390 



HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



Vanneck, aud Glissan entered, it was clearly 

 seen from the first that only Mr. Murray-Prior's 

 Shorthorns and Mr. Fulford's Herefords were 

 in the race. Mr. Prior's three were beautifully 

 matched, pure white, massive, and well topped 

 up. Mr. Fulford's were well selected. These 

 were judged on Thursday morning, and the 

 whites awarded the coveted prize. They were 

 slaughtered on Friday morning in the presence 

 of a large concourse of breeders and the shop 

 (Harvey's) in which they were hung up was 

 for a time besieged with persons eager to obtain 

 results. 



"The weights were as follows: Prior's, 1,003 

 lbs., 982 lbs., and 1,020 lbs., a total of 3,005 



lbs., giving an aver- 

 age of 1,001.66 lbs.; 

 Fulford's, 1,024 lbs., 

 996 lbs., and 933 

 lbs., a total of 2,953 

 lbs., giving an aver- 

 age of 984.33 lbs. 

 Mr. Prior, therefore, 

 won by an aggre- 

 gate of 52 lbs., and 

 an average of 17.33 

 lbs. The plucky 

 owners, however, 

 were not content to 

 accept this as a final 

 decision between the 

 E. E. EssoN, two rival herds, but 



Peotone. 111. arranged a. meeting 



on the same show 

 grounds next year with No. cattle, which will 

 be then 6-year-olds. It is but justice to Mr. 

 Fulford to state that his cattle had been driven 

 240 miles to the show, being 100 miles in excess 

 of the distance traveled by Mr. Prior's, and 

 that theywere got together on the 1st, 2d, and 

 3d of May. For the champion prize, for the 

 best fat bullock on the grounds, any age or 

 breed, Mr. Fulford was first, with a splendid 

 cross-bred animal, which on being slaughtered 

 weighed 1,079 lbs. 



"The above weights [all dead weights. T. L. 

 M.] were considered really good, considering 

 the severity of the season, and they point to 

 the Kennedy as being one of the best cattle dis- 

 tricts in Australia. There were only two ex- 

 hibitors of Devons — Messrs. Hann and Farren- 

 den. These exhibits, however, showed evident 

 signs of Shorthorn origin, Mr. Hann's showing 

 most of the Devon characteristics." 



The battle of the breeds has come in Aus- 

 tralia, as well as in America. The above ac- 

 count of the Charter's Towers Show shows the 

 Herefords first on the best pen of three heifers. 



and the champion prize for best fat bullock in 

 the show, the Shorthorns taking first in the 

 best three bullocks, showing an aggregate of 

 52 pounds greater weight in the three carcasses. 

 The Shorthorns were driven 140 miles, and the 

 Herefords 240 miles to the show. 



In response to a letter from the author, we 

 received the following from an Australian cor- 

 respondent : 



"Editor 'Breeders' Journal' : I am in re- 

 ceipt of your favor dated Dec. 10th, and also 

 the six copies of your journal, which -you so 

 kindly forwarded; you may rest assured that 

 I will do my best to get thie 'Journal' a large 

 circulation in Australia. I never lose an op- 

 portunity, when cattlemen are about, of show- 

 ing your paper, and numbers have promised to 

 write for it, having given them your address. 



"I am extremely glad to see the forward 

 movement of the Herefords in America. Now 

 that they have got a start, and such a start, 

 nothing can stop their onward progress. Their 

 good qualities alone would send them to the 

 front as beef producers. Our herd has been 

 established over forty years, and ever}^ year 

 makes me love them more, and, I am happy to 

 say, every year is a blow to prejudice and an 

 advance to the Herefords. I think in the course 

 of time they will occupy the first rank in Aus- 

 tralia. It is a great drawback to Australia, 

 the total prohibition of stock from England, 

 and I am sorry to say that the cattle trade in 

 Australia has been very bad for some years, 

 prices ruling very low, and now many parts of 

 the country are suffering from a severe drought, 

 which will test the Shorthorn hardiness. 



"What price do you charge for your best stud 

 bulls, and could arrangements be made to ship 

 at San Francisco, and what would be the prob- 

 able cost of so doing? They have admitted 

 sheep from America and I do not see how thev 

 can prevent cattle from coming. However, I 

 will inquire. I will be glad to send you some 

 information about cattle when I can find tim.e, 

 and opportunity occurs, and I enclose you a 

 copy of a letter received from a large and 

 wealthy squatter, who, being a practical man, 

 makes his opinion doubly valuable. I would 

 like to get from you, if possible, all the num- 

 bers of your journal from the start, if vou can 

 lay your hands on a copy of each, and let me 

 know the cost and the best way of remitting the 

 money, so I can send it. 



"Would be glad if you had an agent here in 

 this country. Continue my subscription. I start 

 this week to New Zealand to recruit my health, 

 and on my return in a couple of months I will 

 communicate with you again, and it is possible 



