236 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 
PLANTING SHARON ROSES IN THE BLUEGRASS 
92. Foremost in the first rush of emigration, seeking the grain 
and pasture land of Kentucky and Ohio, in the early years of the 
last century were two brothers, FELIx and Grorce RENIcK, of 
Hardy Co., Virginia. By aid of the compass, they beat their track 
across the mountains, and settled on large tracts of land near the 
present site of Chillicothe, Ohio. They were representative of 
the most influential type of these agricultural pioneers, accustomed 
to breeding cattle for grazing and feeding purposes, and familiar 
with the fattening of steers on “shock” corn in the open fields of 
winter. Their first contribution to the agriculture of the region, 
lay in driving to the seaboard the cattle grown out and fattened 
in this rich prairie region. In 1805, GeorcE RENick drove sixty 
eight animals through to Baltimore and on arriving in good con- 
dition very profitably disposed of them. Since this solved the 
marketing problem, the cattle industry advanced with amazing 
strides. In 1817, Feurx Renick marketed 100 richly furnished 
Shorthorn steers at Philadelphia, at an average price of $134 per 
head. This experience so elated him that he rapidly became the 
leading feeder of market toppers in Ohio, and with one exception 
was the most extensive breeder and feeder of bullocks of improved 
blood in the United States. In length of time, GzorcE RENICK 
probably rendered greater service as a feeder, but he at no time 
equalled the extensiveness of FELIx’s operations. 
The leading breed in the Ohio valley at this time was the Long- 
horn, and considerable rivalry existed between the followers of 
this stock, and the supporters of the Shorthorn. The Ken- 
tuckians largely flocked to the first standard, and the Ohioans 
to the second. Since in the shows the Longhorns usually landed 
on top, the only step consonant with the pride of the Ohio men 
was to secure animals of sufficient merit to defeat them. FELIx 
Renick became the initiator of a proposition to form a joint 
stock company from among the cattle growers of this district to 
