154 
AN AMERICAN HERD-BOOK. 
AN AMERICAN HERD-BOOK. 
The inconvenience arising from the want of a work 
of this kind is already greatly felt in the United States, 
and, with the rapid multiplication of our herds, is con¬ 
tinually increasing. There may now he estimated, at 
least two thousand thorough-bred Short-Horn cattle on 
this side the Atlantic, distributed in the hands of per¬ 
haps five hundred different breeders. These animals, 
in most cases, have been selected from among the best 
herds in England, and imported at great expense ! and 
their descendants widely disseminated into every state 
of our Union and the Canadas. Strict attention has 
been given to their breeding, and great care bestowed 
to maintain their original excellence. The climate and 
soils of America have proved congenial to their growth; 
and from the rapidity with which they have multiplied, 
and their present comparative cheapness, we may an¬ 
ticipate that but few further importations will be made 
from abroad. Still, the decided advantages conferred 
upon one of the most important branches of agriculture 
by the introduction of the Short-Horns into this coun¬ 
try, have distinctly established them as a race to be 
perpetuated in their purity; and the progressive im¬ 
provement in American husbandry is a sufficient 
guaranty that they will hereafter maintain their exalted 
character in elevating the standard of American cattle. 
So important was it esteemed by the Short-Horn 
breeders of England to establish and record the lineage 
of their unrivalled herds, that in the-year 1822, the 
first volume of Coate’s Herd-Book was published, con¬ 
taining the pedigrees of over 2,500 animals; and so 
strongly has the public mind sanctioned the utility of 
the work, and its continuance, that three successive 
supplements have from time to time been issued, and 
another is now in the press, embracing altogether, a 
list probably of 12,000 cattle. 
In the great mass of these, the American breeder has 
little interest; although from an absence of domestic 
record, many of our citizens have encountered the in¬ 
convenience and expense of transmitting a list of their 
herds to England for registry. A moment’s reflection 
wall convince us of the absurdity of a perpetual depen¬ 
dence upon foreign records for the pedigrees of Amer¬ 
ican stock ; and the great expense of obtaining the en¬ 
tire English Herd-Book, comprising five large volumes, 
at a cost of not less than $40, are subjects not unwor¬ 
thy of consideration. Add to this, the probability of 
errors in printing the registry at such a distance, where 
corrections can hardly be made, together with the pos¬ 
session of no greater assurance for the integrity of the 
records than may be found at home, and the propriety 
of at once establishing an American Herd-Book will be 
apparent. 
A work of this kind has long been agitated by va¬ 
rious gentlemen connected with cattle-breeding in 
America; but no one has hitherto ventured the exper¬ 
iment, although earnestly called for by a numerous 
body of breeders. 
Its demand, then, being conceded, it remains to be 
seen whether the public will sustain an effort to accom¬ 
plish it. It is a labor involving industry, research, and 
discrimination; and in its proper execution, demanding 
no ordinary degree of firmness and decision in resisting 
undue admissions within its pages. It may, perhaps, 
be deemed an act of presumption in the undersigned to 
assume this responsibility; but he can only answer that 
some one must undertake it, if it be undertaken at all; 
and having been a considerable breeder of Short-Horns 
for many years, and more or less conversant with most 
of the principal herds of this country, he considers his 
observation and experience, together with a familiar 
acquaintance with the volumes of the English Herd- 
Book, somewhat of a guaranty for the performance. 
Be it remembered however, that the task is not as¬ 
sumed without mature reflection, and after the repeated 
solicitations of several distinguished breeders in differ¬ 
ent sections of the United States; and if pursued, the 
co-operation of skilful and experienced individuals will 
be rendered. But, for the integrity of its execution, the 
undersigned will be solely responsible. 
As this work is not proposed in the anticipation of 
private gain, so neither will it be expected to involve 
pecuniary loss. It is therefore necessary to ascertain 
the extent of encouragement which will be given to it 
before proceeding; and for that purpose the undersign¬ 
ed respectfully asks the publication of this notice by 
the agricultural press generally in the United States 
and the Canadian provinces; for which, together with 
a copy of the paper containing it directed to him, he 
will present the proprietor with a copy of the work, if 
prosecuted. 
He also requests all who approve the plan to write 
him, post paid, if by mail, previous to the first day of 
July next, stating the number of animals they propose 
to register, together with the number of copies they will 
take. If a sufficient number of responses are made to 
encourage the undertaking, the work will proceed; if 
not, it will be given up. The determination of going 
on with it will be announced through the agricultural 
papers as early as September next, and those proposing 
to patronize the work will then be notified to forward 
their respective registers of cattle immediately, together 
with the necessary evidence of their correctness, that 
it may be issued as early as the spring of 1845. As it 
is not expected that the sales of the book will more 
than pay for the printing and publication, a small 
charge for admission will be required, say from twenty- 
five to fifty cents for each animal as the number may 
determine. 
Well-executed portraits of animals, the plates being 
furnished by the owners, will be inserted with the re¬ 
gister. 
The full pedigree of each animal will be given, run¬ 
ning back through its whole extent in the English 
Herd-Book, if thus furnished, together with its reference 
numbers, so as to render the American Herd-Book a 
perfect record of every animal’s genealogy. 
An index, containing the name and residence of 
every breeder whose cattle are registered, will be in¬ 
serted. Another index will contain the name of every 
animal, and the page on which it is recorded. 
The work will also be prefaced with a full and ac¬ 
curate history of the Short-Horn breed of cattle, drawn, 
up from the best English authorities, together with a 
particular account of their extraordinary productions 
both in the dairy and at the shambles. 
It will be executed, as near as possible, in the style 
of the English Herd-Book,well bound, and delivered to 
subscribers at a price not exceeding three dollars a. 
copy, either at New York, Albany, or Buffalo, at their 
option. 
Lewis F. Allen. 
Black Rock, N. V., April, 1844. 
We can only say, that we heartily concur in the 
above proposition, and trust that our correspondent will 
meet with sufficient encouragement to prepare the 
work. It is high time now that we had our own na¬ 
tional Herd-Book. The number, value, and high- 
breeding of Short-Horn stock eminently demand this in 
our country, and every year’s delay of the proposed 
publication is a great detriment to the interests of 
1 breeders. 
