246 



NEW ENGLAND FAIIMEH. 



[Feb. 24 



The (rial of Working Oxen is to take place on 

 the first day at 1 1 o'clock. 



Persons intending lo offer any species of stock 

 for premiums, are requested to give notice 



hsve the sums importnnt nnd benelkinl end in 

 view ; and differ (as it appears lo us) hut slight 

 ly, with regard to tiie means of carrying tlieir 

 joint aim into effect. 



either by letter (post paid) stating tlie articles, Col. Picke.iino prefaces his Essay, hy stating, 

 or to make persoual application to the Secre- 1 in a note to the Editor of the New England 

 tary of the Show, [Jonathan AVinship, Esq.] ] Farmer, that " the subject [viz. that of improv- 

 Brighton, on or before the 17lh day of October, j ing our native breed of cattle] is important ; and 

 in order that he may enter such notice or appli- 1 1 hope mv statements and reinnrks may contri- 

 cation, so that tickets may be ready at 9 o'clock | bute to satisfy your readers, that the measure 

 on the 18th. No per-on will be considered as | proposed is as practicable as it is important. — 

 a competitor, who shall not have given such | Were bu' two or three farmers, in every town- 

 notice, or made such application for entry, on or ship of the =late to turn a zealous attention to it, 



before the time above specified 



All articles of manufactures and inventions, 

 must be entered and deposited in the Society's 

 Rooms, on Monday, the 16th of October, and 

 will be examined by the Committees on Tues- 

 day, the nih, the day before the Cattle Show; 

 and no person but the Trustees shall be admit- 



the object in a few years would be accomplish- 

 ed. Whereas half a century, or more, might, 

 elapse before a general improvement by foreign 

 crosses would be effected. It remains, too, to ^ 

 be ascertained, whether any other breeds really 

 deserve the preference in New England, to our, 

 native race, improved as it may be, and in sol 



ted to examine them before the Show. The ar- | much less time than v;lll be possible by means 



tides so exhibited, must be left till after the 

 Show, for the snlisfaction of the public. • 



The applicants will be held lo a rigid com- 

 pliance with this rule relative to entries as well 

 as the other rules prescribed. 



of a small number of importeil cattle. At any 

 rate, improvements in both ways may go hand 

 in hand, and be mutually benelicial to both sorts 

 of improvers."* 



Col. PowEL in his " Reply to Col. Pickering 



The examination of everv species of stock, on Native Cattle," No. 2. says" Col. Pickeking's 

 will take i)lace on the 18tb, and the Ploughing objects and mine are the same ; we dilfer in the 

 Match on the 19lh of October. ' modes, by which ihey are to be attained."! it 



The Trustees also piojiose to have the Sale appears that Col. Pickering would improve our 

 of Animals and Manufactures nii the first day o/". native breeds of cattle principalh', if not alto- 

 tlie Cattle Show. Besides such animals as may gether without foreign crosses; or at least would 

 ~ have other means ma^e use of for that purpose, 



in concert with improvement, by introducing 

 imported cattle. On the other hand, Col. Pow- 

 EL would rely, principally, if not altogether on 

 Dials or ManiifiCtures, that are intended to be j impoited cattle as the best and speediest means 

 sold, notice must bo given to the Secretary, ' of improvement. In order then to furnish sume 

 before 10 o'clock of the 18lh. Auctioneers will rules for judging on this subjeci we shall inquire, 



have been offered for Premiums, any others that 

 are considered by ihcm as possessing line quali- 

 ties will be admitted for sale. Sales to com- 

 mence at 12 o'clock precisely. And for all Ani 



he provided by the Tru-iees. 



by order of the Trustees, 

 R. SULLU'AN, 

 J. PRINCE, 

 G. PARSONS, 



E. n. r)ERr>Y, 



Comniitlee. 



I 1. What are the properties ol our native, or 

 New England breed of callle ? 2. Wliat are the 

 properties of those imported breed:i of cattle, 



I which it is proposed to sulwdiute, wholly, or in 



j part, for our native breeds ? 



I It appears lo be allowed by all, who have 



, turned their attention to this branch of rural e- 



' - ' i_ t tj cnnotnv, thar the cattle of Ma.isachusetis, are, 



NEW KZS'Gl^AND FARMER, generally of the Devon breed, .[ It may then 



j be pertinent to ascertain the opinions of the best 

 judges in Great Britain, and in the United State 



i with respect to the Devon breed 



January 182G. 



FRIDAY, FEBRUARY £.J, 182G. 



BREEDS OF CATTLE. 



We have 



n ;c r,^( . .,;.!,« . 1 . .. , , ''Pf"re us " Lrttivence'i 7Vfaa's« o« Cor//c," iMib- 



to li rns" a ,h / h rr "'■" ."^ ""''^''"^"'''^ li.bed in Loudon, in 1809. This work is often 



on Tl'oL n ■''".'' ''"'f' "'" "'""; n""'«^'l ■'■"' "''vested toby agricultural writers; 

 jons ol our most eminent affricu lurista. and u^ i r, \ i . ■ , . r 



l.oor, tl,« ..,„■,„ „f 1, ,° i^->''"'i. Recs' Cyclopedia contains copious ex racs rom 



Ijeen tlie cause ol some a ercation between "en- 1 ;, iv«\i, ii .i c ■. . i i 



ilomon ivK„,« II. ' =^" o " I It. We shall, therefore, presume 1 o be goo( 



tlemen, whom we highly esteem. A sense ol , „,,i,„„;,„ ,,,, ',,,„ .„„,„..:.!;, „, m. . _... 



duly, and a wish to bo useful, however, over- 

 come our disinclination to attempt some state- 

 ments relaliye to a topic so much controverted 

 There are, we belieyo, no two individuals in 

 the United Slates, who have done more to pro- 

 mote the intereslsof agriculture than Col. Pii k- 



authority till the contrary is shown. Mr Law 

 rencp in the above mentioned Treatise states 

 the Devoiis to be one of the oiiginal or estab- 

 lished species, or breeds of (.atiie in Britain, as 

 (hey are found in (be beginning of the iiine- 

 lectilh century;'' and that Irotn Ihc Devon« a,r(' 

 iRTvr -inf) Pol P^o,,., r 1,1 , ■ , I'prived the liieiefonl, Old Gloucester, Reds and 



tinnl f 1 ''nd there are certainly j s,,,,^^ "breeds.'' The celebrated nrn 



none tor whom v,e entertain a greater degree 



of respect, or to whom we should with more re- 

 gret give any cause of offence. It was, there- 

 iore with painful solicitude that we perceived a 

 considerable degree of warmth and asperity 

 mingling with a controversy, in which able and 

 upright men might take opposite sides, wilhout 

 af^xing any just imputation on the heads or the 

 he arts oftheir opponent";. The 



CATTLE 



OK Devun'-imre (Jlr Lawrence continues, page 

 30) are thus described in the Annals of Agricul 

 lure, No. 172, by Lord Soniorville, an exquisite 

 judge, anil native and resident oldie country in 

 which these cattle are bred. His Lord,4iip (irst 



* .N'uw F.ngland Farmer, vol. 111. pagc' '297. 



t ,\(-w Fngland Farmer, vol. III. pajpi 393. 

 di«l.utant« are ' ,- ^ ''"*' ' "'• '''^kkRix'-'* l^ssay i\«. 3, New Fn-laml 

 honoiirihlp f-.vi;<rhinn„,l .,, 1 " ", • . \ ,, I "■aim"!', vol. III. (lag-e 317, and Cot. I'owi'i.'s Keply 



noaouratjie, cnligntencd and patriotic men ; both | fj,,. o, a,,, V.u^\iad t jrmer, vol. 111. pa-e 31)3. 



observes thnl " to describe tiie breed not as they 

 might be in imaginary Individuals, but ns they 

 are found; it may in general be observed, 

 speaking of this as of all other breeds, that con- 

 clusions must not be drawn Irom the shape and 

 size of the bulls, but from the general quality of 

 their stock. Certain it is, that, individually, 

 handsomer bulls are often to be found in other 

 breeds ; and it is as certain that this race of 

 which the whole vroduce is brought to view 

 stands the confessed favourite among the first, 

 at Smilhfield, where prejudice cannot tind the 

 way. And in forming an estimate of merit or 

 demerit, the annual produce is to be the object 

 attended to; this in oxen, which for superiority 

 of grain, activity in labour beyond all compsti- 

 tion, and what in horses is termed blood, will be 

 found a right criterion in judging of Ihe bulls 

 which got them." 



Mr Lawrekce again observes (jiage 35) •' 1 



I have paid the greater attention to this race of 



I cattle in justice lo their superior and well 



i grounded claims of antiquity, purity of blood, 



high form and extensive utility. The red cat- 



] tie of North Llevon and Somerset are doubtless 



one of our original breeds, and one of those 



j which has preserved most of its primitive form; 



Ihe excellence of Ibis form for labour is best 



i proved, by the fact, that the fashionable substi- 



lulion of horses has made no progress in the dis- 



1 trict of these cattle ; by their repute as feeders, 



[and for the superior excellence of their beef, 



' which has been acknowledged for ages. Ror- 



rriT B.AKEWEi.L paid them the highest compli- 



nirnt they could possibly receive, by declaring 



Ihat the Devons could not be improved by any 



j foreign cross."' 



I Notwithstanding Ihe excellence of the Devon 

 brppd of cattle ("opposed to be the same uith. 

 the prednminant native breed of New England) 

 they do not appear to he faultless. Mr Law- 

 rence continues, (page 37) " In my own opin- 

 ion the present Devons frequently run lo too 

 great lepglh ot leg, crooked behind, or sickle 

 hammed, and of insufficient general substance. 

 They are also, I think, more apt to be in-kneed^ 

 that is ctonked in ihe fore ieg^; ; a defect anal- 

 ogous to that called sickle bammed in the hind- 

 er legs, or as we say of the human animal knock- 

 kneed, than any other reputed race : A demon- 

 straliun of inveterate negligence in respect of 

 the form of the breeding animal, but which by 

 Ihe old school, would have been attributed to a 

 detect of crossing the breed. By a proper se- 

 j lection of liieir own stock, they might be bred 

 j somewhat more square and substantial, witliout 

 {at all detracting from their delicacy, show of 

 blood, or speed. Their labouring powers might 

 thus be increased, and their quanlity of beef, 

 wilhout either debasing its line qualities, or ren- 

 dering necessary a laiger portion ol keep. — • 

 These cattle have, generally, for a century past 

 commanded the best price in Smithtield; but of 

 late years the buyers there have shrewdly re- 

 marked, that alllmugh blood, and fine form are 

 very pleasing to Ihe eye of the gentleman breed- 

 er, yel sulislance and weight are and ever must 

 be the grand objects at morket. 



"The Devons are the speediest working oxen 

 in England, and will trot »vell in harness; iit' 

 point of strength Ihey stand in Ihe four'h or I 

 fifth class. 'I'hey have a greater resemblance 

 to deer than any other breed of cattle. They 

 are rather aide than middle horned, as Ihey are 



