172 
THE CULTIVATOR 
JcfNE, 
54— HEREFORD OX. 
heifers and calves, which together brought .£6850 12s. 
6d .—averaging £54 8s. 2d. each.* 
We deem it important to state these prices, that it 
may be seen how they compare with those of other 
breeds. Numerous other sales of Herefords might be 
cited, at which prices about as high as the foregoing, 
were obtained. 
Some of the principal breeders of Herefords in Eng¬ 
land at the present time, are W. F. Hobbs, John and 
Wm. Hewer, Lord Talbot, Sir H. Hoskyns, S. As¬ 
ton and Sir Francis Lawley. In reference to the 
stock of the two last-mentioned breeders, Mr. Smyth- 
ies, in the Mark-Lane Express of Feb. 5th, last, 
makes the following challenge in order to test the rela¬ 
tive merits of the Short-horns, Devons and Herefords: 
“ I will show one hundred Hereford beasts, which 
were the property of Sir Francis Lawley, Bart., on the 
1st of January, 1849, and the same number which were 
the property of Mr. Aston, of Lynch Court, on the 
same day, against an equal number, the property of 
any two breeders of Short-horns or Devons in any part 
of Great Britain, on the same day, for one hundred sove¬ 
reigns. I am willing to leave the decision to the three 
judges at the last Smithfield show, two of whom are 
unknown to me, even by sight.” 
Mr. S. also makes the following offer:—“ I am also 
ready to place four Hereford calves, on the 1st of May 
next, in the hands of any respectable grazier in the 
midland counties, against four Short-horns and four De¬ 
vons ; no calf to be more than four months old on that 
day; the twelve calves to be turned to grass together, 
to have nothing but grass till the 20th of October fol¬ 
lowing, then to be put into stalls, and to be fed as the 
grazier thinks proper; but the food to be weighed to 
each lot, till the following May, when they shall be 
again turned to grass, and have nothing but what they 
get there till the 1st of October; then to be again ta¬ 
ken into the stalls, and the food weighed as before; the 
whole to be shown as extra stock at the Smithfield 
Show, at the bazaar, and after the show to be slaugh¬ 
tered, the four beasts that pay the best to be the win¬ 
ners.” 
The predominant characteristic of the Hereford 
* In 1839, Mr. Price gave a public challenge to show twenty 
cows and a bull of his own breeding, against the same number of 
any one person’s breeding, and of any breed-open to all England 
-rbut it was not accepted 
breed of cattle, is a disposition to fatten.* It is for 
the beef chiefly, that they, as well as the “ Herd- 
Book ” short-horns, are bred in England. In dairy 
properties, the Herefords are believed equal to any high 
bred breed—all such breeds being doubtless inferior to 
some others in which the milking property has received 
more attention in breeding. 
The show of fat cattle by the Smithfield Club, Lon¬ 
don, is the on' .* exhibition of note in Britain, where the 
different breeds are brought into direct competition with 
each other. Here the Herefords and Short-horns have 
long been rivals, and have contested with various suc¬ 
cess. In looking over most of the results for a period 
of thirty-nine years, we think it may be assumed that, 
in the classes for oxen and steers, the Herefords have 
taken more prizes than any other breed. For the pri¬ 
zes on fat cows, they have been less successful than the 
Short-horns. 
As an example of the success of a single competitor 
at Smithfield, it may not be amiss to mention that. Mr. 
Westcar, abovemenf.ioned, took the first prize in class 
I., (oxen) in 1810, 1812, 1813, 1814, and 1815. The 
animals in every case were Herefords. The dead 
weights of the four first were as follows—quarters, 
hide and loose tallow included, 2147; 2059; 1953; and 
2141 pounds. We have not the weight of the fifth. 
Mr. Smythies states that Mr. Westcar sold, at differ¬ 
ent times, twenty Hereford oxen, “for two thousand one 
hundred and fifty pounds.” The statement was proved 
by an extract from Mr. Westcars books, giving the 
date of sale, the name of the butcher they were sold 
to, and the several sums paid for them. “ Six of them,” 
it is said, “were sold in one deal to Mr. Giblet, of 
Bond-street, for six hundred pounds.” 
* In a paper by E. F. Wells, published in the Farmer's Maga¬ 
zine for February, 1848, the following sensible remarks are 
made in regard to the properties of Herefords :—■“ It is allowed 
on all hands, I believe, that the properties in which Herefords 
stand pre-eminent among the middle-sized breeds, are in the pro¬ 
duction of oxen, and their superiority of flesh. On these points 
there is little chance of their being excelled. It should, however* 
be borne in mind that the best oxen are not produced from the 
largest cows, nor is a superior quality of flesh, such as is consid¬ 
ered very soft to the touch, with thin skin. If is the union of the'se 
two qualities which often characterises the Short-horns; but the 
Hereford breeders should endeavor to maintain a higher standard 
of excellence—that for which the best of the breed have always 
been esteemed—a moderately thick, mellow hide, with a well- 
apportioned combination of softness with elasticity. A sufficiency 
of hair is also desirable, and if accompanied with a disposition to 
curl moderately, it is more in esteem; but that which has a harsh 
and wiry feel, is objectionable.” 
