1877.] 
AMERICAN' AG-RICURTURIST. 
4,21 
The Hereford Breed of Cattle. 
The white-faced, brownish-red cattle, known as 
Herefords, are one of the old established breeds. 
They have an excellent reputation as beef cattle 
and as milkers. For both of these useful purposes 
they are well adapted, by 
reason of their remark¬ 
ably quiet disposition, 
which is evinced by their 
mild eye and placid de¬ 
portment. A contented, 
docile animal is a profita¬ 
ble feeder, as little of its 
food is spent in nervous 
excitement, or accom¬ 
panying restless action. 
For this contentment the 
Hereford is conspicuous 
amongst the best classes 
of cattle, if indeed it does 
not surpass every other 
competitor for the favor 
of the feeder, the dairy¬ 
man, or the butcher. 
This breed is second only 
to the Shorthorn as a 
beef animal, when kept 
under equally favorable 
circumstances, but when 
placed in somewhat in¬ 
ferior keeping, it is pre¬ 
ferable to it. For second- 
rate pastures, and in the 
hands of farmers who do 
not wish to feed up to 
very great weights, the 
Hereford will excel the Shorthorn. When used 
for the purpose of grading up inferior native stock, 
bulls of this breed are sometimes preferred to the 
Shorthorns, and they are becoming very popular in 
Colorado for this purpose. Since the extreme 
popularity of the Shorthorn during the past few 
years, the Hereford has fallen into the background, 
along with every other sort of beef-stock ; hut now 
that this Shorthorn excitement has passed away, 
each race of cattle has a fair chance to take what¬ 
ever position in the public favor it may deserve, or 
can attain and keep. The Herefords are, therefore, 
now being brought into 
notice, and will, without 
doubt, acquire many 
friends among those 
breeders who are engaged 
in improving the coarse 
native cattle. There are 
now many good herds in 
different parts of the 
United States. One town 
in Illinois, viz., Beecher, 
Will County, has the 
distinction of possessing 
three herds, owned by T. 
L. Miller, who exhibited 
some fine animals at the 
Centennial, Wm. Powell, 
and Thomas Clark. An¬ 
other good herd is owned 
by G. S. Burleigh, of Me- 
chanicsville, Iowa. There 
are one or two herds in 
Ohio. At the New Eng¬ 
land Fair, these herds, 
owned in the State of 
Maine by C. A. McKenney, 
Munroe; G. E. Shores, 
Waterville; J. S. Hawes, 
South Yassalboro; G. and 
G. Underwood, of Fay¬ 
ette, received premiums. 
The Hereford Bull, of which we give a portrait 
taken from the “ Agricultural Gazette,” is owned t 
by an English breeder, Mr. E. J. Lewis, of Breinton. 
This bull, named “Little Bill,” took the second 
prize at the Herefordshire Agricultural Society’s 
meeting. The portrait is copied from a photo¬ 
graph, and therefore is a faithful representation of 
what the animal really is. The breed is noted for 
the excellence of its flesh, in which the fat and lean 
are intermingled, and not placed so much in layers, 
as in the fat Shorthorn. There is a smoothness 
and roundness about the carcass, which is well 
shown by this portrait, and which indicates profit¬ 
able cutting up, with little waste or offal. The 
cows are generally good milkers, and yield good 
butter, and the calves are hardy and grow rapidly, 
when properly cared for. The regularity of color 
and form is very close in this breed, and a well- 
bred herd will differ very little in their markings. 
The white face is the most distinguishable feature. 
Oxford-Down Sheep. 
The Oxford-Down ram, whose portrait, copied 
from a photograph, is given on this page, has a 
history that is interesting to American readers. The 
ram is the “ Royal Liverpool,” and the first-prize 
animal in his class at the Royal Agricultural So¬ 
ciety’s show at Bath. This ram, with three others, 
all the property of Mr. Treadwell, of Winchendon, 
England, are the progeny of the ram “ Freeland,” 
also owned by Mr. Treadwell. “ Freeland ” is now 
in the possession (although not the property) of 
Mr. T. S. Cooper, of Coopersburg, Pa., Mr. Cooper 
having rented the ram for the coming season from 
Mr. Treadwell, for the sum of 85 guineas, or nearly 
$450. This ram has received many first prizes, and 
his offspring have also been successful prize-win¬ 
ners. For the four rams above referred to, Mr. 
Cooper offered $2,000, 
which their owner de¬ 
clined. This fact indicates 
the value placed upon 
these animals in England, 
where the Oxford-Down 
has become very popular. 
In this country it is rapid¬ 
ly becoming a favorite 
sheep, occupying a place 
midway between the short 
and long wools, as regards 
fleece, and an equal one 
at least as regards mut¬ 
ton, with the Cotswold. 
In some respects the mut¬ 
ton is preferable to that 
of the Cotswold. Mr. 
Cooper, who has tho ram 
“Freeland” now in his 
possession, is one of our 
most enterprising breed¬ 
ers, and has imported 
some of the best stock 
now in this country. In 
procuring the.best possi¬ 
ble Oxford-Downs, he is 
doing this excellent breed 
only fair justice, for al¬ 
though it has already made 
a good start here, and sev¬ 
eral good flocks are now owned in-the country, yet 
there is room for some of the best blood to keep 
up the standard of quality, if not to advance it. 
The Production and Disposal of Eggs. —An 
egg contains more nutriment than any other sub¬ 
stance of the same weight. At the same time, the 
market price of eggs is comparatively lower than 
that of flesh. A pound of eggs is also produced at 
a less cost than a pound of flesh. Considering the 
importance of the poultry products of the country, 
there is by no means suf¬ 
ficient regard paid to 
them. The stock of profit¬ 
ably productive poultry, 
as compared with the 
whole quantity kept, Is 
small. As compared with 
the whole, the number of 
hens that produce 100 eggs 
in a season, is small in 
proportion. Yet 150 eggs 
are frequently laid in a 
year by hens of the im¬ 
proved breeds, and by 
common hens that are 
well fed and kept. The 
preparation of eggs by a 
recent invention for dry¬ 
ing or, as it is called, 
“ crystalizing ” them, a 
process in which the. work 
is done by machinery, has 
very largely increased the 
market for them. The 
dry product is imperish¬ 
able, and, when packed 
in tin boxes, may be ship¬ 
ped to the most distant 
countries, or carried on 
ships through the longest 
voyages. No doubt this 
new use for eggs will increase the demand for 
them when the manufacture has become thor¬ 
oughly established, and that it will be a profitable 
business for farmers to keep better poultry and im¬ 
prove, so far as possible, their present methods of 
keeping their fowls. Suggestions to this end will 
be found every month in the American Agriculturist. 
HEREFORD BULL, “LITTLE BILL.” 
OXFORD-DOWN RAM, “ ROYAL LIVERPOOL.” 
