No. 85.] 253 



Butter and cheese are made in large quantities in this section ; there- 

 fore we want a breed that will furnish cows valuable for the dairy. 

 Thus, while the large Durhams may be the most valuable for the rich 

 prairies and milder climate of the West, it is the opinion of our prac- 

 tical farmers, (who have tried them,) that they are far from the best 

 for us. The Ayrshires, so far as they have been tried, have answer- 

 ed our wants better than any other. I have bred a number of fine 

 grade Durhams and Devonshires. A few years ago, I purchased a 

 bull that was sired in England, by a Durham ; his dam was a pure 

 blood Devonshire ; he was a deep cherry red color, and was a very 

 perfect formed animal ; he was used here two seasons and was after- 

 wards purchased by a gentleman (I think) in Essex county, in New 

 York. This bull's stock were characterized for their beautiful forms 

 and fine silky red coats. The males were superior for working cattle, 

 but few of the cows were good milkers. Through the bountiful 

 kindness of Mr. John P. Gushing, of Watertown, Mass., about four 

 years since, I received as a gift, a superior Ayrshire bull, from his 

 valuable herd. The oldest stock we have from him, here, were two 

 years old last spring. Most of these are a deep red color ; all are 

 finely formed and good sized ; though not over large, are very thrifty 

 and hardy, and both size and stock are kept with the least expense of 

 any cattle ever raised here. During the time I have owned this bull, 

 there has been no time but that he has been in good order, and most 

 of the time quite fat ; his feed in the winter, the most of the time, 

 , has been coarse hay, and in summer he has been tied under a shed 

 and fed with dry hay ; all the extra feed he has had since he came to 

 ray farm, was two bushels of oil meal. This winter, so far, he has 

 been kept at a stack, without shelter, with two two year olds, and two 

 yearlings, and fed twice each day with damaged hay. One of the 

 yearlings is a seven-eighths Durham ; the others were sired by the old 

 bull. While the Durham is thin in flesh, the others are fit for the 

 butcher. I have three heifers (from native cows sired by the old 

 bull,) two years old last spring ; one calved last June — the other two 

 last November — all three have proved excellent milkers, giving a 

 large quantity of rich milk. 



The old bull will be seven years old next summer ; he has never 

 been weighed, but it is supposed by good judges that he will w^eigh 

 1,800 or 2,000 lbs. He is most perfect in form, and has never shown 

 the least disposition to be cross or ill-tempered. He is as agile as a 

 calf six months old, and has covered a number of yearling heifers the 

 past season. He is the fastest walker I ever saw, having travelled 

 90 miles in three days. The whole distance he travelled when com- 

 ing from Massachusetts, was 180 miles, over a hard, rough road ; but 

 although unshod, he was not the least foot-sore when he arrived here. 

 For a drawing and description of him, by S. W. Jewett, I would refer 

 to the Albany Cultivator of June, 1841. 



In making the foregoing observations, I have relied mostly on my 

 own experience, though somewhat on the experience of others more 



