268 



noiinces them, in an off-hand way, "the worst milking breed 

 in Britain." The private letter stated " that this breed of stock 

 has not been held of late years in great estimation for milking. 

 Short Horns are only calculated for the best and most powerful 

 land ; on poor soils they will do nothing." To these I now 

 add the remarks of George W. Featherstonhaugh, in a letter to 

 Mr. Powell, of Peinisylvania. Mr. Featherstonhaugh, from 

 his acquaintance with the farming interests both in this coun- 

 try and abroad, will be deemed a competent judge. He says " the 

 property of being very deep milkers, therefore, is to be consid- 

 ered accidental, rather than one which can be continued with 

 any certainty in the breed. Take one short horn with an- 

 other, no breed is more valuable for its milk, or keeps in better 

 condition under the same circumstances ; or goes to beef at less 

 expense ; or furnishes more money and manure* in a given 

 time. In order to keep up these great qualities we must re- 

 member that, in their native country, it is considered indispen- 

 sable to keep them extremely well, and in a very diflerent 

 manner from the general custom prevailing here; which is, in 

 summer, to leave cattle to help themselves to what they can 

 find, even in the most severe droughts ; and, in winter, to give 

 them a moderate quantity of hay and straw. In England, 

 where they are less troubled with dry weather than we are, 

 they have always green crops and roots to give them, and they 

 give them in abundance. It is there considered that the higher 

 this sort of keep the better the health of the cow, the richer 

 her milk, the stronger her calf, and the greater the quantity 

 and value of her dung. If all this provident attention be 

 necessary in that moist climate, it is certain that the breed will 

 degenerate with us if it is not kept in high condition. Hot 



* This " fnrnisliing more manure in a given time " is rather an equivocal 

 recommendation ! It has once happened to me to know a case where the 

 sale of tlie manure at a livery stable more than paid for the cost of the hay 

 given to the horses; and the litter was furnished gratuitously by tlie pur- 

 chaser to the stable-keeper, I will save the rei)Utatioii of the farmers in this 

 case ; the maiuu-e and litter were wanted for a particular use in the arts. 

 This was certainly a novel and economical application oiliorse-power. 



