304 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



Easter, advice which Mr. Davidson followed, securing $100 for 

 a steer, and $125 for a three-year-old heifer. 



He began feeding Shorthorns about 1860, but it was not until 

 1871, when the Shorthorn world was topsy-turvy on linebred 

 cattle an4 paying fabulous prices for paper pedigrees, that he 

 made his first importation of the composite blooded cattle from 

 Sittyton. This was the third importation from this herd to enter 

 Canada, but the first to make any permanent impress on the 

 stocks of the day. 



In 1872 he made another small importation from Sittyton and 

 found such ready sale for them that, in 1874, he brought one bull 

 and nineteen females across. The following year he sold his 

 first Cruickshank cattle into the United States, Dr. Noel of 

 Tennessee securing two heifers at $1,800, and Mr. J. H. Kissinger 

 of Missouri purchasing a carload which he exhibited in the show- 

 rings in Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. This created a demand for 

 Cruickshank cattle far beyond Mr. Davidson's supply, and 

 although he imported 185 head he could scarcely keep any 

 females for his own use. Many calves of his own breeding 

 realized $500 apiece, and in 1880 when there was but little 

 demand for Shorthorns he disposed of six calves to the Messrs. 

 Snider for $1,500, which were resold on the next day to Mr. 

 Palmer of Missouri for $2,000. At Mr. Palmer's dispersion 

 these animals brought $4,560. Mr. Davidson continued import- 

 ing for Mr. Cruickshank until 1886 when the outbreak of pleuro- 

 pneumonia during quarantine at Quebec made him unwilling to 

 run any further risks. 



About this time Mr. Cruickshank decided to dispose of his 

 herd, and gave Mr. Davidson the first offer for it. So high was 

 the esteem in which each held the other, that the following quota- 

 tion from a letter written by Mr. Cruickshank at the close of 

 their mutual transactions stated: "I am quite satisfied with the 

 statement, and taking a retrospective view of our transactions for 



