410 



THE FARMERS REGISTER. 



and for their beauty aa picturesque objects in a 

 rural landscape, liut it is an art of which in ge- 

 neral a Yankee knows nothing, and in which he is 

 commonly a sad bungler; and this not from any 

 want of capacity, hut from a deficiency of pa- 

 tience, owing to the driving haste with which 

 most things are carried on among us ; and from a 

 habit, but loo common, of only half doing most 

 things which we undertake. 



0{" stock in the Genesee valley and its vicinity, 

 i can judge but very imperfectly. It is hardly to 

 be considered at present as a stock-raising dis- 

 trict, the land being chiefly devoted to the grow- 

 ing of wheat and grass. Mr. Wadsworth feeds 

 large numbers of cattle upon his meadows, but 

 many of these are purchased and not bred by him. 

 He has bred, however, some improved stock, and 

 has several animals of full and mixed blood. Mr. 

 Le Roy and Mr. Newbold, in York, have a consi- 

 derable herd of improved animals of a high cha- 

 racter. I saw them merely in passing, and re- 

 gretted that I could not go among them ; but they 

 are held in high estimation in the opinion of com- 

 petent judges. 



I scarcely found a farm where any considerable 

 number of cows were kept lor dairy purposes be- 

 yond the use of the family. The cows met with 

 in general were of no particular breed ; and were, 

 as far aa I observed, in good condition. Per- 

 haps I should except li-om this eulogium the cows 

 which go in ihe highway, a race which, in Ire- 

 land, are so much valued lor their skill in leaping 

 hedges and ditches ; and at sales are always com- 

 mended for their capacity of "getting their own 

 living." I could get no exact account of any dairy 

 product. The average yield of a good cow in 

 new milk cheese was stated at about 300 lbs., 

 and where her milk was devoted exclusively to 

 butter, at 110 to 150 lbs. per annum. These state- 

 ments, however, were rather conjectural than as- 

 certained ; but to all inquiries respecting the yield 

 of their cows in milk, the stereotyped answer was 

 always made, that they gave a pailful at a milk- 

 ing ; an answer which 1 have always admired 

 for its precision, especially as pails are all of one 

 size! 



The general impression among the farmers in 

 this part of the country seemed to be, that while 

 the improved Durham stock was decidedly to be 

 preferred for its beauty, size and ihrift, yet for 

 milk they were considered inferior to the best se- 

 lected cows of our native stock. The first crosses 

 have almost always proved well. How far this 

 impression or opinion is to be valued must depend 

 on many circumstances. It may be mere, preju- 

 dice or an opinion taken up at hap-hazard ; and 

 but very few persons, if any, in this part of the 

 country have had ihat long and careful experience 

 with the race, that would justily them in coming 

 to BO great a conclusion. The truth is, with a few 

 exceptions, we in fiict know little of this stock at 

 present ; and the haste with which some men ap- 

 prove or condemn, is well illustrated within my 

 own experience, where, for example, an indivi- 

 dual farmer of no mean judgment undertook to 

 give their character with perfect decision, whose 

 whole knowledge of them extended to the own- 

 mg of a half-blood two years old bull for a few 

 months. 



If any man, however, chooses to see this stock 

 in pedection, let him go to the farm of E. P. 



Prectice of Albany; and if he has any prejudices 

 of any kind against the stock, and is not then pre- 

 pared to yield every one of ihera, ! can only say 

 he is differently constituted from what 1 am. 3'lr. 

 Prentice has about forty animals of the improved 

 Durham short horn, of pure blood and of the 

 highest pedigree. He has one cow with seven 

 heifers ol her own progeny along side of her, six 

 of which were in milk. A stock of larger size, 

 ol more symmetrical form, of equal beauty, of 

 finer feel, of more thrift, of greater productive- 

 ness, I never have seen and never expect to see ; 

 nor do I expect to see a herd better kept, nor bet- 

 ter arrangements for their keeping. To an ama- 

 teur, to an inquisitive farmer, who desires to see 

 what skill, intelligence and care can eflfect in 

 moulding and improving the animal frame, it is 

 worth a journey from Rochester to Albany on foot 

 to see this stock. It is worth almost as much to 

 see Mr. Prentice's stable arrangements and the 

 tidy manner in which every thing is kept. Some 

 few farmers among my acquaintance, in going 

 there, would hardlyknow that they were not in 

 their own best parlors. This, however, seems to 

 convey a slight reflection upon some farmers' 

 wives; but that is not my intention ; and, as I 

 would not upon any account be disrespectful to- 

 wards ihe ladies, I beg my readers to draw black 

 lines around this paragrapth and consider it as 

 " expunged." 



I have only to desire that Mr. Prentice would 

 by a lactometer ascertain the qualities of his milk ; 

 and then that he would ascertain the actual yield 

 in butter of several of his animals (or a week or 

 so; and when this is done, that he would show 

 his benevolent countenance in the New Genesee 

 Farmer, snd let our readers know all about it. 

 Our friend Tucker, of the Cultivator, has too much 

 generosity to con)plain of this ; or to think we 

 have jumped over the fence info his pasture, 

 with a view to catch and bridle one of his best 

 colts. He has a full team always in his own 

 stables. 



The farm work in this part of the state is per- 

 formed almost exclusively by horses. The horses 

 in general are horses of all work. No horses 

 among us are raised for the turf, and the various 

 vehicles in use, wagons, dearborns, buggies, sul- 

 kiesj &c., have put saddles almost wholly out of 

 use. This is to be regretted, for there is no more 

 manly, healthy, and vigorous exercise, for man or 

 woman, than riding on horseback. The horses 

 in general are of a medium size, and impressed 

 me favorably. 



Of the comparative expediency of keeping 

 horses rather than oxen, or otherwise, I shall 

 not speak in this place. Confidently as some 

 persons have decided in (his case lor themselves, 

 there are yet two sides to the question. A pair of 

 horses is required on almost every ftirm for market, 

 church, visiting and business from home ; but if 

 the team must be extended beyond this, it is well 

 worth considering whether oxen may not be kept 

 to more advantage than horses. We shall now 

 give no opinion in the case, but suggest it for far- 

 ther inquiry. 



Of sheep I saw some flocks, but not many large 

 ones. Mr. Wadsworth has several thousand; 

 the Shakers at Groveland have a considerable 

 flock ; Theron Brown of Wheatland, has a flock 

 of 500 sheep of mixed blood. His wool brought 



