The Guernsey Breed 99 



used or not, and so much duplication of names resulted. Only 

 as recently as the year 1914 have the records on the island 

 been put m such shape that duplication of names will not 

 continue. 



Reference is made in the cpiotation from the Royal Guern- 

 sey Agricultural Society Herd Book to the establishment of 

 local shows, which have also contributed much to the devel- 

 opment of the breed on the island. The plan was that such 

 cows as had not won prizes at the annual island shows, and 

 were, therefore, not eligible to entry in the Herd Book could 

 be shown at a so-called local show, and, if approved by the 

 committee, they were admitted as foundation stock. Such local 

 shows are held as often as there is a demand for them, and 

 when the secretary reports such a call the herd book com- 

 mittee advertises tAvo weeks in aihance that on the day named 

 and at a certain hour they will be at each of several points 

 in the different parishes, usuall}- near the parish church. The 

 farmers then bring in their unregistered cows to be passed 

 upon by the committee, \\liich, if approved, are admitted as 

 foundation stock, and their progeny are then eligible as pedi- 

 gree stock, regardless of their individual merit. 



It is evident from the first volume of the Royal Guernsey 

 Agricultural Society Herd Book that the first local show was 

 held in July, 1881, anrl at that show 40 cows were admitted 

 to the Herd Book, krom that time until the local show of 

 March 27, 1912, the animals admitted as foundation stock were 

 classified as "Commended,'' "Highly Commended," and "Very 

 Highly Commended," according to their quality, and these 

 terms are now generally indicated in pedigrees or elsewhere 

 by the abbreviations C. 11. C, and V. H. C. 



Commencing with the local show held April 24, 1912, all 

 cows are admitted and marked as "qualified at local show," 

 and no designation is made as to difference in the quality. 

 From the very first no females were admitted as foundation 

 stock except cows in milk; and a rule also exists that if the 

 breeder fails to comply with By-law 4, which requires that a 

 calf must be attested by a member of the Society within 24 

 hours of its l)irth, a heifer could then not be recorded until she 

 became a cow, when she must be entered as foundation stock, 

 although, if her sire and dam were known, they were published 

 in the^Herd Book the same as pedigree stock. Up to March, 

 1910, By-law 4 was not always complied with, and consider- 

 able dissatisfaction resulted, but since that time it has been 

 rigidly enforced. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



