Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-07-19


| 49, went from Port
lethen in 1850, it
was not until 1873 that stock was i'm
ported for the express purpose Of i'm
proving the range cattle. In that year
the late George Grant, of Victoria,
Kansas, imported three bulls, two of
which he exhibited at the Kansas City
Fair-the first polls that ever ap-
peared in an American showyard.
These bulls, which created much in
terest, were the forerunners of the
great influx which occurred a few
years later as a result of the world
wide renown the breed had ac-
CURED by winning the two champion
group prizes in Paris in 1878.
These bulls were used upon the
common stock of the range, horned and
coarse, and they changed the "com-
plexion" and appearance of the old
stock. Many halfbred steers from
these Aberdeen-Angus bulls were fed
by number of feeders and gave them
a foretaste Of the quality that lay be-
meath the black skins. In 1876 James
Macdonald, the late secretary of the
Highland and Agricultural Society of
Scotland, visited the ranch and report
ed them as doing splendidly. In 1875
there were probably more than 800
black polled calves after them, de-
clared TO have been superior to any
ever seen in those parts before. They
were short-legged, big around the
Firth; vigorous, healthy, and thorough
ly at home. They proved themselves
superior in every way to the ShorthOrn
and other crosses; standing the win
ters better, coming out in remarkable
condition, without the necessity of ar
tifcial food or coddling, as the other
breeds required. 1t is pity Mr.. Grant
did not live TO reap the benefit of his
foresight, which would have been his
In good measure. Yet his work fol-
lowed after him. In 1883, there were
sold in the Stock Yard at Kansas City,
fourteen halfbred Aberdeen-Angus
steers, the produce of the Grant bulls.
They were bought by Chas. Still, at
$4.25, averaging 1893 lbs. in weight,
and then they were not fulfilled"
The inquiry from America had just
begun after the Paris Exposition. Per-
haps the first to seriously inquire into
the opportunities for importing the
breed was Mr.. Libbey, editor of the
Rural New Yorker" who visited Scot
land and made an investigation of the
breed. Then John Wallace, publisher
of the American Trotting Register and
''Wallace's Monthly" wrote to Tilly-
four about them, having become inter-
ested with his friend, Mr.. Redfield, Of
Batavia, N. Y, one of the first i'm
porters.
What might be termed the parent
herd Of America was that formed by
Anderson & Findlay, Lake Forest, Ill.
Mr. Findlay was indeed a native of
Buchan and had retained all the af-
lection for the native "humlies' that
everyone acquainted with them in
youth undoubtedly Is bound to pre-
serve. In the summer of 1873 Ander-
son & Findlay commissioned Mr.. Find
lay, of Peterhead, Scotland, brother
of the latter, to purchase five heifers
and bull from the best herds; which
commission was followed by others.
Anderson & Findlay exhibited their
importations at the Illinois and other
fairs.
The Breed in DuaI-Purpose Field.
The record of the breed as a beef
champion has become so thoroughly
established that it might be supposed
it has made no pretensiOns to milking
honors. Nevertheless, the Aberdeen
Angus breed produced the champion at
the great show of the British Dairy
Farmers Association, held in London,
1892.
i The victory was certainly great
feather in the cap of the breed and
the Aberdeen "Free Press" in report
ing the event, said: ''To those who
know the history of the breed, the
position taken by J. F. Spencer's six
year-old polled COW, Black Bess, will
hardly occasion surprise. The victory
will probably stimulate breeders to
give more attention to the milking
qualities of their cattle" This would
indicate that good mixers were COM
mon enough then to occasion no great
remark.
This cow was not singular instance
by any means; there are many like her
being bred today.
Prof Brown, of the Ontario Col
lege of Agriculture, made extensive
tests in regard to the specific grav-
ity of milk from different breeds and
found that the Aberdeen-Angus record
ed lilo; the Hereford grade, 1860;
Shorthorn grade and the Ayrshire,
1890; Hereford, 910: Shorthorn, $50.
! When the records of yield Of butter
from milk by weight were secured they
showed that the Aberdeen-Angus also
stood first with 3.72 per cent, followed
by the Hereford grades, 254 per cent;
Shorthorn grades, 2.31 per cent, and
Herefords, POI per cent.