368 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



character of Mr. Co!man, in all that constitutes 

 the true gentleman and the honest man ; and that 

 no individual within my knowledge is so capable 

 to accomplish the responsible and important duiies 

 of agricultural commissioner of the proud com- 

 monwealth ol' Massachusetts as himself! I have 

 known him intimately for years, and a knowledge 

 of his worth and of the high authority of his de- 

 clarations compels me, humble as are my preten- 

 sions, to assume an attitude in opposition to his 

 remarks. 



The value of the neat cattle in the state of New 

 York, according to the returns of the late census 

 for 1840, is not less than 815,000,000 ; and pro- 

 bably exceeding that amount. If to these be 

 added those of New-England, which are at least 

 of equal value, it will present an aggregate of 

 thirty millions of dollars, invested in that branch 

 of agriculture alone. Now, if by adopting an 

 improved breed of these animals, the same num- 

 ber, by exhibiting in their imj^roved Ibrms a supe- 

 rior excellence, and an additional value of 33^ per 

 cent., which is a very moderate advance in the 

 improved races, it v/ould swell this already vast 

 capital into the round sum of ^40,000,000 ! This 

 fact will at once show that the subject is of im- 

 mense consequence to our farmers at large, and of 

 no trifling moment to all in its details. 



But for the purpose ol" illustrating my remarks, 

 and even at the hazard of ad ting to the prolixity 

 of litis paper, I will ask you to insert at once the 

 article in question, requesting yon also to number 

 each distinct paragraph of JVlr. Colman's essay, 

 tor more convenient reference : 



From tlie Yankee Farmer. 



"As we had not room last week to report all the 

 doings at the agricultural meetinir, and as the 

 subject of Durham stock, as milkers, compared 

 with our native cows, is of high importance to 

 farmers, we now copy Mr. Colman's remarks in 

 full, from his own report in the Courier: 



1. '= Mr. Colman had not intended to enter 

 upon this discussion, but he felt it due to his of- 

 ficial relation to the farmers of Massachusetts, 

 to say that he had had the pleasure of seeing the 

 improved Durham stock uf the Messrs. Lathrops, 

 of South Iladley, and he thought iheiTi eminent- 

 ly beautiful, and evincing great skill and care in 

 their management, on the part of those gentle- 

 ment. He had seen many of the imported ani- 

 mals throughout the country; and one of the 

 herds imported lor the Ohio Company, which he 

 saw on their way, was truly splendid, and in 

 beauty and perli',ction of form, far surpassed any 

 thing which he had ever witnessed. 



2. "He musi, however, in justice, add, that he 

 yet wanted the proof of the Durham short horns 

 being the best stock ibr our dairies. .Seven of 

 the race which he had owned, some full and 

 others half-blood, had been inlerior as milkers. 

 The quantity of milk given by many of (he ani- 

 mals which he had seen was remarkable ; the 

 quality, in general, inferior; though he had 

 found some exceptions, which, he believed, were 

 accidental. 



3. "The Cheshire farmers, who were as dis- 

 tinguished as any in the country or in any country 

 ibr'^ihe produce of their cheese dairies, preferred 

 the native stock. From a dairy of eighteen 

 <covvs, an average of 633 pounds new milk cltcese 



to a cow, in a year, had been obtained. He had 

 challenged in writing and conversation the own- 

 ers of liie short horns in the country to prove, 

 by actual experiment, the dairy properties of this 

 stock ; and he would furnish a list of a hundred 

 cows of our native stock, which had made from 

 twelve to fourteen pounds of butter per week, 

 through the season. He was far from having 

 any prejudices against the improved Durhams. 

 He was an enthusiastic admirer of them ; but 

 he wanted their dairy properties tested by actual 

 experiment. 



4. " A very distinguished English farmer, Mr. 

 Shirrefl', who had made the tour of this country, 

 expressed his regret at their introduction, and 

 pronounced them in his book the poorest dairy 

 slock in Enifland. We could not be said to have 

 formed any distinct race among ourselves, except- 

 ing (he trials made by Mr. Jacques, and a long 

 continued improvement carried on in reference to 

 milch cows, in another part of the state, upon 

 which he had reported. Much, undoubtedly, 

 yet remains to be done, but nothing in this re- 

 spect can be efl'ected but by skill, extreme accura- 

 cy of observation, and long perseverance. 



5. " He thought the Durhams not well adapted 

 to the scaniy pastures and negligent habits of 

 many of our farmers. All high bred animals 

 require i)articular care and the most liberal feed. 

 Two of the finest oxen ever raised in the coun.- 

 try were of this stock. One, it is believed, a 

 full blood from Greenland, N. H., weighing 

 over 3,400 pounds, live weight, and one a half- 

 blood, raised in Claremont, N. H.," and sent year 

 before last to England, for exhibition. His live 

 vveight vyas said to be 3,700 pounds ; and he was 

 pronounced in England, by the bast judges of 

 stock, as unrivaled for weight and thrilt, and 

 eminently well formed. 



6. " The best breeds would soon run out if 

 negligently or severely treated. This race were 

 undoubtedly well suited to the rich pastures and 

 abundant products of the west of Kentucky and 

 Ohio. There they would flourish. What might 

 be done Ibr our own slock by more liberal keeping, 

 was yet to be seen. He had known a calf from 

 a native cow, at four months old, to weigh nearly 

 400 pounds ; and another, at five months old, to 

 weigh 600 pounds. If the improved Durham 

 stock should prove the best for us, and he kept 

 his mind on this subject open to conviciion, we 

 could at once avail ourselves of the distin.f5uish- 

 ed improvements of h;df a century's skill and 

 loil and expense, so liberally bestowed in Etig- 

 land. At any rate, the improvements which 

 they had accomplished in England, so obvious 

 and impressive to the most careless observer, 

 read a most important lesson to us, and showed 

 what might be done by skill and care, by judi- 

 cious selection, by steady perseverance in a regu- 

 lar system, and by liberal keeping; and present- 

 ed, at the same time, the most powerful motives 

 to exertion and enterprise in a branch of husban- 

 dry, acknowledged by all to be of the first import- 

 ance." 



Now, in reference to paragraph No. 1 of Mr. 

 Colman, I have never seen the herd of Messrs. 

 Lathrop,. of South Hadley ; but if they are what 

 Mr. C. represents, they must be beautiful and 

 valuable animals, and a great acquisition to their 

 neighborhood, although I exceedingly regret that 



