The Hereford Breed In
Canada
In 1860, F.W. Stone, Guelph, Ontario
imported the first of the Hereford
Breed to Canada. Frederick William
Stone first came to Canada as a young
man in 1831 and purchased 200 acres of
land on the Puslinch Plains, south of
where the city of Guelph now stands.
He later established a store on Brock
Road, and along with his store, he
retained and operated his farm which
he increased to 583 acres. In 1860,
Mr. Stone returned to England where he
attended the English Royal Show in
Canterbury, and he was greatly
impressed with the quality of Hereford
cattle shown that year. He thought
these cattle might be well suited to
Canada and, upon learning that some
top individuals were coming up for
auction at a later date, commissioned
his brother to purchase enough for a
basic herd. The result of this action
was the purchase of eight heifers and
a yearling bull by the name of
Patriot, from the very famous herd
owned by Lord Bateman. It was noted at
the time that the cattle imported by
Mr. Stone were of the highest quality
obtainable, and this explains, in
part, why they and their descendants
were able to play such a major role in
the progress of the Hereford Breed in
Canada.
Now, 150 years late, the Hereford
Breed continues to have the most
positive economic impact on the
total breed industry of any beef
breed in the world. Our young
generation of breeders are now
launching the Hereford Breed into
the next half century.
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