266 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 



of New York, one of the leading agricultural writers 

 of the time, in the following vein : 



"I was induced to discontinue breedihg the Here- 

 fords in consequence of an apprehension that I 

 should breed in-and-in too far, which in some in- 

 stances I found to be the case. I could not obtain, 

 conveniently, crosses from other females of the same 

 race." 



Mr. Clay afterwards wrote: 



"My opinion is that the Herefords make better 

 work cattle, are hardier, and will, upon being fat- 

 tened, take themselves to market better than their 

 rivals. They are also fair milkers. On the other 

 hand, the Durhams, I think, have the advantage in 

 earlier maturity, in beauty and in the quantity of 

 milk which they will yield. They will also attain 

 great size and weight. The choice between the two 

 races should be regulated somewhat by circimi- 

 stances. If one has rich, long and luxuriant grass, 

 affording a good bite, and has not too far to drive 

 to market, he had better breed the Durhams, other- 

 wise the Herefords." 



In 1846, when Lewis F. Allen founded the Ameri- 

 can Shorthorn Herd Book, he admitted to registry 

 from Kentucky quite a number of animals in whose 

 veins were traces of both Hereford and Longhom 

 blood, and in subsequent volumes certain descend- 

 ants of these cattle were recorded. The fact that 

 they had attained true Shorthorn character through 

 the steady use of purebred bulls of that type did not 

 save those tracing to the "Kentucky woods," as it 

 was termed, from much unmerited vituperation, and 

 at the present day cattle so descended have prac- 

 tically disappeared from Shorthorn records. 



