390 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 30, 162t;. 



they are, the more likely they are to suffer from 

 ignorant treatment. The universal prejudice in fa- 

 vour of eating too much and of pampering and stuf- 

 fing children into that sort of appearance which is 

 commonly called " fine," but which is lothing bet- 

 ter than a disposition to fever (as apothecaries soon 

 make all parties feel to their cost) — is a remarka- 

 ble instance of the passions of mankind substitut- 

 ing themselves for a good principle, and agreeing 

 to pufl^ and swagger down objection. 



[New Monthly Magazine.] 



NEW ENGLAND FAR MER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 182G. 



BREEDS OF CATTLE. 



{Condudtd from page 343.) 

 In our last number, on this subject, we proposed 

 to "conclude these sketches with a sunmiary review 

 of the evidence relative to native and imported 

 breeds of cattle, and such other observations as 

 we hope will be useful to many, and new to some." 

 We would here state, however, that as our object 

 is to be as concise as possible consistently with 

 perspicuity and our paramount aim, utility, we 

 shall omit many things which the advocates for na- 

 tive or imported cattle may suppose we ought to 

 have included. It is futile to attempt to enlighten 



ed fit for the butcher. Short horns and Herefords,(a 

 breed of cattle which in Groat Britain stand ne.xt 

 in reputation as beef cattle to the Short horns) 

 have been put up to fatten at the same time, and 

 fed in the same manner for the express purpose of 

 ascertaining wliich of the two breeds possessed 

 the fattening quality in the greatest perfection. — 

 We have not the details of those experiments be- 

 fore us ; and can only state from recollection that 

 the results have been, generally,if not uniformIy,in 

 favour of the Short horns ; and their owners have 

 been awarded premiums accordingly. The short 

 horns have large chests ; and Surgeon Cline says 

 " Tlie size and form of the chest indicate the size 

 of tlie lungs and it is on the size and soundness of 

 the lungs that the strength and health of the ani- 

 mal principally depend. An animal loith large \ 

 luiio-s is capable of converting- a given quantity of 

 food info more nourishment than one with smaller 

 lungs ; and therefore has a greater aptitude to fat- 

 ten," 



.3. Hardiness. This is an important point, and 

 one with regard to which we have no conclusive 

 testimony. His Excellency Gov. Lincoln, (as we 

 have before intimated, page 342,) has ascertained 

 by experiment that barley straw, and meadow hay, 

 with ordinary attendance, were sufficient to keep 

 his short horn stock in good condition through the 

 winter. It is a maxim of some English writer (we 



the understanding by continuing a discussion after believe Lawrence,) that " Cattle well summered 

 the patience is exhausted. I 



Among the properties most desirable in Cattle 

 are. Early Maturity, Disposition to fatten and to 

 derive the most nourishment from a given quanti- 

 ty of food. Hardiness, Docility and peaceable dis- 

 position. Quantity and goodness of milk. Quality 

 of flesh, and Fitness for labour. We will speak of 

 each of these in order. 



1. Early Maturity. It appears by Bailey's Survey 

 of Durliam, [quoted N. E. Parmer, vol. iv. p. 385,] 

 that a Mr Walton, of the County of Durham, in 

 England, who kept a herd of improved Short hprns, 

 sometimes bought in calves of the unimproved, or 

 old breed of the country, and found that " his own 

 at two years ohj got fatter for the butcher than 

 the others do at tliree though kept exactly alike." 

 A letter from Charles A. Barnitz, Esq. of York, 

 Penn. to John Hare Powel, Esq. [quoted N. E. 



are half wintered," and perhaps, his Excellency's 

 cattle fared better in summer than is the common 

 lot of the common breeds of New England. We 

 have understood that some cattle of a foreign 

 breed, offered for sale at the last Brigliton Show 

 made an appearance not much to their credit. But 

 whether they had endured ordinary -or extraordi- 

 narybad usage is more than we can say. It appears 

 not unreasonable to suppose that tlie broad breast, 

 the round, tight, cylindrical carcase, width across 

 the hips, straightness on the back, &c. which are 

 distinguishing traits of improved short horns might 

 indicate hardihood as well as strength. 



4. Docility and Peaceahltness of Disposition. — 

 If we mistalce not, all who have undertaken to 

 specify the qualities of the Short horns, give them 

 the praise of docility. Gov. Lincoln says " their 

 form indicates great power, and they have much 



Parmer, vol. iv. p. 342] says " Early last summer I ! quietness and docility." Col Pickering appears 

 obtained from a neighbouring farmer a beautiful | to attribute gentleness in cattle merely to man- 

 heifer of the native stock, of the finest shape and j agement. iSfo doubt management has a great 

 promise, and of the same age with Hebe, [a short ; effect, but still we believe that nature has liko- 

 horn heifer.] I kept them upon the same feed un- ' ^.jge a hand in the concern. We have seen, (and 

 til new year, when the difference was so great, 

 that allowing for a small original difference in 

 size, Hebe appeared at least two years a-head in 

 improvement." A letter from Mr Featherston- 

 haugh, of Duanesburgli, N. Y. a scientific agri- 



so has every one, who has been at all conversant 

 with the practical part of husbandry) cows, and 

 other domestic animals, of the same breed, raised 

 by the same farmer, and treated in the same way, 

 who yet exhibited great diversity in their disposi- 

 cultunst of much practical experience [published tions. Some were gentle and docile ; and others 

 in the N. E. Farmer vol. iv. p. 3().5,] gives very ^^ild and intractable. There is a difference in 

 decisive testimony on tliis point. That gentleman temper and docility in individual animals of the 

 states that " an ox of this breed at four years old s^^e breed, and there is also a difference in 

 will weigh as much as, under similar treatment, 1 breeds. Some races of cattle are more commonly 

 have been able to make the finest oxen do, raised ; docile and manageable than other races under the 

 from other breeds, and which have never done a same treatment." A lap dog is not nnlurally fto 

 day's work at six years old." | savage as a bull dog ; and there is a difference in 



2. Disposition to fatten, and to derive the most , disposition between a spaniel and a mastiff. But 

 nourishment from a given quantity of food. What ^^.p m^y find individual exceptions ; a cross lap 

 we have given in the preceding paragraph applies ,iog and a good humored bull dog ; a spaniel as 

 in part to this point. There has been abundant surly .is a mastiff, and a mastiff fl.s obsequious as 

 evidence exhibited by British writers not only of L spaniel. 



the positive excellence ofthe improved short horns 5. quantity and Goodness of Milk. This prnper- 

 as regards their aptitude to fatten, but also of the ty in cattle depends on so many circumstances 

 comparative facility with which they can be render- I that it is difficult to give rules of general applica- 



tion. The quantity and quality of milk depends 

 as well on the quantity and quality of food, &c. as 

 in the breed of the animal producing the milk. — 

 Besides the age ofthe cow is to be taken into 

 consideration. Writers say that a heifer of two 

 or three years old, will not, other circumstances 

 being equal, produce so much milk, nor of so good 

 a quality as a cow five or six years old. It is not 

 possible to lay down any general rules on this sub- 

 ject which will not be contradicted by exceptions. 

 Still, we believe, that there are general rules, 

 wliich are correct, generally speaking. There arc 

 certain races of cattle whose reputation for milk- 

 ing is established, not on the produce of now and 

 then a remarkable individual, but on the experience 

 of a great many farmers and cowkeepers. Interest 

 leads people of these classes to be hawk-eyed on 

 these subjects, and the general reputation of a 

 particular breed of cattle among farmers and 

 herdsman forms the best criterion of the merits of 

 such breed which the nature ofthe case admits of. 

 From all we can gather, from every source of 

 information to which we have access, the improv- 

 ed Short horns stand foremost on the list of milk- 

 ers, taking quality as well as quantity into consid- 

 eration. 



(1. Qiiality of Flesh. — Prom English prices cur- 

 rent which we have seen, we learn that short horn 

 beef is made a distinct article, and its prices quot- 

 ed in accounts of sales at beef markets. The price 

 which short horn beef usually bears is if we mis- 

 take not at least equal to that of any other kind of 

 beef; and as the short horns produce the greatest 

 quantity of flesh on the best parts, they are so far 

 superior. In a letter from Mr John Nicholson, an 

 Englishman, and said to be a scientific breeder of 

 cattle, to Dr Mease, of Philadelphia, published in 

 the American Farmer, vol. ii. page 315, the fol- 

 lowing passage occurs. 



" You will think that valuable beasts in Eng- 

 land are easily to be me* with ; but it is astonish- 

 ing the slow progress the breed of cattle makes. 

 I perfectly agree with you, that it is not the high 

 price that makes them better: but their value is 

 so well known amongst experienced farmers, that 

 they will neither sell, not let, either cow or bull, 

 without a good price. To the butchers in Leeds 

 the difference is material ; there is not less than 

 five pence per pound difference in the price of 

 meat in the same beast, and it is very common to 

 see two of seventy stone each, one of which is 

 worth more by six or seven pounds than the other, 

 by having his chief weights in the carcase or mid- 

 dle, as we call jt here, such as the crops, [chines] 

 ribs, surloins, rumps, flanks, &c. which are worth 

 at this time nine pence per pound ; the coarse 

 parts (which are light in this sort of animal) about 

 four pence : tlie other sort of beast is very light 

 in all tliese valuable parts, but heavy in his neck, 

 shoulders, thighs, &c. with a large head and great 

 bones, and very little fat on any part." Mr Feath- 

 erstonhaugli, observes, [see N. E. Farmer, p. 3(>(j, 

 of the current volume.] " The meat of the short 

 horn steers, which has been steadily kept up, and 

 has received a little attention the fourth winter, is 

 as largo as an ordinary ox of eight years and larg- 

 er, but it is extremely tender, and has no veins. — 

 When such meat shall become abundant, for at 

 present the animals are too valuable to emascu- 

 late, there is every reason to believe it will be 

 preferred, and that the breed will be popular here 

 as it has beon in England." 



Fitness for Labour. — We have seen nothing in 

 Eiisrlish publications recommending the short 



