HISTOEY or HEEEFOED CATTLE 



12^ 



England. There came also with them, as a 

 present from the same beneficent gentleman, an 

 improved Shorthorn cow (Annabellaj, a bull 

 ° amf* breed (Admiral) had before been sent. 

 The Hereford cattle were kept for one or 

 two years m the section of the state where I 

 then resided, on the farm of John Prince, Esq 

 of Eoxbury. 



"The cow never had a calf after coming to 

 this country, and, it being supposed that she 

 would never breed, she was slaughtered, but I 

 have been informed that on killing her she was 

 found to be with calf. As to the quality of her 

 beef, I cannot speak, but presume Mr. Prince - 

 can give information on this or any other point 

 relating to these cattle. The cow was certainly 

 considered one of the most extraordinary ani- 

 mals for shape and size ever exhibited at the 

 Brighton (Mass.) Cattle Shows. 



"I believe the bull was not patronized to a 

 very great extent while at Eoxbury, it not being 

 a stock-growing neighborhood, and he was sub- 

 sequently taken into the interior of the state, 

 where, if I am not mistaken, he was sold. I saw 

 many of this bull's progeny in the vicinity of 

 where he was first kept, and have owned some 

 of them. They were generally highly esteemed, 

 jhey made prodigiously powerful and active 

 draught cattle — there was a majesty in their 

 gait, and an elasticity and quickness of move- 



ment which I never saw equaled, and which, to- 

 gether with their beautiful mahogany color 

 and strong constitution, made them decided fa' 

 vorites with the Yankee teamsters. 



"For dairy qualities, the progeny of this bull 

 was, as far as my observation extended, an im- 

 provement on the stock with which he was 

 crossed. I am aware that the Hereford has not 

 the reputation of a milking race, and, though 

 this may be generally correct, it is by no means 

 certain that some grade of that blood may not 

 be superior milkers. I will mention an instance 

 m support of that idea. Several years ago some 

 cattle of Bakewells celebrated breed of Lono-- 

 horns, called Dishleys, or improved Lieeester's 

 were imported to different parts of this country' 

 Ihey were famous for fattening, but not for 

 dairy qualities, yet the half-bloods were gener- 

 ally good milkers, and some of them were un- 

 commonly superior in this respect. I know not 

 how to account for this fact, unless on the 

 ground of the constitution of 'the cross bem- 

 so much strengthened that they were able to rf- 

 sist the inclemencies of the weather and to di- 

 gest their food more perfectly and make the 

 most of it. 



"I will here remark that I knew manv and 

 owned several of the progeny of the Improved 

 Shorthorn bull. Admiral, before mentioned as 

 having been presented to the Massachusetts So- 



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I I 





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3onny Lass and Graceful families.) 



