ten 

 thousand acres; Sir A. R. Boughton Knight 

 over ten thousand acres, and Lord Bateman 

 (T[55), who bred the first cattle imported by 

 Mr. E. W. Stone, nearly seven thousand acres. 



"The English county of Hereford is on the 

 south border of Wales. Its greatest length 

 from Ludford by Ludlow to the Doward Hills 

 near Monmouth is 38 miles ; its greatest breadth 

 from Cradley to Clifford, near Hay, is 35 

 miles. The country is well watered with nu- 

 merous rivers and is pre-eminently a grazing 

 district. The climate is variable, owing to the 

 damp and fogs, which moisten the earth and 

 account for its great verdure as well as its large 

 proportion of timber, not only in parks and on 

 landed estates, but almost on every hedgerow. 



"The surface of the country is undulating 

 in long ridges (1| 56), as if by subterranean 

 ripples. Ash and oak coppices and larch plan- 

 tations clothe its hillsides (1159) and crests. 

 Its low lands are studded with pear and apple 

 orchards, of such productiveness that Hereford- 

 shire sometimes, as well as Kent, is called the 

 garden of England. 



"Herefordshire is also famous as a breeding 

 covnfy, for its cattle of hrigM red hue, with 

 mottled or white faces and sleek and silky coats. 



The Herefords are a stalwart and healthy hreed, 

 and put on more meat and fat at_an early age 

 in proportion to food consumed than almost 

 any other variety. They produce the finest beef, 

 and are more cheaply fed, than Devons or Dur- 

 liams, with which they are advantageously 

 crossed. 



"Breeders' names from this county are fa- 

 mous at the national cattle shows, and the num- 

 ber, size and quality of the stock are seen in 

 their supply of the metropolitan and other mar- 

 kets. Prize Herefords are constantly exported 

 to the colonies. 



"Agricultural horses of good quality are bred 

 in the north and saddle and coach horses may 

 be met with at the fairs, especially Orleton, 

 Brampton, Bryan, and Huntington." 



LIVE STOCK. 



Horses 31,306 



Cattle 77.403 



Sheep 340,741 



Pigs 24,169 



"According to the parliamentary returns of 

 1873, the county was divided among 13,731 

 proprietors, owning a total area of 506,559 

 acres, with a rental of £924,640 ($4,633,200). 

 Of the proprietors 9,085 (66 per cent) held 

 less than one acre: 2,478 (18 per cent) held 

 between one and ten acres. (Tj 61) 



"The owners of the largest holdings are J. 

 H. Arkwright (U 57), Hampton Court, Leo- 

 minster, 10,559 acres ; A. R. Boughton Knisjht, 

 Downton Castle, 10,081 acres; R. D. Harlev, 

 Brampton-Bryan, 9.869 acres; Sir Geo. H. 

 Cornewall, Moccas, 6,946 acres; Lord Bateman, 

 Shohdon Court (U 58), 6,815 acres; Earl Som- 

 ers, Eastmor Castle, 6,668 acres."' 



