No. 63.] V 265 



MR. RUST'S OX— NATIVE CATTLE— CROSSING— VALUE 

 OF CROSS BRED ANIMALS AT THE PAIL AND IN 

 THE YOKE— THEIR HARDINESS. 



BY HENRY S. RANDALL, CORTLANDVILLE. 



The celebrated ox, fed by Mr, Rust, a portrait of which was 

 given in the last volume of Transactions, was bred by Jabez Abels, 

 in the spring of 1834, near Cazenovia, and was kept by him until 

 somewhat over three years old. He was then sold to a Mr. Smith 

 of Woodstock, who in the March following, sold him to F. Kimber, 

 a butcher of Syracuse. He subsequently changed hands several 

 times, and finally was purchased by Mr. Rust, on the 19th of Feb. 



1841. He weighed at that time 2,360 lbs. On the 16th day of 

 January following, his weight was 3,400 lbs. Some time in July, 



1842, he was weighed in a canal weigh lock, with as much accuracy 

 as the case would admit of, and he weighed 4,100 lbs.* 



Feed. — Besides hay, in the winter he was generally fed about half 

 a bushel of ruta bagas or potatoes, and about 12 quarts of corn meal 

 per day. The last summer he was daily fed 12 quarts corn and 4 

 quarts oil meal, and during the latter portion of the time the meal 

 was boiled. He always eat well, which Mr. Rust attributes in a 

 measure to feeding him raw onions, (two or three each day,) which 

 course he adopted in consequence of a suggestion from Mr. Wm. 

 Gibbons, the celebrated horse and cattle breeder of New-Jersey. 



Pedigree. — Mr. Abels, the breeder of this ox, is dead. Not a par- 

 ticle of proof exists to show that this famous animal had a drop of 

 any other blood in his veins, than that known as the " Native" — and 

 all the facts and circumstances which can be discovered in relation to 

 his breeding, go to show that the assumption that he was of Here- 

 ford descent, is entirely gratuitous. It is not pretended that this 

 assumption rests on any other fact, than that he was brown in color, 

 with a white face! All know this is not an unusual color in our na- 

 tive cattle. And at the time of his birth, not a Hereford had ever 

 been introduced into that section of our State. 



This fine ox, in the judgment of connoisseurs, rivaled in form and 

 in his valuable points, the best animals of the most improved breeds. 

 He was as active and sprightly as a young bullock, to the last. At 

 the State Fair in September, the crowds who constantly thronged 

 about him, found it difficult to keep pace with him walking, when 

 he was led about by his groom. 



We are quite willing to concede that this animal cannot be re- 

 garded as an average specimen of the race he represents. But it 

 would seem to establish one important point, i. e. that our native 

 breed has., and therefore may again, produce animals superior for the 

 shambles, as it has concededly, in innumerable instances, produced 

 those of the highest milking properties. In comparing our fatted 



* This ox was slaughtered in the city of New-York, this winter, but we have ns yet been una- 

 ble to obtain his weight, &c. 



[Senate, No. 63.J I* 



