FARMERS' IXSTITUrES. 215 



years, luul as wo use it principally as a stock farm, I am not without some per- 

 sonal experience on the subject which I propose to discuss. 



The farm which I allude to is known to most of you, and was oris^inally a 

 marsh covei'cd wich water. Besides the moorland, or "grand, jn-a" of seven 

 or eight hundred acres, it is skirted on either side by uplands, which give an 

 extent of 1,240 acres as its present area. 



The soil of the mai'sh is a rich black mould, of vegetable deposit, and since 

 its thorough drainage produces fine pasturage, and good cro])S of hay, corn, 

 and roots. The uplands, most of which are cultivated, are composed of clay 

 and gravelly loam, and are good for any kind of crops. 



Since the year 18GG, we have grazed and fed annually from 150 to 250 head 

 of cattle, composed of three noted and distinct breeds, the llerefords. Short- 

 horns, and Devons, together with grades and natives. 



In that year, the late Gov. Crapo, seeing a necessity of improving the stock 

 he had been carrying on his farm for four years previous, made selections from 

 the herds of celebrated breeders of Shorthorns, Devon, and Hereford cattle, 

 for the purpose of testing their relative merits, and also the grades produced 

 by crossing with native heifers. 



His Short horn bull Jjucifer and cow Lucern were purchased of Mr. Cornell, 

 of Ithiiia, N. Y., and were both prize animals in their classes, as calves, year- 

 lings, and two years old, at the New York State fair, before Mr. Crapo pur- 

 chased them. His Devon cow. Lady Elgin, was bred by Mr. Cole, of Genoa, 

 N. Y"., and was also a prize animal ; and his bull Wabaness was bred at the 

 Agricultural College farm of this State. They were both superior animals of 

 their breed, and the bull was of more than average size and weight for a Devon, 

 and a good stock-getter. The Herefords were from the herd of F. W. Stone, 

 of Canada, and were composed of a bull, "Velvet Jacket," two years old, 

 and three heifers of the same age. 



The knowledge he wished to obtain (as he told me at the time) was, "Which 

 of the three breeds was best adapted to our soil and climate, and would, upon 

 crossing with our natives, jiroduce the largest amount of beef, in the shortest 

 time, with the least amount of food and care." 



In. order that the experiment might be fair and impartial, the three breeds 

 were treated alike as to food and shelter. The grades, although receiving differ- 

 ent treatment from the "pure bloods," were the same, as to each other, graz- 

 ing on the same pastures in summer, and feeding at the same racks and cribs 

 in winter. 



The first year sixty native heifers were i)rocured and served, twenty going to 

 each bull, and this is about the number of calves we have raised annually since 

 that time. The calves, both pure bloods and grades, were allowed to run with 

 their dams until fall, when they were taken off and put by themselves, and 

 weaned on aftermath. We wintered them on hay, with the addition of a little 

 meal to the pure bloods, both being protected from storms by sheds and sta- 

 bles, and received their food from racks and mangers in these covered sheds. 



The second year they went to grass in the spring in good condition, and fared 

 the same during the suuimer. 



The following winter they got coarser fodder, such as corn-stalks, straw and 

 hay, but neither roots, nor meal, nor grain of any kind, being protected, how- 

 ever, by sheds as before. 



The third summer they again run to pasture, and if not marketed in the fall, 

 the steers are stabled and stall-fed on roots, meal, and hav, and sold at all 



