140 



on my farm, and think it would prove successful elsewhere; dock is the 

 most troublesome, and is to be pulled up root and branch. 



DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



20. My farm stock consists of ten head of cattle ; one pair of oxen, 

 three cows, five head young cattle. Ten horse kind ; one pair farm and 

 carriage horses, two brood mares, six colts, from one to three years old. 

 My cattle are a cross of Durham and Devon; the Durham predominates; 

 my horses are mostly of Blood stock. 



" 21. In order to ascertain the relative value of difterent breeds of an- 

 imals I have made the following experiments: two heifer calves were 

 selected, one Native, the other Durham. They received equal atten- 

 tion; at the age of eighteen months, the Native weighed 600 pounds, 

 the Durham 900 pounds. I have noted the gross weight of Native 

 cattle, such as I formerly had, which was from 2500 lbs. to 3000 lbs. 

 I have now a pair of working oxen five yeai-s old, a cross of Durham 

 and Devon, that weigh 3,800 lbs. In market they command at least one- 

 third more than Native, and for heavy farm work are equal to two com- 

 mon pair. In relation to horses, the market ralue is perhaps the best 

 mode of ascertaining the relative merits of the diflerent breeds, as the 

 judgment of men is so dissimilar in relation to what constitutes the best 

 horse ; at least, that is the question with those who are breeding for market. 

 I hold that judicious breeding is quite as important in horses, as it is in 

 any other stock, and is equally remunerati\'e. During the last two 

 years I have disposed of six that were raised on the farm, at prices rang- 

 ing from one to two hundred and fifty dollars, none less than one hun- 

 dred ; the above were sold at an early age, (from three to four years old,) 

 without the expense of feeding, (and fitting as it is called,) or driving to 

 market. Horses of common stock, such as are usually raised in the 

 country, at the same age and in like condition, could not have been sold 

 for more than seventy-five dollars each. Had the two classes in con- 

 trast, been suitably prepared and trained for our best market, the differ- 

 ence would have been much greater in favor of the blood stock. I am 

 also making some test trials with sheep. Last year two buck lambs were 

 selected from my flock, of equal age and condition, and placed by them- 

 selves for comparing; one a Native or common Grade, the other French 

 and Spanish Merino, half and half — at the age of six months, the for- 

 mer weighed 85 lbs., the latter 125 lbs.; for the first, I offered to take 

 five dollars; for the second, sixteen dollars has been refused. 



