J825.J 



NEW ENGLAND PAIIMEH. 



a> 



weigh 1000 or 1200 ponmls, including beef, liiile 

 and tallow, are quite lar-je enough for all the 

 labour of our farmers. Heavier oxen, 1 pre- 

 sume, for want of activity, would be ineligible; 

 and for the road particularly unfit, — their feet I 

 think would fail —Even Mr Powel seems ap- 

 prehensive that the size of his favourite stock 

 may be deemed " too great," lor the ordinary 

 purposes of our farms : but, for the farmers' 

 consolation, he adds — "if it were, it would, by 

 an immutable law of nature, which nefer ceases 

 to aflect the animal not less than the vegetable 

 creation, in a fexii general ions^ he accommodated 

 to the food given ior its supi)ort."* But we al- 

 ready possess a breed exactly '• accommodated 

 to the food given for its support." 1 therefore ^ 

 propose another question — Whether it is more j 

 eligible to propagate a gigantic breed which, 

 "in a few generations'" may be sufficiently re-\ 

 duccd in size, and thus accommodated to our| 

 service, and means of keeping them ; — or^ with ' 

 spirit ■•md resolution, to engage, at once, in the | 

 laudable and profitable enterprize of improving i 

 our native cattle by a careful selection of tiiCi 

 best males and females; and thus, " in a few- 

 generations,''' raisF them not to gigantic sices — 

 but to a high pitch of perfection, for the prim- 

 ary olijecls of New-England farmers, — labour, 

 beef, and rich milk for 6!((i!i?)- and cheese!' 



Mr Powel [Reply No. 3.] seems to have tak- 

 en olFence at mv representing his English Cor- 

 respondent, Major Iludd, — the principal pui- 

 chaser of Colling's improved short-horn stock — 

 as having made the purchase with the principal, 

 if not the only view, of becoming, what Mr Col- 

 lin? had been, a breeder of cuttle, for the prof t to 

 be derived from the sales. Certainly my wordi 

 cast no reproach on Major Rudd. The view 1 

 ascribe (o him is an honest one. He, like JJr 

 Powel, being possessed of cripifal, has chosen to 

 invest a part of it in live stock, to breed cattle 

 for sale ; as well as to stock his own ftrin. He 

 may, as Mr Powel suggests, have gene'ously al- 

 lowed access to his bulls (without pri:e, must 

 be understood or there was no generofily,) and 

 given away some calves — to his particular 

 friends; — while of others, he "as a mr.n of bu- 

 siness," demands the value of the animals he 

 sells. All this is lawful and right. 



Mr Powel also mentions Col. Jlollish, a con- 

 siderable landholder, who was also a purrhaser 

 of the Colling stock ; and whom he represents 

 to be as muniijcent as he is wealthy; above all 

 consideration of" paltry gain," by the sale of a j 

 bull or a calf; and that he is not to be suspect- 

 ed of objects '' other than those of general im- 

 provement, connected zsith the advancement of his 

 tenantry, or the interests of his country.'" All 

 (his may be verv just. I believe there are 

 many — very nianv — landholders in England, ac- 

 tuated by equally laudable motives ; and who, 

 while 'hnv promote the ofrneral welfare of their 

 couni'j. do, at the same lime, by their munifi- 

 cence, advance the interests of their tenants, and 

 thus lay t' e foundation of a future increase of 

 rents, for the benefit of themselves and their chil 

 dren. All this, again, is lawful and right. Men 

 of «urh liberal and enlightened views correctly 



" Tliat tiun self-love and social are the same." 



'Well, out of T 40 breeders of the improved Dur- 

 ham short-horns (that is (he number he men- 



* iVIemoirs of the Penn. Agvic. Society, p. 50. 



lions) Mr Powel has selected tzco, by name, who 

 are gentlemen independent in their fortunes 

 above the use of any improper means as breed- 

 ers.* One of those raises bulls and heifers of 

 this breed /"or sale, and the other, to advance (he 

 interests of /lis tenants — and eventually his own; 

 — while both, as good citizens, are promoting 

 Ihc public well'are. — There may be, as Mr Pow- 

 el suggests, "some dozen of marquises and bar- 

 ons, baronets, and scores of country gentlemen," 

 who are not less liberal and enlightened than 

 Colonel Mellish; and who, like him, spare no 

 expense to advance the interests of their tenants. 

 with which their oxen are closely connected ; and 

 all of whom enjoy the pleasure of reflecting, 

 that they, at the same lime, promote the inter- 

 ests of their country. But I think that Mr Pow- 

 el had none of these noblemen and gentlemen 

 in view, when he said (in his Memoirs page 43) 

 "that although 140 breeders, 130 bulls, and 

 nearly 3000 heifers and cows are enumerated 

 in the Herd Book, it will he seen, by Major 

 l^uUrs Jefier, and by the prices which 1 have 

 pail), that their cost continues to be as high as 

 it was ten years ago." Here " prices" and 

 "cost" are closely connected with the 140 breed- 

 ers ; and whom, therefore, every reader will 

 naturally consider as raisers of cattle for sale. 



Mr Poivel liaving mentioned that practical 

 farmers were purchasers of the improved short 

 horns, at those high prices ; and as 1 doubted 

 whether this could apply to jnere farmers, after 

 expressing my belief that they were given only 

 by professed breeders ; I quoted from INIarshall, a 

 writer on Rural Economy — a writer whose state- 

 ments and opinions are often recited by other 

 English writers, in terms of great respect, as an 

 authority, not merely for a correct relation of 

 facts, but for his enlightened views and judicious 

 observations; but whom Mr Powel mentions with 

 a contemptuous sneer — I quoted from Marshall 

 the following passage: "With respect to the 

 very high prices, they are given by a few first 

 BATE BREECERS, wlio are playing a high game — 

 running a iiaep race — for the pride and profit 

 of being leader, when Mr Bakewell is not." — 

 On this I remark, "Bakewell, indeed, is not; 

 but doubtless the same passions continue to actu- 

 ate the few first rale breeders-." and their his- 

 tory, in regard to keep, may, I presume, fairly 

 explain their characters as breeders. The first 

 rate breeders, who keep bulls and rams to let, 

 use some art to vwkc them up to show to advan- 

 tage, at the time of letting, particularly in mak- 

 ing Ihem exceedingly fat; for fat covers and 

 conceals defects. Afterwards (hey are reduced 

 to a plight which fits (hem for service.! 



Animals which cost so much, are likely (o re- 

 ceive more attention than others of a common 

 kind. Accordingly, at our o»vn Callle Shows, 

 they appear to advantage in high flesh and fat; 

 and their smootli coats of short hair evidence 

 the daily carding and cleaning, as well as the 

 caieful feeding. The latter may not exceed in 

 quantity what is given to lean and ill managed 

 rattle of our ordinary race ; for an animal hav- 

 ing attained to a certain degree of fatness, will, 

 1 suppose, consume less food than (he same ani- 

 mal when it was only thriving from leanness, or 



* But Mr Powel admits, that s'lme of the profession- 

 al lireeders of England, are occasionally exorbitant, 

 and often unfair. See his note in Reply No. 3. 



+ Marshall's Rural Economy of the Midland Coun- 

 ties, vol. i. 



common plighi. Is it not probable, that a se^ 

 lection of (he best of our native breed, if treat- 

 ed with equal care, from their birth, would ap- 

 pear, except in point of size^ to equal advan- 

 tage? Our practical breeders Hnd faltners of Gal- 

 lic may be able to answer this question. 



T. PICKERING. 



TO THE editor of the new e\gi.axd farmer. 



POTATOE.S. 



Worcester, Sept. 2G, 1825. 



B'lr Fessexdes — As you have recorded my as- 

 sertion, (hat the potatoe is not susceptible ofvegc- 

 lation until the season succeeding its groTUth,* and 

 having myself noticed " a similar aberration 

 from ihe laws of nature with respect to this 

 ror)t" to (hat mentioned by your correspondent, 

 James Whitlaw, Esq. I avail myself of your re- 

 quest that a communicatioQ be made to yoti on 

 the subject. 



On Ihe 10th inst. my gardener brought me 15 

 potatoes, all he could find in a patch of l-8(h of 

 an acre, with a sprout from one inch to three 

 inches long, without any formation of a new po- 

 tai..--. The tops had been dry for some time. 

 The potatoes generally in the hill had not at- 

 tained (heir usual growth on account of the 

 drought. For some weeks prior to the late rains 

 the earth in which they were embedded, was as 

 dry as Ihe dust in the street. So far as my ob- 

 servation extended, this disorder as Mr VVhi(elaw 

 (erms it, was not to be found on the largest and 

 probably the ripest potatoes. Not one of (he 15 

 potatoes collected was of half (he size of some, 

 "(hers in the hill. That they were unripe, that 

 i«, that they had not attained their full maturity, 

 1 infer from a positive fact. I selected one of the 

 fair.?st and bt;s( with a healthy sprout 3 inches 

 in length, which I very carefully planted. I iiave 

 (his day for (he first time examined it, and find Ihe 

 sprout lively, but (he polaloe almost entirely rot- 

 ted. If my supposition be correct, Ihe position is 

 subslanlially unimpaired. The unripe potatoe, 

 when checked in its growth, may have (he same 

 unnatural propensity which its vine has, when 

 obstructed in its laws. If the ground be too wet 

 for the potatoe in the hill, they are deposited on 

 Ihe vines. In a ivet season I have seen them 

 larger than a pigeon's egg, studding ihe vine, 

 6 or C inches above the surface of the ground. 

 Should this solution be plausible, it is at best 

 but conjecture. A satisiaclory explanadon of 

 (he phenomenon will probably never be oh(ain- 

 ed. All we can wi(h cer(ain(y say of it is, that, 

 the peculiarity of the season has forced the laws 

 of nature from their usual course. This is not 

 unfrequently seen in the aulumnal blossoming of 

 fruit trees; and the potatoe vines which 1 have 

 mentioned, are a further illustration. ^Vere I 

 permiKed to amend my declaration, to make it 

 literally true, I should say that the polatoe, un- 

 der its general laws, is not susceptible of veget- 

 ation until the season succeeding its arowth. 



Your obedient serv't, O. FISKE, 



In the ancient Clifford garden, near English- 

 street, Salem, there is a Pear tree in full blos- 

 som, after having borne a full crop of Pears. 



[* See the Address delivered before the 'VVorrester 

 AgriniUiiral Society, by Hon. Oliver Fiske, in the 

 Mew England Farmer, vol. ii. page 145. — Er.] 



