THE BEEF BREEDS OF CATTLE 251 
his followers. Be this as it may, the breed is universally 
recognized to be a distinct one. It has been a prominent 
feature of Sussex from time immemorial, and has pre- 
served, unchanged through all vicissitudes, the same 
characteristics, — great weight, aptitude to fatten, and 
red color, — except in so far as improved by better feeding 
and greater care. Originally they were used chiefly for 
draft purposes, their great size and strength and activity, 
withal, enabling them to draw promptly the heaviest loads 
and till the stiffest soil. But, even in remote times, the 
quality of their flesh was highly prized and, when the oxen 
became aged, they were bought up, grazed a year, and 
supplied the markets with animals weighing 180 to 200 
stone (a stone is about 14 pounds avoirdupois, making 
the weight 2500 to 2800 pounds). 
These cattle have always been the favorite of the 
tenant farmer (than whom there is no better judge of 
a profitable animal) of Sussex and adjacent counties, 
and have constituted for many years one of the chief 
attractions at the local stock shows. More recently, 
stimulated by the exportation of large numbers of 
the principal breeds at fancy prices, some of the English 
breeders have sought to bring forward the Sussex more 
prominently at all of the leading shows of the British 
Isles, 
287. History in America. — The date of the first im- 
portation to America is uncertain. Since 1880, a number 
of importations have been made. In 1884, the writer 
imported a number of this breed of cattle for his farm in 
Tennessee. In 1891, the Ontario Agricultural College at 
Guelph, Canada, made an importation. 
288. Description. — For a short description, by way of 
comparison, imagine a Devon with the weight of a Short- 
