304 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 
Easter, advice which Mr. Davapson 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 and 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. KissincEr 
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. Davipson’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. 
SniweR for $1,500, which were resold on the next day to Mr. 
PatmeER of Missouri for $2,000. At Mr. PaLmer’s dispersion 
these animals brought $4,560. Mr. Davipson 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. Davipson 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 
