58 



in the United States, are esteemed and cultivated 

 for that exclusive purpose. They are said, by 

 authentic history, to have been originated about 

 a century ago in the district of Ayrshire, whence 

 the name was taken, by a cross of Short-horn 

 bulls from the north of England on the common 

 or native Kyloe cow of Scotland, and cultivated 

 into their present excellent dairy qualities by 

 careful and persistent breeding, until their char- 

 acteristics have become fixed and enduring. 

 They were first imported in small numbers to 

 America between the years 1830 and 1830, as 

 nearly as can be ascertained, and within the last 

 thirty years in such numbers as now to be found 

 in many considerable herds. They are highly 

 esteemed by those who are partial to them for 

 their large yields of milk, which render them 

 much more profitable for dairy uses than the 

 common cows of the country. In size they are 

 about equal to our common cattle ; in color, 

 usually red or brown, more or less mixed with 

 white ; in shape, more like the Short-horn than 

 any others, although lacking their fine contour 

 and comeliness of appearancea valuable breed 

 of cattle. 



HOLSTEINS, OB NORTH HOLLANDS. This 



breed, in its present characteristic of great 

 milk-producing quality, has been introduced 

 here within the last twelve or fifteen years, from 

 Holland, and first, we believe, imported by the 

 late Mr. Chenery, of Boston, Massachusetts. 

 They are of large size, nearly equal in weight 

 and bulk to the Short-horn, and have some of 

 their strong points of character, but coarser, 

 less refined in figure, and black and white in 

 color. For the few years in which they have 

 be'en on trial here, their dairy development has 

 been remarkable in the quantity of their milk. 

 As a flesh-producing beast they are claimed to 

 be good, but the economical result in their con- 

 sumption of food to weight of flesh has not 

 been thoroughly solved. They are unquestion- 

 ably good cattle, far superior to our native 

 cows; and when sufficient time has passed to 

 develop their full qualities, they may stand in 

 the first class of dairy cows. They are evident- 

 ly of an ancient stock, originating possibly in 

 Holstein or North Holland, and may in some 

 branches of their ancestry have had an affinity 

 with the far-back, unimproved Short-horns, al- 

 though in color and general appearance now 

 much unlike our Short-horns of the present 

 day. 



Last, but not least in importance, may be 

 named the 



ALDEBNEY, JEBSEY, AND GUEBNSEY, from 

 the Channel Islands of Britain, near the coast 

 of France. These breeds or varieties are named 

 together, as they are unquestionably of com- 

 mon origin, and owe their present distinctive 

 qualities in appearance to their manner of 

 breeding, and the tastes and preferences of their 

 long-time propagators. That they are an an- 

 cient breed there can be no doubt, probably 

 French in origin, as the cows of the provinces 

 of Normandy and Brittany bear a considerable 

 resemblance to them ; but isolated as they have 

 been from the mainland of the continent during 

 the centuries of their cultivation on the islands, 

 they have assumed the characteristics which so 

 readily distinguish them. In size they are 

 smaller than our native cows, delicate in form, 

 unique in shape, diversified in color, and blood- 

 like in appearance. The prime quality claimed 

 for the cow is the exceeding yellow color and 

 rich quality of her milk, cream, and butter, in 

 all which she stands without a rival, although 

 her quantity of milk is moderate, compared 

 with the weight of butter which it yields. For 

 the production of meat the channel island cow, 

 or even bullock, (whenever suffered to become 

 a bullock,) is inferior, the anatomy being angu- 

 lar, and not capable of making much flesh in 

 the choicest parts of the carcass. Within the 



last thirty years they have been numerously 

 imported into our States, and are much sought 

 in the vicinities of our large cities, towns, and 

 villages as family cows. They are easily kept 

 in small paddocks or close stables, where their 

 rather delicate natures can receive the attention, 

 kind treatment, and choice food usually bestow- 

 ed upon them. 



For all these' improved breeds herd-books con- 

 taining their genealogy, by way of pedigree, 

 are kept in the United States, as well as in 

 their native countries, and from them a full 

 knowledge of their descent and blood is readily 

 obtained by all who choose to inquire into their 

 breeding. Prices might be quoted of the sale 

 values of several of these breeds of cattle- 

 some of them seemingly extravagant in amount 

 but such statistical reference is not demand- 

 ed in this limited discourse, rather leaving it to 

 the tastes, judgments, and fancies of those in- 

 terested in their breeding. The introduction of 

 these improved breeds has added enormously to 

 the value of the neat-stock of our country, and 

 their further dissemination is yet to add un- 

 told millions to its productive agriculture. 

 Slow as farmers, cattle-breeders, graziers, and 

 dairymen have proverbially been in the im- 

 provement of their herds, a rapid and more in- 

 telligent interest is every year manifested in 

 their increase. 



In addition to the breeds of cattle already 

 named may be a few others of foreign origin 

 introduced at different times by way of experi- 

 ment or personal gratification; but as they have 

 taken no strong hold on the attention of our 

 stock-breeders, a further notice of them may- 

 be omitted, while in the grand specimens of the 

 various breeds which have been mentioned we 

 may assert, without contradiction, that no 

 country in the universe contains better herds 

 than the United States of America can now ex- 

 hibit. 



The subject of our neat-cattle can hardly be 

 dismissed without an allusion to an important 

 item of their increasing value in fresh beef ex- 

 portation, which has recently been developed 

 by the demand for fresh carcass meat from 

 abroad, particularly in Great Britain. Refrig- 

 erators have been fitted up in Atlantic steam- 

 ships, and, by the aid of ice, many tons of 

 beef, in quarters of the carcass, have already 

 been, and unlimited tons more may continue to 

 be, transported to Europe with entire safety, 

 and in perfect freshness. The prices for which 

 it has been sold in the London and Liverpool 

 markets have proved equal to those for the 

 best qualities of their native beef, and profit- 

 able to the shippers. There is, however, a con- 

 dition attached to our successful exports, which 

 is, that the meat be of the best quality, and 

 that quality can only be obtained from animals 

 of improved breeds which have been partially 

 described. We have only to proceed in the cul- 

 tivation of those breeds, in order to add a wide, 

 almost illimitable, field of production to the 

 neat-stock interests of our country. 



SHEEP. 



These were early introduced into our American 

 colonies as companions of the horses and cattle 

 brought by the settlers. They were of the kinds 

 then common to England, Scotland, Ireland and 

 perhaps the western coast of the European con- 

 tinent, of various breeds, as they then locally 

 prevailed, but without much merit, other than 

 a tolerable carcass of ordinary flesh and a mod- 

 erate fleece of coarse wool. They were so kept 

 and propagated, with possibly an occasional im- 

 portation of a better kind from England, but it 

 was not until late in the last century that Bake- 

 well, Ellmau and other enterprising breeders 

 made their experiments in different breeds 

 which resulted in any considerable improvement 

 in their condition and appearance. Thus the 



