HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



533 



The Hereford men nowadays are very lib- 

 eral advertisers, by reason of which they have 

 been allowed to toot their own horns unmo- 

 lested, but it is a most notable fact that even 

 yet certain leading live stock papers of their 

 own motion do comparatively nothing toward 

 collecting and publishing Hereford data, while 

 sparing no pains or expense to perfect and pub- 

 lish their knowledge of Shorthorns. Even the 

 Angus have had a goodly share of editorial in- 

 terest exhibited in them, and correspondents 

 have been paid to dig up their family history 

 in a connected and extended way that has not 

 been accorded to the Herefords. 



This state of affairs has made our Hereford 

 History a necessity to the Hereford breed. As 

 a matter of course, we have had to republish 

 the history of many things that were unpleas- 

 ant at the time of their occurrence, yet a history 

 is a history, and we have always been in the 

 habit of calling things by their right names and 

 stating facts in their utmost baldness. If, in 

 our work, we say or have said anything offen- 

 sive of offending Shorthorn breeders or their 

 offending friends, we entertain the sincere be- 

 lief that it has been to the benefit of the Short- 

 horn breed, for in placing the Hereford promi- 

 nently before the American beef raiser we have 

 as is now everywhere conceded, compelled a 

 modification and improvement of the Short- 

 horn breed of cattle. 



To our certain knowledge, Scotch Shorthorns 

 (for years the most meritorious family of the 

 breed) in the days when we were making our 

 hardest fight for the Herefords, so lacked ap- 

 preciation that the breeders of these plebeian 

 but splendid beef cattle, were compelled to 

 make steers of their bulls, and place them in 

 their feed lots. To meet the Herefords in the 

 show ring, a demand sprung up for Scotch cat- 

 tle when the victories of the Duke of Richmond 

 and his get in the show ring were the only 

 bright spots in the Shorthorn campaign. It 

 was the Herefords that forced value into the 

 Scotch blood for show ring purposes, yet for a 

 while, though splendid Scotch "animals brought 

 hundreds each, at the same time. Bates' Dukes 

 and Duchesses — manifestly inferior to the 

 Scotch in every beefing particular — sold for as 

 many thousands. 



As the result of persistent Hereford aggres- 

 sions, all things are changed to-day, and now 

 we see in the Shorthorn breed the highest prices 

 paid for individual excellence in animals 

 that formerly were considered "unfashionable 

 blood," their only danger now appearing to be 

 in the direction of a "Scotch craze," based on 

 the similar erratic lines of the "Bates mania," 



but the competition between breeds may, we 

 think, be trusted to keep them within bounds. 



The effective assistance rendered to the beef 

 interests by the National Shows, and the im- 

 petus to State Shows, given by the intelligent 

 use of the funds of the Hereford, Shorthorn, 

 and Angus Associations, will, we trust, tend to 

 keep down any craze in either of these breeds 

 for special lines of blood not identified with the 

 excellence of the individual. In this intelli- 

 gent fostering of a great industry, we note with 

 pride the Hereford breeders leading the way. 



Were some of those who now most ardently 

 support "individual merit" in Shorthorns, as 

 against "pedigree fads," to rise up too quickly 

 to criticize this, the closing work of our life, we 

 should of necessity be obliged to quote some- 

 what further from their favoring connection 

 with the grave errors of Shorthorn history, and 

 if, in the quotations we have made, anything 

 be said that is unpleasant to anyone that is or 

 was connected with the Shorthorn interest, our 

 plea in extenuation is that only by such plain 

 statements of facts are the best interests of 

 cattle breeding subserved. 



The Hereford movement in America, in 

 which we are accorded the leading position, not 

 only brought the Hereford into notice but 

 helped the Shorthorn breed as it never was able 

 to help itself. This being conceded on all sides, 

 we may be pardoned for niaking some sug- 

 gestions. 



Appreciation is all there is in life. The 

 Hereford Society has in many instances been 

 liberal in the matter of encouraging Hereford 

 breeders by the disbursement of prize money, 

 but when the matter is given thought, I am 

 sure I will be endorsed in saying, that, though 

 unintentional, perhaps, through their associa- 

 tion they have been ungenerous in other direc- 

 tions. 



In a previous chapter, the brief list of con- 

 tributors of a testimonial purse to Wm. H. 

 Sotham for his many years' championship of 

 sound cattle interests is an instance. Though 

 not at any time a man of wealth, there never 

 lived a more independent man; and having 

 some mind of our own, we can feel for the vete- 

 ran when at a later meeting of the Hereford 

 breeders, he appeared before it with the inten- 

 tion of returning the purse, because it had been 

 said that it was a "charity." Nothing could 

 have fired the old man's indignation further. 

 Happily the leading Hereford breeders appre- 

 ciated Mr. Sotham's work, and having his con- 

 fidence, were able to convince him that paltrv 

 as the purse was, it was presented in the spirit 

 of appreciation for his work, and a resolution 



