THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Rhea, consequently it is better suited for admixture 

 with wool. It is the most widely diffused of the large 

 Indian nettles. It is an annual of a most formidable 

 character. With upiigbt angular stems, covered with 

 small prickles, and marked with small white specks. 

 The loaves are similarly protected by bristles; they 

 are irregularly serrate, long, variously lobed, petioled; 

 and almost caudate at the base. From the severe in- 

 juries consequent upon a sting, greater difficulties arc 

 presented to obtaining its fibre than is the case with the 

 Rhea. The natives on the Neilgherries first boil the 

 plant before subjecting it to manipulation. 



The well-known Jute of commerce now occupies a 

 most important position amongst the supplies of raw 

 te.Ntiles furnished to this country. There are two 

 species which afford the fibre, viz., Corcho'us cap- 

 sulars, and C. olUorius. The natives call the latter 

 Putta pat. It is an annual, growing to the height 

 of 5 to 6 leet j it belongs to the same family 

 as the limes, Tiliaces ; its leaves are alternate, egg- 

 shaped, and serrate, the two lower serratures ending in 

 a slender thread. The flowers are small, and have five 

 yellow petals ; the flower stems one to two flowers. 

 The seed-capsules are nearly cylindrical, and contain 

 numerous seeds. It flowers in July and August. 

 Jute is very large'y cultivated, particularly through- 

 out the Btrngal Presidency, and is much used for gunny 

 bags or baling or packing-clolhs. According to a 

 statement made by the Messrs. Noble, each gunny-bag 

 weighs about 21b3. The gunnies are usually in 

 pieces of thirty yards, which weigh on an average 61bs, 

 In 1858, upwards of 118,000 tons weight of jute manu- 

 facture were shipped, besides 39,000 tons of jute fibre 

 exported to all parts during the same year ; and taking 

 1855-56, which is the year of largest exports, we find 

 that 225,000 tons have to be added to the 44,000 ex- 

 ported to all parts, giving upwards of 269,000 tons as 

 the total quantity of jute, in either the raw or manu- 

 factured state, exported from the whole of India, or 



considerably more than the whole of the flax and hemp 

 fibres consumed in this country during the same year. 

 This brings out in a strong light the enormous jute- 

 production in India. For, in addition to what is ex- 

 ported, jute is largely employed in the country itself, 

 and it is commonly reported that the jute grown by the 

 natives for their own purj)0ses is much superior to that 

 exported. The jute which presents a fine glossy ap- 

 pearance, obtains the best price in the market. 



Coir, the product of the cocoa-nut palm, needs but 

 be mentioned. It is imported in considerable quanti- 

 ties. Coir-yaru has been, and is likely to be in great 

 demand, the matting trade having lately so much in- 

 creased. Yarn from Cochin (which maintains its 

 character as the port for shipment of the best quality of 

 coir-yarn) has this season already been shipped to the 

 extent of about 24,000 cwt. That coming from Bom- 

 bay is received with suspicion, as some years ago it 

 arrived falsely packed and country damaged, which has 

 prejudiced the sale of this class of yarn. The demand 

 for coir-rope has much fallen ofi", and only the best 

 kind of Cochin is likely to pay importers. Coir fibre 

 (for mats), and the stiffer kinds for the brush manuface 

 turers, meets with regular demand : some of th- 

 " bristles" of this fibre, lately i-eceived from Colombo, 

 have been sold to brush makers at ^60 p;r ton, and are 

 substituted for some purposes for the more expensive 

 Russian bristles. 



We have endeavoured to present a brief digest of 

 this very valuable paper, which is well deserving of a 

 careful perusal, not only by all those specially interested 

 in manufactures, but also by the agriculturist, from the 

 botanical, chemical, and microscopic information fur- 

 nished, and the voluminous commercial details given of 

 production, culture, imports, and prices. The Indian 

 Council and the Society of Arts propose, we believe, to 

 publish it in a separate form, for general circulation at 

 home and abroad. 



HERE FORDS. 



LORD BERWICK'S HERD-ARE HEREFORDS ADAPTED TO THE UNITED STATES? -IMPORTANCE 



OF HERD-BOOKS. 



MR, CORNING'S FARM. 

 The comparative menta of two leading breeds of British 

 cattle — the Shorthoras and Herefords — have been made the 

 theme of such earnest discussion, both in England and in 

 the United States, that a good deal of acrimonious feeling and 

 partiaauship have been excited. Calm and unbiased observers, 

 observing the heat of the couflict, and the varyiug success of 

 the disputants, have naturally concluded that as both breeds 

 have at times borne off the highest honours in competition 

 with all others, both posjssa remarkable merit ; for surely, if 

 either were quite inferior, its friends must have soon been 

 vanquisheJ, and the breed driven from the market. Hitherto 

 our sketches of American herds have been confined to the 

 shorthorns, but a recent visit to the farm of Mr. Erastus 

 Corning, near Albany, enables us to give an account of the 



kind that for twenty years past he has bred in preference to 

 all others. To properly introduce them to our readers, it will 

 be necessary to take a retrospective glance at their history, 

 and note the improvements made ly the leading breeders of 

 the present generation. 



It is an interesting fact that although at the invasion of 

 Britain by Caecar the inhabitants were almost wholly sustained 

 by the meat and milk of their herds of cattle, and since that 

 time the horned stock of the country have been a considerable 

 source of wealth, yet it is only within the last century, or at 

 most a century and a half, that much improvement has been 

 made in the breeding of animals. 



The steady increase of population in the British Isles, and 

 the gradual exhaustion of the soil and consequent decrease of 

 incomes of the proprietors, together with the dijcoveries of 



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