sumed from the 1st of October to the 30th of November must be certified, under the attestation of two respectable witnesses."

In the minutes respecting the exhibition of this year (1807), it is stated that "there were no exhibitors for the Long-horn, Short-horn, and Sussex prizes," and that "the prize in the class for Devons was not adjudged, for want of sufficient merit." This, of course, would leave only the Herefords and "Mixed Breeds" in competition, so that the probabilities are strongly in favor of the Herefords for the extra prize. In 1808, it is said: Again, this year, there was no exhibitor for the Long-horned prize;" and that "the only exhibitor for the Short-horned prize was disqualified." In 1809 it is said: "For the Short-horn and Sussex prizes there were no exhibitors." In 1810 it was resolved: "That the conditions respecting Long-horned and Short-horned oxen having been worked, be dispensed with." The rule appears to have been continued in regard to other breeds, and it was specified in 1811, that " Hereford, Sussex, and Devon oxen or steers be shown in pairs, or yokes, of the same age;" but when the exhibition came, it appears "there were no exhibitors for the prizes for yokes or pairs of oxen in the Hereford or Devon classes." In regard to the exhibition of 1812, some minutes are made respecting the color and markings of animals shown; as that there was a Hereford "with a red ring round his eye," and a "smooth-coated Hereford." From which it would be inferred that Herefords at that day had generally white round the eye, and that they were chiefly full or rough-coated. It is also mentioned that a "red frostyfaced Sussex" was exhibited, and a "red and white Devon,”facts which are worthy of note in reference to the tendency of breeds and races to vary in color, as before alluded to in this essay.

After 1815 to 1852, the classification of cattle according to breed was discontinued, and they competed together under the same regulations that existed previous to 1807. Mr. Gibbs, in his History of the Club, submits a tabular statement, showing the number of prizes and amount of money won by each breed

of cattle during the period that all breeds competed together. The records from 1799 to 1807 being incomplete, they are omitted in all breeds. If they could have been properly included, there is no doubt they would have rendered the final results more in favor of the Herefords. As they now stand, however, they show that in the classes of oxen and steers, the Herefords were awarded 185 prizes, amounting to £2,758 2s.; the Short-horns 82, £1,399 5s.; the Devons 44, £622 10s.; the Scotch 43, £500 15s.; the Sussex 9, £178 10s.; cross-breeds 8, £108 5s. In the classes of cows and heifers, the Herefords took 22 prizes of the value of £231; the Short-horns 92, £1,132 15s; the Devons 4, £40 10s.; the Scotch none; the Sussex 3, £36; the Long-horns 6, £63 18s.; cross-breeds 6, £101 103. In the aggregate the Herefords took 207 prizes of the value of £2,989 2s.; the Short-horns, 174, £2,532; the Devons 48, £663; the Scotch 43, £500 158.; the Sussex 12, £214 10s.; the Long-horns 10, £153 3s.; the cross-breeds 14, £209 15s.

It will be noticed that in oxen and steers, the prizes taken by the Herefords are only five less in number than those taken by all other breeds and cross-breeds combined. Were the records complete, they would probably show the prizes to Herefords in these classes, in excess of all other breeds. It will be noticed that the Short-horn cows were much more successful in winning prizes than Hereford cows. Mr. Gibbs remarks, in relation to this, that "the Short-horns owed the fact of their approaching the Herefords in total amount of winning, to the success of the Short-horn cows." Mr. Duckham explains the result on the ground of the effort of the Hereford breeders having been chiefly directed to the production of the best steers and oxen. He says:

"The soil of the county of Hereford being neither applicable for dairy or feeding purposes, those who have cultivated it for ages have made it their study to breed steers and oxen, which should, by their superior quality and aptitude to fatten, com

mand the attention of the distant grazier. The success with which they have done this has been shown, and the demand which continues to exist, proves that there is no falling off in the superiority for the grazier's purposes. Perhaps there is no finer sight for the admirer of cattle than appears at the annual October fair at Hereford. On those days several thousands of steers pass from their breeders to the graziers who occupy the fertile pastures of Bucks, Northampton, Kent, Essex, &c., and whatever may have been their original color and distinctive marks in days of yore, their present uniform appearance cannot fail to impress those who attend that fair for the first time, with a degree of surprise and admiration,-line after line of them, as they appear in the streets of the city, all displaying a similarity of character, and at once claiming each other as one family."

Allusion has already been made to the advanced position, as beef cattle, which the Herefords for many years occupied, compared with other breeds. The old breeders frequently gave challenges to show a certain number of cattle against an equal number of any other breed. Thus, Mr. Eyton mentions that "So confident does Mr. Tomkins appear to have been in the superiority of his stock, that he once drove twenty cows to Hereford, on the day of the agricultural show, and offered a hundred guineas to any one who would show an equal number superior to them; the offer, however, was not accepted."

At first the Long-horns were considered the special rivals of the Herefords; more especially the family of Long-horns that had constituted the stock of Bakewell and his associates and followers. Mr. E. F. Welles, in a letter to Mr. Eyton (appended to the first volume of the Herd-Book), states that the late John Price, in the year 1812, gave a challenge to show twenty of his Hereford cows in milk, against twenty Long-horn cows, for one hundred guineas, which was accepted by Mr. Meek, and decided in Mr. Price's favor. When the Improved Shorthorns came into notice, similar challenges were made to the

advocates of that breed, as will be more particularly noticed elsewhere.

Mr. Price was for many years an eminent breeder of Herefords. He appears to have commenced early in the present century, with stock from the noted herd of Mr. Walker, of Burton, and about the year 1804, according to Mr. Welles, purchased a few cows of Mr. Tomkins, which were put to Walker-bred bulls. Mr. Welles says "the cross did not suit," so far as relates to some of the first animals thus produced, and it seems that Mr. Price afterwards ran more into the Tomkins blood. Mr. Price had several public sales of his stock, of which the particulars of two only seem to have been preserved. The first sale was in 1813, at which, as Mr. Eyton states, the aggregate sum received for the cattle was £3,077. At the sale of 1816, 186 animals-of which twenty-one were heifer calves, and six bull calves-brought an average of £41 38. per head. Four bulls sold at from £105 to £147 each, and three at £241 to £283 each-the latter being for Wellington, eight years old, bred by Mr. Tomkins. Six of the cows brought an average of £176 each-the highest price being £252. At his closing-out sale, in 1841, 108 animals brought an average of £49 11s. each. Three of the cows brought from £100 to £150 each; and six bulls from £100 to £166 each.

The late Rev. J. R. Smythies commenced the breeding of Herefords in the year 1802, and continued the business till 1843. He purchased his first stock of Mr. Tully of Clirow, a relative of the noted Huntington breeder of the same name. He was induced to adopt this stock by the recommendation of the celebrated grazier Mr. Westcar, of whom mention has before been made. Mr. Smythies relates that, meeting Mr. Westcar at the Hereford Fair, Mr. S. informed him it was the fiftieth he had attended, "without missing one;" that he grazed five hundred oxen every year, and that the Tully beasts were the best he ever fed. Mr. Smythies had a public sale in 1823,

at which 66 head of breeding cattle were sold. At his final sale, in 1843, 131 head were sold. We have not the prices obtained in either case.

Mr. Smythies was an earnest advocate and defender of the Herefords while he was a breeder of them, and even afterwards. In 1822, a controversy arose in the London Farmers' Journal, between Mr. Smythies and Mr. James Armitage Rhodes, in regard to the relative merits of the Herefords and Short-horns. The subject was opened by Mr. Rhodes in a communication, stating that, for the purpose of settling in his own mind the question, "Whether the preference is to be given to the best Hereford cattle, or to the Improved Shorthorns," he had the previous year made a journey from his residence near Leeds, to the north of England, and had then just returned from a journey of five hundred miles through Herefordshire and adjoining counties. It appears that in the latter journey he was accompanied by Mr. J. Whitaker, of Otley, then and for many years subsequently a well-known breeder of Short-horns. Mr. Rhodes is very careful to state that he makes the comparison between the Herefords and "the animals designated by the title of Improved Short-horns, which are few in number," and "not between the excellent breed of Herefordshire and the wretched cattle with short horns, which find their way, very undeservedly, into many parts of the South." In making this comparison Mr. Rhodes admitted that the "Herefords are more equal as a class than the Improved Short-horns," that "their offal is equally fine," that "they give a very good quality of meat," that "they breed well, and are hardy and healthy, but give very little milk."

In regard to the last mentioned properties, he does not claim much more for the Improved Short-horns, as he says: "They give a moderate quantity of milk, and do not propagate freely." He, however, gives the preference to the Improved Short-horns, chiefly on the ground of early maturity, saying that he had "every reason to believe that on the same food,