282 
Rise and Progress of Hereford Cattle. 
Hereford s have been bred at Woburn Abbey as far back as 
1790. Three first Smithfield Club prizes fell to their lot, and it 
was with three of the breed that John Duke of Bedford, in 1825, 
beat three of the Hon. Charles Arbuthnott's Short-horns in a 
sweepstakes. The Keightley, with its rather light flesh, white 
sides, and deeper milking powers Avas a very choice tribe, but it 
is the best of the Bright-eyes which is preserved with Mr. 
Hewer's bull " B'avorite," in a pleasant pastoral picture, with a 
sheep and shepherd background, in the Abbey Collection. The 
breed has been well tested as milkers, but although we pressed 
him hard on the point, Ricketts, the old herdsman, could not 
speak to more than 16 quarts per day from any cow in the 
height of the grass, and even after a third calving. The chief 
difficulty with them at Woburn has been to make them milk, 
and latterly they have merely suckled their calves, while Suffolk- 
polls and Alderneys have been their dairy substitutes. As 
regards milk, " the Herefords generally dry themselves fast 
enough." Still, if in point of quantity they fall below many 
other pure breeds, the quality of their milk, like the Galloway's, 
is undeniable. 
The Prince Consort's Flemish Farm (where the Herefords were 
first specially located in 1855) has held its own well, under Lieut- 
General Lord Bridport's management, both with fat and store 
beasts at the Royal Agricultural and the two great Christmas 
Shows. The Royal Farm winnings with the breed in these 
three arenas, up to the end of 1867, amounted to 400Z. for 29 
prizes, a large proportion of which were firsts, exclusive of gold 
and silver medals. Among the latter, is the Birmingham Gold 
Medal of 1851, for the best bullock in the yard, which was bred 
by Mr. Stedman of Bedstone. " Brecon " (918), was the first 
Hereford bull that the Prince Consort ever purchased ; and 
his son " Maximus " (1650), — who goes back tlirough his dam 
"Superb" to Mr. Price of Ryall's breed, and through his sire 
to that distinguished winner, "High Sheriff" (356), — was the 
first to bring the Royal Agi'icultural Society's orange card to 
Windsor. 
The rule as to not exhibiting any store stock not bred at the 
Flemish Farm, was broken for " Adela," a purchase at Lord 
Berwick's sale, when she came in " the holiday time of her 
beauty," as a yearling heifer to " Battersea." She and " Maximus " 
(1650), took a first there, when all Herefordshire with its fifty 
entries could boast of no more than two ; and Shropshire, 
Dorsetshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire divided the 
other four. Never did the supporters of the breed close their 
ranks so well ; as the cow, two-year-old bull, j earling heifer, and 
heifer-calf classes were universally commended. Eight prize 
