418 A HISTORY OP HEREFORD CATTLE 



horns of that period were doing the best they 

 could to fill these exaxjting requirements, but were 

 not in many cases able to cope satisfactorily with 

 the iron environment of the open range. The blood 

 was there, however, and constituted a foundation 

 upon which the sturdier "white faces" could be 

 crossed with reasonable certainty of securing in the 

 offspring size, shape, rustling power, a uniform 

 color and unsurpassed grazing quality. The Here- 

 ford's day in America had fully dawned at last. 



In preparing to meet the demand that was now 

 full upon them American breeders and importers 

 made drafts upon the Herefordshire herds — ^greater 

 drafts perhaps than were ever drawn before or 

 since within so short a space of time against any of 

 the improved types evolved in the Old World. In- 

 deed at one time it looked almost like a virtual 

 transfer of a breed from its ancestral pastures, so 

 heavy was the drain. Not only were the importa- 

 tions frequent and the numbers large, but wealthy 

 American buyers dipped deep into the very cresun 

 of the old country's richest breeding herds almost 

 regardless of price. Tempted by the "almighty 

 dollar" the English tenant farmers let go freely of 

 their best. The reward of a century's good work 

 was reaped by them in measure fairly unprece- 

 dented. 



During the years immediately following 1880 

 some 5,000 head of registered English-bred Here- 

 fords were transferred to American pastures. It is 

 manifestly impossible to enter into full details con- 



