Herd Record of the Association of Breeders of Thorough-Bred Neat Stock / Short Horns, Ayrshires and Devons

HARTFORD: PRESS OF WILLIAMS, WILEY & WATERMAN. 1863.

Owing to circumstances beyond the control of the Committee of Publication, or of the Committees on the Pedigrees of the various classes of stock, it has been impossible to publish the first volume of the Herd Record of the Association of Breeders of Thorough-bred Neat Stock at an earlier day. The desire to obtain as large a representation of stock as possible, and to extend the advantages of the Association as widely among breeders as they could, has induced the committees on the various classes of stock to hold open their books, and the delays incident upon tracing doubtful pedigrees, through in many instances a long correspondence with owners and breeders, have prevented them from furnishing the copy to the Publication Committee in season to have the work finished sooner. Every care has been taken to have the records perfect, and to admit no pedigrees of doubtful character. It is believed this has been successfully accomplished, and that the animals here recorded may be relied upon as of undoubted purity of blood.


The pure, improved Short Horn, having become an established variety of Neat Stock for useful and farm purposes throughout the Northern and Western States, and proved themselves to be all that can reasonably be expected of them when established on soil productive of an abundance of grass, it is desirable to preserve their blood as pure as possible, and the animals herein inserted have had their pedigrees examined and approved by the Committee appointed for that purpose. It must be admitted that the Short Horns present themselves to notice under circumstances of peculiar interest; possessing in themselves a combination of desirable qualities, and rendered attractive to the eye by their splendid frames, and beautiful varied colors, it is not surprising they have become objects of public interest. Great temptation is laid before a class of men to manufacture pure bloods to suit their purposes, being able to afford them at a much less price than a genuine article. Great facilities are within the reach of all at the present day, who desire to become acquainted with their history and their great performance at the shambles, and for the dairy, and general usefulness as farm stock.