HISTOEY OF HEKEFORD CATTLE 



363 



"This county is situated in the west midland 

 district of England, adjoining the Welsh 

 counties, and is bounded on the north by Shrop- 

 shire, on the east by Worcestershire and 

 Gloucestershire, on the south by Monmouth- 

 shire, and on the west by Eadnorshire and Bre- , 

 conshire. It will, therefore, be seen that it has no 

 sea coast, but the river Wye running through 

 the county gives it communication with the sea, 

 through the Bristol Channel. It is well sup- 

 plied with railway communication, the Midland 

 giving it a direct route to the north, and the 

 Great Western to the south and west, and also 

 to the metropolis. The city of Hereford itself 

 is, also, connected with the Northwestern line, 

 via Malvern and Worcester, thus giving the 

 count}' every means of supplying the various 

 grazing districts of England with numbers of 

 excellent store cattle, as also for the dispatch of 

 fat animals to the markets of the great me- 

 tropolis and the teeming populations of the 

 many thriving towns in the North. 



"The soil of the county is varied, the larger 

 portion is a red clay, as also strong loam. 

 Around the town of Ross, where some of the 

 choicest specimens of the breed are found, the 

 soil is a loamy gravel or light loam. The old 

 red sandstone forms also a considerable portion 

 of the county, and some of the hills are lime- 

 stone. The valleys are particularly adapted for 

 the feeding of cattle, as they are moist and rich, 

 and the soil is of a mixed character, from the 

 continuous washing away of the hills, and the 

 debris finding its way to the lower grounds and 

 forming a rich alluvial deposit well suited for 

 the production of the finest grasses. The hill- 

 sides and higher portions of the county are 

 eminently suited for the breeding and rearing of 

 cattle, and the comparative mildness of the 

 climate is favorable for the health and early 

 development of the calves. 



"The acreage of the county is 532,890 acres, 

 divided into or about the following proportions : 

 "Orchards, 27,000; woodlands, 37,000; and 

 the remainder for agricultural operations. Ac- 

 cording to the last Government returns there 

 were under — 



Acres. 



Corn crops 95,299 



Green crops 32,813 



Clover and rotations grasses. 34,108 



Permanent pasture 265,661 



Bare fallow 11.247 



Hops 6,416 



"It will therefore be seen that the permanent 

 pasture far exceeds all the other portions of the 

 land put together. The population in 1881 was 



118,147. Very few of the people are employed 

 in manufacture, but many find employment in 

 the autumn in hop and fruit gathering. 



THE GREAT CATTLE FAIR IN HEREFORD. 



"The city of Hereford is situated somewhere 

 near the center of the county, and is in latitude 

 52° 4' north and longitude 2° 54' west. The 

 climate is on the whole temperate. The city is 

 small and has been the seat of a bishopric from 

 the earliest times, for more than twelve hundred 

 years. The cathedral is very beautiful, but does 

 not rank among the largest of the English 

 fanes. It has portions of Norman work in it, 

 and since its restoration has been made one of 

 the handsomest interiors in the Kingdom. The 

 city proper is rather poor, but some of the 

 streets and the market place are large and spa- 

 cious, and at fair time their appearance is very 

 wonderful. Every portion of the streets, even 

 up to the cathedral yard itself, is crowded with 

 the 'white-faced beauties' of the county ; while 

 Shropshire, Monmouthshire, Breconshire, and 

 even Gloucestershire send their contingents. It 

 is indeed a remarkable sight, being different 

 to anything of its class in England, as the thou- 

 sands of cattle brought together are all of one 

 type, deep brownish reds with white faces, and 

 some other portions of the body and tips of tail 

 white. There is no interspersing of Shorthorns 

 or other breeds ; an occasional Devon is seen, but 

 that seems to be an accident, and the shouting of 



PRINCE EDWARD (6S16) 7001. 

 Bred by T. J. Carwardine. 



drovers, the bellowing of the cattle, and the gen- 

 eral hum of conversation whilst the deals are 

 made, form a singular and verv amusing' sig-ht. 

 The great fair takes place in the third week in 

 October, and as many as from 8,000 to 9,000 

 head of cattle have been brought for sale during 

 that time. Some years ago, dealers like Car- 

 wardine, Pardington, Jones, Knight, and Price 



