Heritage Cattle

South Devon History from Brit Livestock 1911

2008-06-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

Devon from 1911 Brit Breed LIvestock

2008-06-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

History Kerry n Dexter from Brit Breeds Livestock

2008-06-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

Kerry n Dexter from British Breeds of Livestock

2008-06-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

Clotted Cream

2008-03-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

I get a request for a recipe for Clotted Cream a lot. As this is a traditional dairy product of the south west of England (Cornwall and Devon) and the American Milking Devon is the purest example of what would have been in the area Once Upon a Time, I thought I'd include it in a post here.

Start with the freshest Devon raw milk (raw is important here or this does not work). Pour into a pan about 6" deep. Put into a cool place until the cream rises to the top. This may take 10-20 hours.

Place pan in a water bath on stove. Gradually increase the temperature of the milk to about 175 degrees or so. The temperature is not as important as the ring around the edge and the bubbles or wrinkle that will show on the surface of the milk. This may take 45 minutes to an hour.

Cool immediately. Cream will thicken as it cools. Remove the cream with a slotted spoon.

Enjoy with Cornish Splits or scones and a wild berry jam.

The old pans held 6-7 (American) quarts of milk or cream. They were 15" in diameter at the top and 11" diameter at the bottom and 7" high.

Some people skim off the cream from the milk setting overnight and collect in a pan (or pudding basin of this dimention) and continue with the recipe. It will taste cooked or carmelized (some say burnt).

The best thing there is!

Herens bull

2008-02-19T12:31:00.001-08:00

Here is a cut and paste of a Herens bull from Switzerland. This is also a genetic cousin of the Kerry cow. I guess you can say the genetic root of the "celtic cow" may have started with the genetic root of the Celtic people?

From the hand holding the bull, I'd think they aren't overly large animals. I grabbed this late at night once a while back. Thought I'd ad it to the mix for those researching the genetic make up of the celtic cattle breeds.

It would also be nice to see if someone can find more about the two migrations of people from Ireland and Kernowek (Cornwall) to Brittany and see if there is anything more about the influence of the Britonne and Irish breeds.

Also the Devon may be mixed up in this due to the celtic people from there being driven back into Cornwall and then out some time ago. Again, rusty history rattling in the back of my head today, but worth looking into how that breed went into influencing the other breeds or back the other way...

In an old book I have West Country Stories by A.L. Rowse he notes (pg 103) "The deer-parks were a very important part in the economy of the Duchy. When it was constituted there were seven: Kerrybullock (now Stokeclimsland), with 150 deer....With movement for enclosure that grew strong in the sixteenth century, Henry VIII decided to dispark the Duchy parks and turn them more profitably into pasture. It is the site of Kerrybullock Park, in the parish of Stokeclimsland, that the large Duchy farm now occupies..."

Laurence Gilley has scanned books on the M. Devon breed for the Milking Devon web site. You can run through some of them. One notes that the Cornish version of the M. Devon is not so pure and has influences of other breeds. I'd have to go back and see which one it was. Not very kind about the Cornish influence, but British history has never been overly kind toward any Celtic people, let it be Ireland or Cornwall.

Dexer Kerry Alderney and Brettone cow comparason

2008-02-19T12:17:00.001-08:00

Again, some phtots from Patti Adams regarding the comparason of phenotypes of Dexter, Kerry, Alderney and Breton cattle.

Alderney Cow Dexter Cow Bretone Cow

Bretonne Cow Kerry Cow Dexter Cow

Comparing Dexter Kerry and Alderney bulls

2008-02-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

Images Patti forwarded in a comparason of Dexter, Kerry and Alderney cattle. We will also explore Brettone in this mix with the cows in the next post. Just a phenotype comparison. Also note the influence of the Alderney in the development of another popular dairy breed, the Ayrshire...

Dexter Bull - Cool Hand Luke of Dog Run (Judy Sponaugle's previous herd bull):

Alderney Bull:

Kerry Bull: Kelmscott's Seamus:

North Oaks Farm

2008-02-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

It is about time I put some of Patti Adam's research on this blog. She is the one to draw my attention to North Oaks Farm and James J. Hill.

Below are some of the links to information about him. He never registered any of his Kerry cattle with the American Association. Charles Plumb did note MN and MO breeders of notable Kerry cattle and they do not show up in the herd book or bulletins. Mr. Hill also had a number of other breeds of cattle.

http://www.jjhill.org/history/photo_results.cfm?Simple=True&SearchTerm=North+Oaks+farm&GO=Go&chk_jj=1&offset=1

There is also a book on Google Books called "Lessons of My Farm" from 1862. She sent me scans of pages of interest that suggested a link to the Alderney Cattle in the development of Irish breeds. It is in word and I will try to convert to a format the blog likes. That or I will go back and find it and provide to the link.

m. denvon books

2007-12-31T08:53:00.000-08:00

Lawrence found these on googlebooks
The Devon Herd Book vol 5, 1869, by John Tanner Davieshttp://books.google.com/books?id=6UEDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover
The Devon Herd Book vol 6, 1875, by John Tanner Davieshttp://books.google.com/books?id=8kEDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover
The Devon Herd Book, vol 7, 1878, by John Tanner Davieshttp://books.google.com/books?id=PEIDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover
The Devon Herd Book, vol 8, 1881, by John Tanner Davieshttp://books.google.com/books?id=UEIDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover

This is an excellent book. This is one of the ones people cut pictures out of an sold for a fortune. Jerks!
The Study of Breeds in America Thomas Shaw, 1900http://books.google.com/books?id=yclEAAAAIAAJ&printsec=titlepage

Also, see Lawrence's CafePress store for a copy of m.Devon herdbooks.

--Lawrence GilleyP O Box 277, Deansboro, NY 13328Website http://personalpages.tds.net/~lcgilley
My CafePress store http://www.cafepress.com/gilley

American Devon Record, Vol 1, 1881

2007-12-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

Lawrence has added two more historical documents to the website taken from the
American Devon Record, Vol 1, 1881.

See the links at the bottom of the history page
http://www.milkingdevons.org/hist.html

NY Devon Breeders from American Devon Record

2007-12-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Yes, a while since I posted again. Winter. That cruel cold word brings more chores in the beginning. Just starting to get into the swing of winter chores. I will actually have more time to post after this holiday stuff.

Lawrence Gilley has been doing quite a bit of posting of Milking Devon historical stuff on his personal page and on the Milking Devon web site. Below is a post he sent me back in the beginning of November to include on the Blog...

I have prepared a list of Devon breeders in New York State from the registrations recorded in volumes one and two of the American Devon Record and arranged them by county.

The columns of figures are for:
bulls in vol I;
bulls in vol II;
cows in vol I;
cows in vol II.

There are 198 breeders in total.
There are 144 breeders in volume I.
There are 88 breeders in volume II.
Although volume I is dated 1881, it covers quite a few years before its publication date.

You can retrieve the list at: --http://personalpages.tds.net/~lcgilley/nybreeders1882.pdf

I will try to get up to date on other postings of historical stuff over the next couple of days. We shall see.

old NY Kerry Breeders and other bits

2007-10-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the list of NY Kerry Cattle Breeders and some of my notes. This is a note I found on the desk under my Dairy Plant Reports that I need to file (and some to mail). If anyone has information on any of these people, let me know. I'd love to fill in some of the blanks. I'll give you the credit...

G.M. Carnochan - NY,NY
Whitelaw Reid - Purchase, NY ~Tribune Editor~ Had a neice nammed Ella?
F.E. Stevens - Glens Falls, NY ~I've included a lot on him. Still looking for his cattle. Did grab Dutch Belted herdbooks from UMASS library. Copied his information. Would like photo and info on his Kerry Cattle.
W. Shriner - Hector, NY
F.S. Peer - Ithaca, NY ~importer
Herbert Livingston Satterlee - NY, NY ~lawyer. wife Louis. His dob c. 1863 in NYC. Lived on E. 36th Street in Manhattan.
Robert R. Street - Falconer, NY
Orin G. Predmore - Valois, NY ~Ovid, Seneca County. 1930 census lived on Rock River Road. Farmer. #farm schedule 83. 1920 census Hector township.
Henry Ambler - Chatham, NY ~not in herd book. Was noted as having one of the largest NY herds. Also had Jersey cattle. House is currently a restaraunt.

Also noted is a CA breeder F.J. Rodgers - San Francisco, CA >1910. He bought a lot of cattle as noted in the transfers of cattle.

Anyone have info about the Elmendorf sale of Kerry Cattle? Rumor has it the Peerless herd may have some of them. Also Charles Plumb noted a number of unregistered herds in MN and MO. Anyone remember any old ag publications from those regions that may have noted herds or know of "Irish Districts" in those states where they may have been.

Neither Ohio State nor UMASS Amherst has information on their herds. I have more on Ohio State only because I have the herdbook and bulletin. The only possible note about the UMASS cows is the mention of Black Cattle in an old TB/Brucellosis testing paper found by Special Archives there.

Charles Plumb by the way went to Stockbridge School of Agriculture. He seems to have been there when they had the Kerry Cattle (Stockbridge is a college at UMASS, Amherst). That may have been where he developed a love for this breed. I went there as well...

Been a Long Time

2007-10-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time. I wanted to note work done by Judy Sponaugle, Laurence Gilley and others on history of their respective breeds, but I want to post something timely that I think is important for the future of breeds. I want to talk about breeding plans and the place of AI and ET in expanding numbers. I'll get back to other works on history later...

I am not against ET or AI. I believe the tools have their place. I repect the Milking Devon Association for their conservative stance on ET until the impact of their current rules and the consequences of ET could be studied. I am just a firm believer in a breeding plan and careful consideration of the impact of individuals on the population as a whole...

I want to give you a cut and paste "points concerning embryo transfer" that the AMDCA president Drew Conroy had regarding the ET policies for their organization. I think this is one of the most respectable heritage breed individuals with more integrity and love for the development of the devon (be it milking or otherwise)...

American Milking Devon Cattle Association's BackgroundInformation in conjunction with a member survey on EmbryoTransfer (ET) policies and procedures.

By Drew Conroy, AMDCA PresidentJune 29, 2007

Many breed associations similar in size to our have struggled with this very issue. My comments below are not meant to be persuasive, but rather provide some background information on theuse of Embryo Transfer and both positive attributes and areas of concern. Personally, I would like to see us allow EmbryoTransfer, but do it in a way that ensures the embryos are what they are supposed to be. For a more comprehensive overview of thetechnology, I would recommend reading Training Manual for EmbryoTransfer in Cattle, by George E. Seidel, Jr. and Sarah MooreSeidel, of the Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Colorado StateUniversity, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Published by the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as FAO ANIMALPRODUCTION AND HEALTH PAPER 77, which can be viewed athttp://www.fao.org/docrep/004/t0117e/t0117e00.htm Thoughts from:Don Bixby, of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy would notrecommend that we disallow this practice. In fact, he stated, "Ifwe are allowing Artificial Insemination, there is a much greaterchance of concentrating the gene pool, through the fact that wehave not drawn many bulls, and the semen is readily accessible tomany members due to its low cost. Phil Sponenberg explained, "Embryo transfer is 'value neutral 'really, but can have a VERY bad downside in rare breeds ofnarrowing genetic variation on the female side of the equation.So, it is best if recipients are not purebred cows. And, likelyit is best to limit the numbers produced by an individual cow inany one year. Id do the same on the bull side, too, though. " Don Bixby has nothing against strong policies restricting itsuse, but he warned that this is not easy to do or get consensuson a policy within a breed association. The North American Devon Cattle Association has alreadyinterpreted our one year moratorium as a ban on ET, and perceivedour survey of the membership to be in some way construed to be"small in our thinking". Interesting reading and the author'smisinformation and opinions are quite malicious for anassociation trying to lure AMDCA members to join theirassociation. see:http://www.northamericandevon.com/info.html#AMDA. It is one ofthe highlighted items, on June 14", the fourth item down from thetop. Advantages of Embryo Transfer Technology for a breed such as theAmerican Milking Devon: There is little doubt that with small numbers of animals, as wehave in this breed, if you are trying to expand animal numbers,this can allow more rapid expansion. Our goal is to expand animalnumbers. Hopefully we can work so our breed is moved fromcritical to at least threatened, and maybe Watch or Recoveringstatus. We have not had a lot of growth. in animal numbers, andengaging technology will provide one tool to grow animal numbers.Also on the positive side the sale of embryos could allowbreeders in remote areas to have easier and cheaper access toAmerican Milking Devon Cattle, particularly the female side ofthe gene pool. The end result could be that people in areas wherethere are few of our cattle, could more easily access thegenetics and start their own herd. Embryo's can be shipped and moved much easier than live cattle.Embryos can be shipped as easily as straws of semen. More purebred cows and bulls on the ground would allow for moreselection based on traits individual breeders desire, and mightallow culling of genetically inferior animals, which I do notbelieve is happening at all, with the current high prices. Concerns in using Embryo Transfer include:If a few cows are used, and those cows generate a large number ofembryos you can create a genetic bottleneck. However, the samething is true for the use of semen, and even more so, as it is alot less costly than embryo transfer, which means more peoplewill likely adopt (or have already adopted) ArtificialInsemination versus Embryo Transfer. In the last few years we have had a few people buying up a numberof animals, which resulted in higher average prices for MilkingDevon Cattle than we have seen in the past. This rise in priceshas been welcomed by many, including myself. However, this is aclear example, of how a few people can affect a breed with smallnumbers of animals, in a short period of time. There maybe some need for disclosure that the cows were flushed.For genetic reasons, we would want buyers to know that a cowpurchased after flushing may have a greater than normal number ofoffspring in the population. There are also some concerns about the reproductive status of theanimals after being used as flush cows. I could find no datasaying that cows that are flushed are routinely less fertile, butin the process of flushing, there is the chance of damage to thereproductive tract, and the flush cows becoming overweight (asdry donor cows), which often leads to difficulty breeding. Thishappens in cattle left open for long periods that have not beenflushed. Recommendations, if members decide to support Embryo Transfer. There is a real need for documentation, that the embryos instraws are what they are supposed to be. The American EmbryoTransfer Association has clear rules for documenting thecollection of embryos, as well as protocols for theidentification and sale of embryos: view their website on theInternet at http://www.aeta.org/ for more information. They deferto breed associations about individual rules on genetic testingand so forth. Genetic testing of the sire and dam are required by manyassociations and the Dexter Cattle Association and other DairyBreed Associations require the DNA testing of offspring resultingfrom ET. If the embryos are not going to be immediately implanted intorecipient cows that the owner of the flushed cow controls, theinformation necessary for documentation on the embryo for laterregistration should also include: On the container of frozen embryos: identification of the organization that processed the embryos breed of embryo identification of the dam (sire optional) date on which the embryos were frozen identification number for the container number and stages of embryos in the containerOn the goblets and canes: cane and goblet numbers identification of the organization that processed the embryos date of cryopreservation identification of dam and sire breed number of embryos kind of packaging/indication of repackaging*The above recommendations come from Seidel and Seidel, Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO ANIMALPRODUCTION AND HEALTH PAPER 77, Chapter 16, Records. as cited inthe references. Given the above information, it would seem that at a minimum theassociation should likely require an embryo recovery certificate,which may also include: a) an embryo evaluation b) the date of cryopreservation or freezing of embryos, particularly if the resulting embryos are for sale. c) There may also be a need for embryo transfer documentation, if recipient cows are sold carrying embryos. There is also a need for similar testing for embryos as requiredby bulls for diseases prior to drawing semen, there is a similarneed for health testing of cows used as donors, according toNational Association of Animal Breeder standards. This willensure that the embryos meet the requirements ents forinternational sale and shipping, plus provide an assurance ofhealth of the embryos to the buyers. SummaryIn the case of small populations every animal counts and therecan be a benefit realized from Embryo Transfer, but it is not thecure fora small population, as genetic diversity is important aswell as animal numbers. There is the possibility of imposingrestrictions on the number of calves from each cow that could beregistered, as a way to minimize the possible effect that one cowhas on the population, but again, this limitation would besimilar to limiting the number of offspring allowed from a bullwho has been drawn and used for artificial insemination, whichthe association has not ever addressed. One of the problems with selection of traits such as for milkproduction within a breed, is that the real value of the breedmay lie in other characteristics that might be lost if there isincreased specialty selection. At this time we have no verifiableproduction information on milk production or progeny tests onbulls, so selection will not likely be as intensive as it mightbe in other breeds. In any case, embryo transfer would allowpossible inferior animals (for certain traits) to be propagatedat a rapid pace, possibly displacing other more geneticallysuperior animals for the same traits. Finally, the other challenge is that breeders with the bestintentions may not get a cow that flushes well, despite the costand efforts to do so. References:Phone Interview with Don Bixby, DVM, Technical Program Manager,American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC), Pittsboro, NorthCarolina, Monday June 11, 2007 Phone Interview with Marjorie Bender, Research and TechnicalDirector, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC),Pittsboro, North Carolina, Monday, June 11, 2007 Phone Interview with Jeannette Beranger, ALBC Research andTechnical Program Manager American Livestock Breeds Conservancy(ALBC), Pittsboro, North Carolina, Monday, June 11, 2007Email Message from D. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM, PhD, Professor ofPathology and Genetics Department of Biomedical Sciences,Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine,Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA., June 20, 2007. George E. Seidel, Jr. and Sarah Moore Seidel, of the AnimalReproduction Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins,CO 80523, USA. Training Manual for Embryo Transfer in Cattle. FAOANIMAL PRODUCTION AND HEALTH PAPER 77, Viewed on the InternetJune 13 2007 at:http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/t0117e/t0117e00.htm

Old books

2007-04-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

For those that like to see, smell, feel and plain enjoy old agricultural books on about any breed of livestock, let me recommend land grant colleges. I LOVE to 24th floor of UMASS Amherst library. I even found a great special collections person there who though researching the possibility of UMASS owning Kerry cattle because of a note in a book I found on Google Books to be the "most interesting thing he has had the opportunity to research in 26 years..." I also have this loving mother who is willing to take out books for me and scans, copies and plain lets me read those books.

For me it isn't just one breed. As my husband Dave said, there has to be a 12 step program for people like me. I enjoy a book from 1939 devoted to poultry nutrition put out by a feed company as much as the 1834 Yuoatt book on British Breeds of Livestock or quite possibly the last remaining bulletins put out by the American Dexter and Kerry society.

I also love to see the work others put out about their own breed. Web sites, booklets, newsletters. It is these people that keep the breeds alive. Even those breeds that are in effect extinct are in fact alive because someone took time to photograph, paint, write about, sing about... those animals that meant a lot to them. I don't want to take any credit for their work. I don't want to take glory in finding something they cherish. I like to find kindred spirits that share this love of basically old breeds of livestock. Tradition. I just want to share my addiction with everyone!

What I want to do in the next couple of posts is to see if I can show the work that other people have done and celebrate it. Post links, send thank you notes and basically show anyone in the little audience that sees Heritage Cattle that there are others out there who love the tradition and history of animals and our relationship with them.

Milking Devon's for a change

2007-03-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

I keep talking about Dexters and Kerry's. About time I try another breed of cattle. I am also in love with the Milking Devon. A lovely red breed of cattle of the middle horn type. They make wonderful oxen and decent milk cows for the small holding. There are a couple of people interested in using the milking Devon for cheese production. The milk quality and yield is excellent. I definetly think that they would work well in a farmstead cheese business.

Lawrence Gilley of Deansboro will be giving a talk on the Short History of the Devon Cattle for the Marshall historical Society on Thursday March 15th at 7:30pm. It is at the Town hall in Deansboro, NY. I will be there and look forward to the conversation.

The Milking Devon Society also has a very nice web site. The pictures are great and the classified information has a lot of animals on there. Very well done. www.milkingdevons.org

Cattle in Early Ireland

2006-11-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

Found a lovely account of the history of cattle in Ireland. Go to the link www.applewarrior.com/celticwell/ejournal.beltane/cattle_early_ireland.htm
It made reference to Saint Ciaran (founder of Clonmacnoise) having a dun cow (for Dexter history in particular) and the note about brindle animals. We have a half Kerry in the milking string that is brindle.

It is interesting that they mention St. Ciaran. The name of my farm, Heamour Farm, is in reference to a town in Penzance, Cornwall (England) that a number of my family members came from. The flag of Cornwall has the cross of St. Piran. St. Piran and St. Ciaran are believed to be one and the same. Well some people believe so...

G,M, Carnochan

2006-11-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

I found a reference to Mr. Carnochan exhibiting a herd of Kerry cattle at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. He did recieve an award for this herd. Cannot find the origional link. Did find a notice in the Project Gutenberg on-line book NY at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St Louis 1904 by Ellis. It is on pg. 115. No Devons, Dexters, Dutch Belted, etc. Onlyodd" breed was Kerry at the expo.

I also found reference to his being a NY State Assemblyman in 1906. He was in Roxbury County, NY. Not a lot of info on the guy. I did find reference to a book he wrote after selling his animals. One of thos Big Hunter memoirs. Looking for more.

ALBC Annual Meeting

2006-10-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hello All!!
Well, I'm not sure if many actually read my blogs. I am highly recommending this year's ALBC Annual Meeting. They have a great listing of workshops related to conserving breeds. Becoming a Master Breeder rather than a populator. I'll be there. I have Kerry breeders (well a number of them are coming and a number are not) meeting for the first time... I need to make this Heritage Cattle thing more open to people to include more primary records about the different breeds that made up America. Kerry, Dexter, Milking Devon, Dutch Belted, Randall Lineback...

www.albc-usa.org/documents/2006 Brochure2.org

or register on-line at www.albc-usa.org/conf2006reg.php

$125 for ALBC members.
$155/non members (but I think you get a bonus...membership)

See yah all there!!

Backward Glances

2006-10-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Not quite the final chapter on this early Kerry breeder, but here is a little history into an interesting man...

From Backward Glances, Volume II by Howard C. Mason. Starts on page 42...

"Now we come to what was one of the largest and most productive in Warren County: the Fred E. Stevens farm, most of which is now included in the Warren County Airport.

Edward Stevens, father of Fred, came ot this County Line Farm under rather amusing circumstances. He had been farming for some years on a place near Clarks Corners, Saratoga County which is still called the Stevens place by some although it is now owned by James Smith. Mr. Stevens learned that the County Line farm was to be sold at auction. Always careless with his dress but never careless in his speach, he appeared at the auction looking more like a tramp than a man of substance. The auction began and Mr. Stevens kept raising the bids. As he was unknown to the auctioneer, the auctioneer called him aside and asked him if he understood the terms of the sale - cash!

Mr. Stevens replied, 'I do, and whatever the amount I bid I am prepared to pay.'

It was finally knocked down to him for $16,000 and he had the cash to pay for it right in those ragged old blue jeans. This story has been told to me several times by persons who attended the sale.

Some years later, after Mr. Stevens had built up a fine herd of Holstein cattle, he decided he should have a superior bull to head his herd. He boarded the train for the State Fair in Syracuse dressed in the same clothes he wore working around the farm. While there he selected a young bull from one of the exhibits as the one he wanted. He then found the owner and asked the price of the animal. The owner looked at Mr. Stevens over and said, 'Mister, these are not common cattle. They are high blooded animals. The price of the bull is $1500.' (a fabulous price in those days)

To the man's suprise, Mr. Stevens withdrew the money from his pocket and paid for the bull on the spot after recieving the proper transfer papers.

Leaving the fair, he rode home in the express car with his prize animal to the Sandy Hill RR station. From there he proudly led his bull up the County Line Road to his farm.

I relate this story to describe what sort of man Mr. Stevens was. he knew what he wanted, saved for it, and got it.

If I have created the impression that Edward Steven was a sort of eccentric character, I will hasten to add that while he may have done some things in an off-beat or unusual way, he was the soul of honor in all his dealings with others and was highly respected by all who knew him. His sterling qualities were reflected in his son, Fred E. Stevens, who caried on the farm enterprise together with his father until the latter's death about 1911.

In addition to the fine herd of Holstein cattle they had, Fred secured a herd of Dutch Belted Cattle as well as some of the little Black Kerry cattle from Ireland. The Stevens' marketed their milk at retail mostly in Glens Falls. Along with the milk business, they grew immense quantities of vegetables, notably onions, as some of their land was peculiarly adapted to that crop. Near the barn every year Fred raised a field of enormous vegetables purposely for the county fairs.

Beginning with the first fairs in the 20's of August, he would start out with a carload of prize-winning vegetables and two carloads of his best cattle, making the circuit of the fairs in the eastern-seaboard states, going as far south as York, PA and Hagerstown, MD. He always finished at the Danbury, Conn. State Fair which to this day is held every year in the month of October. Incidently, this is one of the oldest fairs in the country. You can rest assured that Mr. Stevens brought home his share of the prizes from these trips for he always had something worth showing.

In 1907, however, misfortune overtook him. He was repairing the horsefork, or hay carriage, in the peak of his barn when he fell abouth thirty feet to the floor below. From that day on he was paralyzed from the waist down. When he learned that doctors could do nothing for him, he went right on with the milk business. For many years he was a familiar sight on the streets of Glenns Falls where he would ring a large bell and the housewife or her children would come out to the wagon for the day's milk.

That same bell came in quite handy one night when he was returning home. At the foot of the hill south of his farm, there were dense clumps of bushes on either side of the road. Suddenly, two thugs leaped out of the bushed and demanded Mr. Steven's money. Did he give it to them? Instead of that, he began ringing his bell and frightened the highwaymen away. He continued on his way home without further incident.

Once he told me that he never missed a day on his milk route for thirteen consecutive years!! When past 90 years of age, he gave up the milk business only because Warren County took most of his farm for the present airport. The fine herd of Holstein cattle was sold at auction.

The famous auctioneer, R. Austin Backus of Mexico, New York, conducted the sale. I was present when Mr. Backus opened the slae saying that in all the years he had been in the business of selling cattle at auction, he had never known a case, where a person so handicapped as Mr. Stevens was, had carried on an enterprise of that size so long and with such apparant success.

I knew Fred Stevens for many years and have spent many enjoyuable evenings conversing with him. He loved to help people to help themselves. No one will ever know how many he helped get a start in life, or if down on their luck, to get a new start. He once told me that he could never remember ever turning anyone down who came seeking employment. He said that 'On a farm of this size I could always find something useful for them to do.'

To be sure, some didn't stay the first day out, others stayed for years.

Fred believed in the dignity of labor and that every man was a capitalist, even though his only capital was the labor of his hands. In his benefactions he never let his right hand know what his left was doing.

Anonymity was almost an obsession with him. I recall that the late Albert Hovey, with whom Mr. Stevens had business dealings for many years, told me he wanted th write up a story of Mr. Stevens' life for one of the leading magazines. But he would not allow it. 'No publicity,' he said.

He believed the least governed were the best governed and was much opposed to the NRA (Blue Eagle) which later was declared unconstitutional, I believe. He said, 'The government may tell me how much to charge for my produce, but as yet they can't tell me that I can't give my milk away!'

During those terrible depression years he said that if there were children or aged people in a family, he never stopped leaving the usual amount of milk, and with no thought of ever being paid for it.

Considered a bit old fashined by some, yet as soon as any new method or new machine had merit, he wasn't slow to discard old for new. His methods and management mush have been sound for his farm was fully as productive at the end as when he began.

Mr. Stevens' widow, an invalid for some time past, still lives in the old farm home.

For the reasons already cited, and many more, I believed Fred Stevens was one of the most remarkable men who ever lived in Warren County. At the time of this death, the Rev. Walter J. Benedict delivered his funeral sermon or oration. His closing remarks were classic. He expressed my thoughts as I would like to have if I had his command of language.

I wrote to Mr. Benedict for a copy of those remarks, as I felt they would be so fitting in closing this article. The following is Mr. Benedict's reply which is self-explanatory:
'Your very kind letter with its comment upon the life of Fred Stevens is at hand, and all you say about Fred is true. His life is worthy of a biography. I have never known a man of greater courage and faith and the way Fred lived has been one of the greatest inspirational influences upon my ministry. God has his own way of helping his children, and through Fred, and I think probably without realizing it, at a time in my ministry when I desperately needed his help he helped me.

When I conducted his memorial service, I had the things written out I wished to say, but following that service someone asked from them and I gave them to that person. I do not know who it was. And of course I cannot recapture my tribute after these years.

I am truely sorry. It will be a great thing for you to write his life and nothing you can say about the magnitude of his injury or handicap or the greatness of his faith in the face os suffering or the tenderness of his spirit will be an exaggeration. Sincerely Walter J. Benedict.'"

Kerry Cattle Herd Books today

2006-10-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Most all Kerry Cattle are registered in Ireland with the Irish Kerry Cattle Society, Ltd. In Canada, due to Canadian law, they also register animals there. There are herd books available for sale... volume 66 (2002-2004) $16 and Volume 63&64 (1996-2001) for $20.

The secretary is G. Raymonde Hilliard, Cahernane, Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland (353) 064-31840 (no, the number is not wrong for those operators in US who question you about the numbers).
The Herd Book Manager is Judy Bright, Goodwins Hill, Batterstown, Dunboyne, Co. Meath (353) 01 8259978 kjbright@eircom.net

Fred Stevens stuff came in mail

2006-09-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Must be his day. Got the milk bottle and the info from the Warren County Historical Society on him. Been kinda sick lately and had to help hubby get some round bale wraps in. I have a lot of info to upload, but do need to catch up on cheese making stuff and get the photos and other bits scanned. He was a cool guy. He had Dutch Belted, Kerry and registered Holsteins on the farm in Glens Falls. It is the land the airport is on now. I guess that when the society was happening, he was confined to a wheel chair. Pretty active disabled man. He even delivered milk for some 70 years (including when he was disabled). I'll get the info up. He is someone that has to be known in the Heritage Cattle register of interesting breeders. The milk bottle design is neet too. Went to a milk bottle meeting (husbands hobby) and I think I have the only on in the many collections of milk bottles in the North East of his. I'm happy.

FE Stevens milk bottle

2006-08-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Found a FE Stevens milk bottle at the Madison/Bouckville Antique show. A creamer to be exact. Bought it for $20. So the story that he bottled and delivered milk is correct.

FE Stevens

2006-08-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Glens Falls, NY.
That is about the only info that I have on this guy to date. He was a breeder of Kerry cattle before the start of the registry in 1911.

A spot on a historical society web site says, "Stevens St.- This street was laid out and named by FE Stevens, who lives on the County Line Rd. between Hudson Falls and Sanford Ridge, & who is well known here since he has delivered milk in this city fro more than 60 years. Mr. Stevens bought property around the site of the street & developed it during the 90's, building most of the houses."

I also know that he showed Kerry cattle at the NY State Fair. Transfers of Kerry Cattle suggest that he sold individuals within NY State. I am curious to see what happened to his animals.

The historical society up there did email to day to say they found a lot of information on him. I had to pay $20, but I am eager to see what they came up with.

Dexter History Characteristics distribution etc 1921

2006-08-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

[Reproduced from the revised edition of "Types and Breeds of Farm Animals", by Charles S. Plumb. Published bu Ginn & Company, Boston, Mass] ~ also herd book 1920...second part as with Kerry, only Blog will not allow such a long post....~

The Dexter breed of cattle is an offshoot from the Kerry and, while classed with the Kerry in the first edition of the book, is properly a seperate and distinct breed. The offspring from a Kerry and Dexter cross is regarded by each Kerry and Dexter herdbook association as a true crossbred and ineligible for registration.
THE DEXTER
The native home of the Dexter is in the southern part of Ireland and in the same region as that of the Kerry.
The origin of the Dexter is quite obscure. The common assumption has been that this breed is a cross between the Kerry and some other breed, perhaps the Devon. This opinion expressed by Professor James Wilson is that this is a short-legged offshoot of the Kerry, due to crossing with the Devon. It has also been repeatedly claimed that a "Mr. Dexter," who at one time was agent of Lord Hawarden, is responsible for this Irish breed, which for some time was known as the Dexter-Kerry, but which is now is classed by organizations promoting these cattle in Great Britian and America as a distinct and seperate breed from the Kerry.
The introduction of the Dexter to America probably occured long ago, when no discrimination was made between Kerry and Dexter in importations. Perhaps two hundred Dexters were imported to the United States between 1910 and 1915, a large percentage of which were brough over by Elmendorf Farm of Kentucky, Howard Gould of New York and james J. Hill of Minnesota, none of whom are now maintaining herds of these cattle.
The characteristics of the Dexter. In Great Britian the Dexter is regarded as a diminutive dual-purpose breed, although in the United States the beef side is given scant consideration. The essential characteristics are found in the heard, short legs and small size and color. The head is old-fashioned in a degree tending towards plainness and crowned with more or less black-tipped, upright horns. The head of the bull is burly and short and the horns aften extend directly out to each side and then make a wide curve forward and upward, with considerable space between the tips. The neck is moderately short and muscular, the withers show a dual-purpose thickness and the back is unusually strong supported, the depth of body and digestive capacity is comparatively great, teh tail head is often prominent, the hind quarters suggest the dula-purpose type (more especially with the bull), the legs are very short, and the udder on mature cows frequently indicates great capacity for aniimals of such small suze.
The color of the Dexter is very generally a solid black, although pure reds are also recognized and are not uncommon. The Irish regard either color as of equal merit. White marks are permissible on the udder and on the belly up to the navel, though not outside of the flanks. The brush of the tail may also contain more or less white. No white marketings are favored on the bull, although a slight amount on the scrotum or sheath will not disqualify. The horns are unusually white wiht black tips, while the hoods and nose may be either white or dark as the animal is red or black.
The size of the Dexter places it among the smallest of the British breeds. In mature form the standard weights are 900 pounds as a mzximum for the bull and 800 for the cow when in breeding condition. Some very beautiful specimins of cows that scarcely weigh over 500 pounds are seen at British shows. One of the noted bulls of the breed - LaMancha Union Jack - stood only about 28 inches high and probaly weighed less than 500 pounds. In view of the fact that diminutive size the tendancy among breeders has been to emphasize that feature. Where breeding is conducted under conditions of plenty there is a tendency towards increase in size.
The hardy Character of the Dexter is one of its outstanding features. In its native home, like the Kerry, it lieves largely in teh open, under rather rigorous conditions and tubercular and other diseases due to close housing are quite uncommon.
The crossbred Dexter especially with the beef stock, meets with much favor in the British market. The use of Aberdeen-Angus or Shorthorn bulls on Dexter cows has produced some very beautiful small carcasses of beef. The author has seen some of these crosses in Irealnd which, although small, represented high-class beef animals, indicating very superior killing quality. So highly is this kind of cross-breeding regarded in England that special classes for these small carcasses are provided at the Smithfield Club Fat Stock Show.
The Dexter as a milk producer has considerable merit. There are many records for these little cows, of 4000- to 6000 pounds of milk produced within a year and this on just ordinary care. In Ireland, however, official testing of Dexter cows has only just begun. During the years 1916 and 1917 twenty four cows and under test as supervised by the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, covering periods of lactation renging from thirty-three to forty-five weeks. The smallest annual yield was 4555 pounds during a period of thirty- six weeks, testing an average of 4.1 per cent fat, while the largest yield was 8124 pounds during a forty-five weeks, testing 3.7 per cent fat. The Castlegould herd of Howard Gould in New York State produced a number of excellent records, one cow - Slane Clara - having a record of 9046 pounds, testing 4.26 per cent fat. Dexter milk averages 4 per cent fat.
Prices paid for Dexter cattle are comparatively small. As a breed is quite limited in number the demand is also limited. These cattle may be bought in Ireland for approximately $150 a head, with a fair selection at this price, although show animals naturally command a higher figure. While Americans have imported several hundred Dexters, as a rule the prices paid have been modest. In a pamphlet on these cattle published by the Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society of Ireland in 1918 it is stated that the prices vary from $125 fo $350, according to age and quality.
The distribution of the Dexter extends over Ireland, with a few select herds in England. The 1918 volume of the English Kerry and Dexter herdbook records thirty-one herds in Engladn. Dexter cattle have been exported to South Africa, Australia, and other British colonies. A number of herds are kept in Canada. In 1919 there were Dexter herds in Vermont, New York, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Wisconson and Minnesota.
The official promotion of Dexter cattle is supervised by several associations. The Farmers' Gazetts of Dublin, Ireland, instituted a herdbook, the first volume of which appeared in 1887. Later the Royal Dublin SOciety took over this work and since 1890 has published the records. The English Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society was founded in 1892 and up to 1919 has issued nineteen herdbooks, which show a total of 639 bulls and 2544 cows registered,. In 1917 there was organized at Killarney, Ireland, the Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society of Ireland "to maintin the purity and promote the breeding of Kerry and Dexter cattle in Ireland." The American Kerry and Dexter Cattel Club organized in July, 1911, serves the purpose of registration and transfer and aims to promote the welfare of the breed. up to 1920 the club has registered fifty-five males and two hundred and forty six females.

KERRY INFO AND CHARACTER 1921

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INFORMATION CONCERNING THE HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, DISTRIBUTION, ETC. OF KERRY AND DEXTER CATTLE.
[Reproduced from the revised edition of "Types and Breeds of Farm Animals," by Charles S. Plums. Published by Ginn & Company, Boston, Mass.] ~also copied from the Herd Book 1921~

The Kerry

The native home of Kerry cattle is in the southwestern Ireland in the county of Kerry. This is one of the wildest and most picturesque sections of Ireland, with mountains rising above three thousand feet and witht he famous Killarney lakes in the setting. The climate is moist and fairly temperate. Agricultural conditions are inferior.
The origin of the Kerry is as uncertain as that of other British breeds. From time immemorial it has been bred in Ireland, where it is known as the "poor man's cow". The opinion of the British students is that this is a descendant from the smaller type of aboriginal cattle of that country, of the same character as the dark-colored cattle of Britian. Nothing more is known. The development of the breed had mainly rested with the Irish farmers or tenants, who keep but small herds.
The introduction of the Kerry to America was probably first made in 1859 by Sanford Howard of Boston, massachusetts, who imported for Arthur W. Austin a bull and five two-year old heifers. In 1860 he imported a second bull, the first having died, and two heifers. Since that period Kerry cattle have been imported to the United States in a small way up to about 1915.
Characteristics of Kerry cattle. This is a distinct dairy type of breed, with the following special characteristics: The color should always be a solid black, with no white on the body in case of the bull; with the cow a slight amount of whire on the udder or underline, while undesirable, does not disqualify. This lean head of the cow carries upstanding, slender white horns with black tips, which often turn back; the bull's horns are shorter than those of the cow, but are commonly erect, with the tips turned back. The neck is slender and long, with the withers moderate, the rump tending to be somewhat sloping, the thighs muscular, and the legs slender and comparatively long. The udder is frequently large for the size of the cow, but tends to have a poor front development. In size the Kerry is one of the small breeds, and when in breeding condition the bull should not weigh over one thousand pounds nor the cow over nine hundred pounds. The temperament of the Kerry is distinctly nervous, yet, when well cared for, these cattle are quiet and easily handled.
The maturing characteristics of Kerry cattle are secondary. As bred in Ireland, due to inferior care, they are slow to develop, producing the first calf later than other breeds. This slowness of maturity is overcome to a considerable degree under proper conditions of care and feeding, and in america earlier maturity may be expected than in Ireland.
The hardy character of Kerry cattle is one of its distinctive features. Diring the entire year it is necessary for the Irish cotter's cow to adapt herself to conditions of privation, including the inclemency of winter. No breed has a more robust constitution or is less subject to common diseases than is the Kerry.
The prepotency of the Kerry cattle is very marked. Being of an ancient breed, long bred pure, it transmits its color and physical characteristics in a marked degree.
The Kerry in crossbreeding is essentially a value in improving common dairy stock. Kerry bulls from high producing dams, bred to ordinary cows, should result in heifers showing a uniformly black color and capable of producing a good yield of superior milk at minimal cost.
The grazing value of the Kerry is very high. This breed has been developed under adverse food conditions and thrives on comparitively poor rations. It well serves the purpose of furnishing the poor Irish laborer a maximum or return for a minimum of expenditure.
The Kerry as a milk producer ranks well, considering her size and cost of production. Messrs. William and James McDonald, reporting on the Kerry cattle shown at the Paris Exposition in 1978, state that twelve quarts of milk daily during the season yield from six to seven pounds of butter a week are the estimated yield of a Kerry cow, and that cows have been known to give sixteen quarts every day for some time after calving. Only in recent years have any systematic efforts been made to keep milk or butter-fat records of these cows. In 1905 Prfessor James Long wrote as follows, relative to official trials (Agricultural Gazette. London, August 21, 1905)

If we take the milking trials at the National Dairy Show at Islington, and travel over a number of years, we find that in one year eight Kerries averaged 36 pounds, or more than 3 1/2 gallons of milk per day, this milk containing 3.33 per cent fat. In another year twelve Kerries averaged 25 1/2 pounds of milk per day, this milk containing the larfe proportion of 4.33 per cent fat, while the solids not fat reached 9.2 per cent. Again, in a third year, seven Kerries averaged 33 1/2 pounds of milk, containing 3.69 per cent fat. In two other years the average of ten cows in each year were 27 1/4 pounds of milk and 33 pounds of milk, the fat percentage in one case 4.36 and in the other 4.26.

In official tests in 1916 and 1917 in Ireland, under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, records ranged from 4812 pounds of milk as a minimum to 8124 pounds as a maximum yield, forty-fice weeks being the extreme period of lactation. The butter-fat percentage ranged from 3.4 to 4.9, the average being 4 per cent. From what the author has seen of these cattle in Ireland he believes the Kerry to be a milk-producing breed of much promise under a judicious system and selection.
The distribution of the Kerry is not general; even in Ireland, where it is best known, the Shorthorn is the leading breed. There are a number of excellent Kerry herds in England, but very few of these cattle have neen inported to America. There are small herds in Australia and South Africa. In the United States the principal herds are in New York, Missouri and Minnesota.
Organization for the promotion of Kerry cattle have been in existence for some years. In 1887 a register was started in Ireland by the owners of the Farmers' Gazette of Dublin, which was taken over by the Royal Dublin Society after the publication of three volumes of herdbooks. In 1890 this society issued the first volume of the "Kerry and Dexter Herdbook," and has continued doing so up to date. Seventeen volumes of the RIish herdbook have been published, containing the total entry up to 1918 of 871 Kerry bulls and 2658 cows. An English Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society, with headquarters in London, was established in 1892 and has published eighteen herdbooks, containing a total entry to 1917 inclusive of 392 Kerry bulls and 2098 cows. In 1917 an Irish Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society was organized in Ireland to promote the welfare of the breed. In 1911 an American Kerry and Dexter Cattle Club was organized, but thus far had published no herdbook. Up to 1920 but 16 bulls and 61 cows have been recorded, and to this date no importation herd of Kerry cattle has been established in the United States.

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION 1911

2006-08-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

ARTICLES OF ASSOCAITION OF THE AMERICAN KERRY AND DEXTER CATTLE CLUB

Organization
1. This organization shall be called the American Kerry and Dexter Cattle Club.
Membership
2. The membership fee shall be ten dollars ($10.00). State Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations shall be regarded as honorary members, without voting privileges, but with membership fees.
Purpose
3. The purpose of thsi club shall be to promote the breeding of pure bred Kerry or Dexter cattle in America, by dissemination of information concerning these cattle; keeping a record of registration and transfer of individual pure bred animals; publishing a herd registry or other information of importance; and protecting the integrity of Kerry and Dexter pedigrees in America so far as possible.
Foundation Stock
4. (a) Any animal imported from Ireland or England up to January 1st, 1912, from ancestry in the Royal Dublin Society's Kerry and Dexter herd Book or in the English Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society Herd Book, by which a connected registration record may be shown. (b) Also up to January 1st, 1912, any animal of Kerry or Dexter breeding, from unregistered ancestry in America, that properly certified evidence shows to have come or descended from stock of pure Kerry or Dexter breeding, imported from Ireland or England. (c) Also, up to January 1st, 1912, of any animal imported from Ireland or England of Kerry or Dexter breeding, of which certified evidence is given, yet not from registered ancestry.
Perdigree Stock
5. After January 1st, 1912, no cattle shall be registered by this Club, excepting those of registered ancestry in America and those imported, that are registered in the Royal Dublin or English Kerry and Dexter Societies books. To be eligible for registry by this Club, the sire and dam must have been registered and made a matter or record on the books.
Registration and Transfer.
6. Kerry Cattle will be kept classified by themselves, and Dexter cattle likewise, each forming an independent group. The product of a cross of Kerry and Dexter blood shall be regarded as a cross bred and ineligible for registration.
7. Printed forms for registration and transfer will be furnished by the Secretary free of charge. All applications by Government certificates of importation and certificates from the Secretary of either the Royal Dublin or English registry societies, unless as provided for under Foundation Stock.
Registry and Transfer Fees.
8. The regular fee for registration to members of the Club shall be one dollar ($1.00). Non-member's fee of two dollars ($2.00). All registrations of cattle calved after January 1st, 1912, shall be made within 365 days of calving, or be subjected to an excess penalty for registration of five dollars additional to the usual fee.
9. The transfer fee for members shall be trenty-five cents, for non-members, fifty cents, and the seller shall pay cost of transfer certificate, and furnish the same to buyer unless otherwise agreed upon. All fees for transfer will be doubled, if delay filing witht he Secretary over 90 days following the sale.
10. The Secretary is directed to issue no certificates or transfers until payments for the same have been recieved at the office of the Club. Exceptions to thei rule, however, may be made in the case of State or Governmnet Institutions, where authority to furnish registry certificate or transfer has been officially made.
Publications.
11. This Club shall publish from time to time, as funds may permit, a herd register, and any literature of an educational character that will aid in placing the merits of Kerry and Dexter before the public.

History of Kerry Dexter Cattle Club in US to 1921

2006-08-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE AMERICAN KERRY AND DEXTER CATTLE CLUB

For some years a number of herds of Kerry and Dexter Cattle have existed in America. Finally the interest in these breeds developed to such an extent that an organization to promote their interests and care for their registration and transfer was thought a necessity. During the year 1910, Prof. C.S. Plumb, of the Ohio State University, sought by correspondence to ascertain something of the ownership and size of Kerry and Dexter herds in America, and addressed letters to every person of whom he could learn owning these cattle. Less than 20 herds were located, but some of these were large and were actively engaged in development. In response to the request for views on forming an organization, the sentiment was very much in favor of doing this.

It was not thought expedient to have a called meeting, owing to the small number of persons owning these cattle, and their wide distribution over the country. Consequently those breeders interested, effected an organization by means of correspondence and a mail vote. A temporary list of officers necessary for the transaction of business was suggested and these were balloted on by mail, in July, 1911, with the following results:
President – G.M. Carnochan, New York City, New York.
Vice President – C.H. Berryman, Mgr. Elmendorf Farm, Lexington, KY
Secretary-Treasurer – C.S. Plumb, Columbus, Ohio.
Executive Committee – G.M. Carnochan, C.H. Berryman, C.S. Plumb, Maurice Molloy, Agt. Castlegould, Port Washington, New York; and B. Nason Hamlin, Boston, Mass.

These officers were elected to serve until the membership could be represented in regular meeting at some future time, when conditions would permit a more formal organization. At the time of the election of officers, Articles of Association were adopted by mail vote, which will be found on page 17.

A feature of publicity regarding Kerry and Dexter Cattle was undertaken by the secretary, in publishing bulletins from time to time, containing material of interest concerning these breeds, as well as answering inquires from correspondents. Up to November 1920, nine bulletins of uniform character, were published. Bulletin No. 1 is dated October, 1911 and Bulletin No. 9 is dated November, 1920. These have been more or less freely distributed and should have served a useful purpose. It is unfortunate that funds have never been available for promoting these breeds into greater publicity.

Just what the future of the Club is to be remains to be seen. Present conditions cannot long continue. An official organization and election of officers must take place through a cooperative movement of the breeders, otherwise the present so-called Club must go out of existence. The one now acting as secretary feels that with the publication of this herd book, he has about completed his task, and that some one else should now assume responsibility of the office. Careful records have been kept of all registrations and transfers, and a cash book in detail shows the financial transactions of the Club. All records are in shape to be placed in other hands that may be willing to look after Kerry and Dexter interests in America.

CHARLES S. PLUMB
Secretary-Treasurer.

Preface 1921 Herd Book Kerry and Dexter

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This first volume of the American Kerry and Dexter Cattle Club contains all entries and transfers up to December 31, 1920, inclusive. This record is as follows:

Kerry bulls...........16
Kerry cows...........61

Total------------77

Dexter bulls.........63
Dexter cows.........260

Total-----------323

Grand Total----------400

Total transfers of Kerry and Dexter cattle-------136

It is desirable to call attention to the fact that no Kerry cattle have been registered since 1916, and no active interst at this time is being manifested in teh breed, notwithstanding its undoubted merit. It may also be appropriate to state that comparatively few registrations are being made of Dexter cattle, and unless the few breeders we now have manifest more activity in promoting the breed, it will be many more years before enough registrations will be available to justify a second volume.

CHARLES S. PLUMS
Secretary-Treasurer

Columbus, Ohio
April, 1921

A British Standard for the Dexter 1919

2006-08-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

A BRITISH STANDARD FOR THE DEXTER

Reproduced from the English Kerry and Dexter Herd Book, Volume XX, for 1919. THe scale of points is from the same source.
1. The Dexter is essentiall both a milk producing and a beef-making breed, and both these points should, in judging, be taken into consideration.
2. Color - Bulls. WHole black or whole red (the two colors being of equal merit). A little white on organs of generation not to disqualify an animal, which answers all other essentials of this standard description. Cows. Black or red (the two colors being of equal merit). WHite on udder and the extension of white on udder slightly along inside of flank or under line of the belly, or white on tassel of tail, may be allowed on animals which answer all other essentials of this standard description.
3. Head and neck - Head short and broad, whith great width between the eyes, and tapering gracefully towards the muzzle, which should be large, with wide distended nostrils. Eyes bright, prominent, and of a kind and placid expression. Neck short, deep and thick, and well set into the shoulders, which, when viewed in front, should be wide, showing thickness through the heart, the breast coming well forward. Horns - These should be short and moderately thick, springing well from the heard, with an inward and slightly upward curve.
4. Body - Shoulders of medium thickness, full and well filled in behind; hips wide; quarters thick and deep and well sprung; flat and wide across the loins; well ribbed up; straight underline; udder well forward and broad behind, with well placed teats of moderate size; legs short (especially from knee to fetlock), strong and well placed under body, which should be as close to the ground as possible. Tail well set on and level with back.
5. Skin - The skin should be soft and mellow, and handle well, not too thin, hair fine, plentiful and silky.
Dexter bulls should not exceed 900 pounds live weight, when in breeding condition. Dexter cows should not exceed 800 pounds live weight, when in breeding condition.

Scale of Points of Dexter Bull
General formation and character.....25 points
Head, horns and hair.........................25 points
Quality and touch..............................20 points
Color....................................................30 points
Perfect-------------------------100 points

Scale of Points of Dexter Cow
Head, neck and horns......................15 points
Body, top line, underline, ribs,
setting on of tail, shortness of
leg, etc. .............................................25 points
Bag.....................................................40 points
Quality and touch............................10 points
Color..................................................10 points
Perfect------------------------100 points

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE KERRY TO AMERICA

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THE INTRODUCTION OF THE KERRY TO AMERICA
By Charles S. Plumb

Comparatively little has been published concerning the Kerry or Dexter breeds of cattle, especially in America. Undoubtedly until recently they were regarded as one and the same breed. The earliest record that the writer has discovered of the introduction of Kerry cattle to America, is a statement by Reuben Haines, of Germantown, Pennsylvania, in the Memoirs of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society, published in 1824, in which he states that he had “imported from Ireland the celebrated Kerry cow.”

Mr. Sanford Howard of Boston, Mass. was probably one of the first importers of the Kerry to America. He visited Ireland in 1858 and 1859, and made an importation for Arthur W. Austin of West Roxbury, Mass. In an address before the Norfolk County Agricultural Society, Mr. Howard in 1859 discussed the subject of cattle breeding. On this occasion interesting reference was made to his observations in Ireland, as applied to the Kerry. Said Mr. Sanford, quoting from the Report of the Mass. Board of Agriculture for 1859:

“The Kerry breed belongs to the county of that name in Ireland, or more especially to the mountainous portion of that county, where they have probably existed coeval with the present race of human inhabitants. They are very different from the cattle, which occupy the lower, and more fertile sections of the island – the latter, as has already been observed, belong to the Longhorn tribe, of larger size, the horns drooping, sometimes crossing each other beneath the lower jaw. The Kerries on the other hand, are small, with horns of medium length, rising, and generally somewhat spreading. The color ranges from black to brindle and red, sometimes with a little white, but black is the prevailing color, and is preferred as denoting the nearest affinity with the original type. The Kerry cow has always been considered remarkable as a milker. Youatt says ‘she is emphatically the poor man’s cow; hardy living everywhere yielding, for her size, abundance of milk of good quality.’ Milburn says, ‘she is a treasure to the cottage farmer – so hardy that she will live where other cattle starve. She is a perfect machine for converting the coarsest cattle-food into rich and nutritious milk and butter.’

“In 1858, and also in 1859, I visited the native country of the Kerry cattle, chiefly for the purpose of learning their characteristics, and purchasing some to send to America. I found the cattle somewhat smaller than I had supposed them to be, but evidently very useful in that locality – living where no other dairy cattle that I have ever seen could live. In several instances they were met with at elevations of 1,500 to 2,000 feet above the sea, sharing with the goat the wild herbage of the mountainside. As illustrating their hardiness, the following incident is given: A man led me up a mountain glen to see a lot of three-year-old heifers he had grazing there. It appeared a mystery to me how the cattle could get round and over the rough rocks, and obtain a subsistence, even in summer. Having noticed that the man had several stacks of hay down in the valley, where was the rude habitation which he called his home, I asked him if he was going to take the Kerry cattle there for the winter. He replied, ‘No, the hay is for the lowland cattle and ponies.’ He had just been telling of the deep snows, which sometimes fall in the mountains, and I asked what the cattle would do in such cases. He said, ‘The snow generally softens after a day or two, and the cattle can work through it.’

“It is difficult to estimate the weight of these cattle, compared with others, from what I have seen of them. They are generally large bodied in proportion to their height, their legs being short, and the shank-bone being very small. Their heads are generally handsome and the countenance lively, but with a mild expression. The best of them are decidedly attractive in their appearance. When taken to the low country and supplied with plenty of nutritious food, they become more bulky, but I had no opportunity to see what would be the effect of breeding them for several generations in a milder climate and on a better soil.

“I could not generally obtain reliable statements in regard to yield of milk or butter of these cows. In several instances where they were kept, in the low country, it was stated that they would give, per day, ten imperial quarts of milk, which would afford a pound of butter – certainly a large product, considering the size of the animal. It is stated that Mr. Crosby, of Ardfert Abbey, near Tralee, obtained in his herd, ranging for seven years in succession, from 28-80 cows, mostly Kerries, an average of 1,952 quarts of milk in a year, which yielded a pound of butter to eight quarts – or 244 pounds per cow annually and that one pure Kerry cow in the herd gave 2,725 quarts of milk in ten months.

“I purchased for Arthur W. Austin, Esq., five two-year old Kerry heifers and a bull of the same breed, which arrived here after a long and boisterous passage, in November last. The bull, however, was so much exhausted, that he died a few days after his arrival. The others are at Mr. Austin’s farm in West Roxbury and are doing well. Another Kerry bull has been ordered for Mr. Auston, which it is hoped will reach here in June next, so that through Mr. Auston’s exertions it is believed the breed will be fairly introduced, and subjected to such thorough trials as will settle the question in regard to their usefulness here.”

In 1860, the committee on cattle of the Norfolk County Agricultural Society reported as follows:

He most prominent among the cattle brought to our notice, were those of the Kerry breed – one bull and seven heifers – imported by Arthur W. Austin, of West Roxbury, from the county of Kerry, Ireland. They are probably the first genuine specimens of the breed ever exhibited in this country, and many persons regarded them with curious eyes. In consequence of the loss of the bull first imported by Mr. Austin, he obtained another, ‘Mountaineer,’ which with two heifers, arrived in July last. The five heifers of the previous importation are believed to be in calf by this bull, and are expected to come to milk in April next. They have gained remarkably since their arrival, averaging an increase in girth of nearly an inch a month for the first year. Their indications for dairy purposes are all that could be expected from the high reputation of the breed. The bull is beautifully shaped – the forehead broad, the eyes large and full, the muzzle open, the uipper and lower lines of the body almost straight – while his think, furry coat and elastic hide, indicate at once an ability to endure a severe climate and to thrive rapidly.”

In 1862, Mr. Austin submitted a statement regarding his Kerries, under the date of January 14, this being to the local agricultural society. The report was as follows:

“I often had the milk measured during the past summer, and found it did not go below 60 quarts a day for five heifers of the first importation. On the 31st of May, the five alluded to, having in that month produced their first calves, gave 601/3 quarts, or an average of 12 quarts each. On the 14th of June the same five gave 62 ¾ quarts. The three of them gave a fraction over 14 quarts each. I weighed the morning’s milk and the 312/3 quarts, wine measure, weighed 67 ¼ lbs. Of the two last imported heifers, one is fully equal to either of those of the first importation, in proportion to age, she being a year younger, and having given her first calf over 10 qts. per day during the summer. I do not think the other one comes up to the standard, but she holds out well and gives rich milk. The milk of all of them is of the first quality as to richness. Butter is obtained from the cream in a very short time. Late in October it requires less than five minutes churning, by the clock, to bring butter. A lady who sends for six quarts once a week and who has had much experience, pronounces the production of cream marvelous. She says she skims it several times over. I have had excellent milkers of different breeds, and have always been particular as to the quality more than the quantity; but I obtain from these Kerry heifers as large a quantity of milk as could be reasonably be expected, considering their size and age; and the quality certainly surpasses, on the average, any milk it has been my fortune to see. I have now, besides the imported stock, three pure bred bulls, which will be a year old in the spring and summer of 1862, three pure bred heifers and one steer of the same age, one half blood Kerry and Shetland steer, and three half blood Kerry heifers. All have improved wonderfully under my winter regimen. We think all the imported heifers are in calf to Mountaineer, who is in fine condition.”

Mr. Sanford Howard contributed an article on “The Kerry Breed of Cattle” to the Report of the United States Commissioner of Agriculture for the year 1862. This article contains some descriptive matter regarding the breed and conditions under which it is kept in Ireland, rather similar to that above credited to him in the Massachusetts report. He calls attention in this article to two subjects not mentioned by him elsewhere that are of interest. He comments on the increase in size of the cattle kept in America. Their growth for the first year olds was very rapid. When he bought the first five two-year old heifers, their girth was only four feet, five inches to four feet, six inches. He says, “I measured two of them a few days since, and found their girth five feet and five feet, six inches, although, from having been pretty well milked down during the season, they are in only middling condition.”

“The purchase of these cattle in Ireland to come to America.” Says Mr. Howard, “attracted considerable attention. The face was noted in several newspapers and while the cattle were in Liverpool, many persons called to see them. Singular as it may seem, but few people in England had ever seen a specimen of the breed. How much this purchase has had to do in the bringing of Kerries into general notice, I cannot say; but it is certain that attention had, within a year or two, been more turned to them than ever before. English papers state that Baron Rothschild has sent a large number to Australian possessions, the first lot of 50 heifers having been shipped a little more than a year ago. They are also attracting much more attention in England, as is shown by the special prizes offered for them by the Royal Agricultural Society, and the favorable comment made on those exhibited at its shows.

From the American Kerry and Dexter Herdbook of 1921.

Conversations Start It All

2006-08-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I have talked to people in Ireland, New Hampshire, New York, Deleware, Kansas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Ontario, Maryland, Iowa... Everyone has something to contribute to the history of these great animals.

I admit that I am a complete breed nerd. I love researching and obsessing about pedigrees, old breeders and the development of breeds. Lately it is the Kerry cow. I cannot leave it to just Kerry cows. Milking Devons, Dexters, Abondance.... they are all great breeds that have histories in their native country as well as ours.

Most people ask me to relate this research back to them. Obviously parts of some or all conversations have to be kept to my notebook. I plan to put as much of the other information into this blog. I was going to have this a part of my web site, but I like the interactive nature of this blog. I think that people can contribute something to each of these posts. Well, at least I hope that they can.

So far, I have come up with a bit about the history of the Kerry and Dexter up to about 1921. That is incomplete and pretty much missing for the Kerry breed. I have also developed an appreciation for C.S. Plumb. I only wish that he was my professor in college. I really liked the stuff that he has written. A very prolific publisher of agricultural books.

Well, on to adding to this history of the breeds in the US. ..