HISTOEY OF HEEEFORD CATTLE 



135 



cats. Was it for suggesting that the recently 

 imported Herefords were indebted to a Short- 

 horn cross for their improved points ? Mr. Hep- 

 burn undoubtedly considered this the greatest 

 compliment he could pay them. Mr. Sotham, 

 in the October number of the 'Cultivator,' page 

 161, in enumerating 'the best lot of stock ever 

 seen together,' says, 'one-half blood between the 

 Hereford and Durham, to show the cross, which 

 I think an excellent one, probably better than 

 the pure breed of either, and from what I saw 

 of Mr. Cothers, of Middle Aston, it may be 

 extended much further than is generally sup- 

 posed, for his fourth cross was equal to the first 

 — not the least sign of degeneration.' Can 

 words be more explicit? And what did Mr. 

 Hepburn do but 'follow in the footsteps of his 

 illustrious predecessor?' Why, Mr. Sotham is 

 as difficult to please (the best have their foi- 

 bles) as the drunkard, who, reeling home at 

 midnight, declared 'if he found his wife up, he 

 would whip her for not going to bed when she 

 ought to have done ; if he found her abed, he 

 would whip her for not sitting up and waiting 

 for him.' Disagree with Mr. Sotham and you 

 incur the fate of Clay and Youatt; agree with 

 him and the shade of the mangled Pennsyl- 

 vanian arises warningly before you. Mr. Hep- 



burn only surmised (in common with many 

 others) that Mr. Sotham has been a more for- 

 tunate man than he hmiself supposed — that in- 

 stead of mere Herefords he had actually ob- 

 tained that cross between the Herefords and the 

 Durhams, which we have Mr. Sotham's own 

 authority for supposing 'better than the pure 

 breed of either.' Why should Mr. Sotham ob- 

 ject to having it believed that his cattle have 

 received that last finishing touch, which, by his 

 own showing, will make perfection more per- 

 fect. Is it modesty — the fear of claiming for 

 his own more than they deserve ? Yet, he may 

 be mistaken against himself. He says of the 

 cow that was beaten at Niblo's, 'I defy any man 

 to prove that there is a drop of Durham blood 

 in her veins.' I presume there is not, but, sup- 

 posing there was, and a good many of them, 

 who could testify to it, except the breeder? I 

 assert that my pig is pure land-pike, and now 

 grant, for the sake of argument, there are sev- 

 eral drops of the 'alligator' in him, how is Mr. 

 Hewer or Mr. Sotham to ascertain the fact if I 

 see fit to conceal it ? 



"Finally, Mr. Sotham challenges Mr. Hep- 

 burn or myself to exhibit a pure Shorthorn 

 against one of his pure Herefords, as a milking 

 cow in May next, for a silver cup, value $15. 



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SIR CHARLES (3434) 543. 

 (Bred by F. W. Stone, purchased by T. L. Miller, 1872, for $1,000 gold. Prom drawing by E. H. Dewey.) 



