Science: Bologna

T. Royal Rupert 99, son of the famous Hereford, Hazford Rupert 81, was calved on March 23, 1942 on the Sulphur (Okla.) ranch of Roy Turner, now governor of Oklahoma. As Rupert approached adolescence, his general shape and beefiness (as well as his distinguished ancestry) gave promise that he would develop into a bull of bulls. On Jan. 10, 1944, he was sold, unproven, to Glad Acres Farms at Dallas for $38,000—a record for white-faced Herefords.

Glad Acres reported that Rupert was a failure. He was not “reluctant,” as some cattlemen have called him. His attitude toward cows was normal, but he was sterile.

Back to Turner went Rupert in disgrace; and back to Glad Acres went $38,000 plus $3,000 for transportation and other costs. Saddened but not discouraged, Turner sent Rupert to Kansas State College, where he got the full treatment of modern veterinarian vitalizing. After seven months, Rupert returned to his home ranch, full of penicillin, assorted hormones and vitamin C. But he was still sterile.

Normally, sterile bulls are sold as low-grade beef. But Rupert was an exceptional case. Wayne Fox of Des Moines heard about Rupert’s problem, and offered his good offices. Fox and his wife took over, and put Rupert on a diet to” thin him down to 1,200 Ibs. They had a theory that he was so “overfitted” that his sexual hormones were lost in his fat.

Then the Foxes built up the thinned-down Rupert with oats, alfalfa, linseed and soybean meal, vitamin D, wheat germ oil, etc. Rupert seemed in tiptop condition, but he still sired no calves.

By this time, “Reluctant Rupert” had become a celebrity. The entire Corn Belt, which takes bulls seriously, was eager for news about him. The Foxes took Rupert to the Stange Memorial Veterinary Clinic at Iowa State College. There, Dr. Mack Emmerson transplanted the pituitary gland from the skull of another bull to Rupert’s flank. After the gland had had time to work, Rupert was given the heifer test again. Still no calves.

That was the end. Governor Turner sold him for slaughter. Last week Rupert traveled his last mile to the Iowa Packing Co. His carcass (which had once fetched $38,000 on the hoof) brought $228 at 16¢ a pound. Most of Rupert would be ground into bologna.