16 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



flocks were housed six months in the year, to shelter them from the snow of a high latitude, 

 and were fed from the granaries and stock-yards, mine wore roaming over the green pastures 

 of T . warmed by the genial influence of a Southern sun — the fleece thus Boftened 



and rendered oily by 1 1 1 « - warmth and green food, producing a fine, even fibre." 



A number of the leading English agriculturists, as a testimonial of their appreciation of 

 the rendered to the oaase of agriculture by Mr. Lawes, (well known for his experi- 



mental investigations on the growth of wheat, mineral manures, &c, in connection with Dr. 

 Gilbert,) have recently erected and furnished a laboratory, which, together with an elegant 

 silver candelabrum, has been presented to him. It may be expected that, with intucmod 

 facilities, more new and valuable results will be attained. 



The importations of English cattle into the United States have been very numerous during 

 the past year. "A tew years ago the taste ran in a different direction, and blood-In a 

 were all the go. Priam, Glencoe, Monarch, and horses of that stamp were purchased in 

 England at enormous prices — 16,000 or 10,000 dollars being paid for a single animal ; but a 

 fondness for racing has diminished, not only in the Northern but also in Southern St. 

 and the importation of well-bred cattle, sheep, and hog> has been pursued with more ardor."' 



In Kentucky, in Bourbon county especially, there are at present some of the finest 

 cattle in the world, the descendants of foreign Shorthorn stock. As a proof of their supe- 

 riority over the present English cattle, the Ohio Farmer states the following conclusive tact : 

 "In the last three years about two hundred head of English Shorthorns have been imported 

 into Kentucky, and not one in ten out of them have been able to take premiums over those 

 bred in Kentucky, and, out of one hundred and fifty cows, but two have been successful com- 

 petitors. The bulls have been more successful than the cows, for the reason that aged Ken- 

 tucky bulls have been sold out of the State." 



There is something in the climate and soil of Kentucky extremely favorable to the de- 

 velopment of stock; and it is stated that, within a district of that State not exceeding forty 

 miles square, there are now as many fine cattle bred as in all England. 



The cattle interest of the Western States has ulso become one of great magnitude, espe- 

 cially in Ohio. The best evidence of this is the continued announcement of importations, 

 intended for this section of the country, and the exhibitions of the various State fairs. Some 

 of the finest of the recently-imported stock in the United States is now in the possession of 

 the United Society of Shakers, of Union Village, Warren county, Ohio. The Ohio Farmer 

 states that Sl'uiiu were paid by this Society for a short-horned prize bull, imported during the 

 past summer. 



The Oaahmere and Angort goats, and the Brahmin cattle, imported sometime since by Dr. 

 Davis, of South Carolina, are multiplying both directly ami by crossing with native stock. 

 The result- thu far attained exoeed the most sanguine expectations. 



A number Of alpaca sheep have also been recently introduced into the United States from 

 Peru, by Captain .la - pedcrscn, of New Jersey. 



The mania which ha- of late year- manifested itself for importing and breeding 



foreign fowls, hai nearly e\hau-ted it-e!f. The elb ,t. -.. far from being beneficial, has un- 

 doubtedlj produced a deterioration of -cme of the most valued varieties of our domestic 



fowls. Hybrid races ha\e been produce d. which are incapable, in a great degree, of propa- 

 gating their species, are for supplying eggs, and worthless for tin: table. We would 

 call attention !■> a paper in support of these views, 4 recently read before the Boston Society 

 ,,f Natu v by Dr. Knnnland 



Inerea-ed attention, attended with valuable practical results, has been recently given to 



the subject of the artificial propagation of bah in the United State-, in Ohio, Dra, Qarlick 



and Aokley, of Cleveland, have suet dad in propagating the ipeckled trout | Sa l m o fo n tanalis) 



of Lake Superior in great numbers, at -mall mpfinaOi A most Interesting aooouaJ of their 

 experience has been published in the columns of the Ohio Fiwnur, and an abstract of the 

 U also be found in the pxwatafl solum*. The Natural Bhrtory Society of (law Jet 



hav- to stock the waters of the Budaon, the Delaware, the Susquehanna, and 



• See department of the Year-Book, Agricultural Zoology. 



