254 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



FEB. 10, I84I. 



AND nORTICULTUKAL REGISTER. 



Bo3Tos, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 1841. 



NEW EN O LAND FARMER. 



A WEEKLY PAPER. 

 The Editorial department of this paper having come 

 into the hands uf the subscriber, he is now nuthnrizpd 

 by the publishers to infurm the public that the price of 

 the paper is reduced. In future the terms will bo $5 

 per year in advance, or $2 GO if not pnid within thirty 



^''^^' ALLEN PUTNAM. 



N. B. — Postmasters arc required by \a\v to frank all 

 subscriptions and reniittanc<?s for newspapers, without 

 expenso to subscribers. 



Mr Geo. Tappan is nur agent at New Bedford, Mais. 



FOURTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING. 



The Agricultural Commissioner opened the discus- 

 sion upon live stock, by remarking that in this vicinity 

 ■we have several distinct breeds of cattle, and also many 

 intermixtures or crosses The original of what we call 

 our native stock, he believed to have been the Durham 

 (Devon.') of fine dark red color. In some cases these 

 have been crossed with- the Yorkshire, a large and 

 coarse breed. In other-casos the cross has been with 

 the Holderness, which are great milkers, though the 

 milk is not rich. The Herefords are large, white in the 

 face, and are doing very well in England. 



The improved Durham Short horns produced origin- 

 ally by Mr Bakewell, have beer, for the greater part of 

 the last hallcentury among the most approved in Eng- 

 land. There are two lines or races of these in Great 

 Britain — one famous for nijJking properties. We have 

 had several individuals of this race, which when pure 

 are symetrical and every way beautiful. Mr C. himself 

 had owned several, but they had failed to meet his ex- 

 pectations, and w<;re nt best but ordinary cows. 



The Ayresliires are in good repute, and Mr Gushing, 

 of Wateitown, is giving them a fair trial. He is very 

 generously giving his young slock to the neighboring 

 farmers, ami thus affording our community opportunity 

 to compare this with other breeds. 



Some of our native cows are as goiid for jthe churn as 

 any of which we have accounts. But the excellent 



qualities of these animals are accidental ; we cannot de- 

 pend upon their transmission. Care, and long-contin- 

 ued care, in the selection of breeders is necessary for 

 fixing good properties. Our question now is, whether 

 the imported stock, or the improved native is best for 

 New England. We have an herd formed or forming 

 from a cross of a native cow with the imported bull 

 Coelebs, which is extrao dinary for richness of milk. 



Here Col. Jaques, of Charlestown, who is forming 

 this herd, rose and addressed the meeting. He had 

 long held the opinion that to meet the requirements of 

 New Knirlaiid soil and climate, it might be important to 

 form a breed of our own. For the purpose of eft'ecting 

 this, he started by the purchase of a bull in 1819, for 

 which he paid f .500. This bull, Coelebs, was selected. 

 in England, and though he has not his pedigroe, he be- 

 lieves him til have been of the Collins' stock, (by which, 

 if we understood him, we are t) infer thnt he was full 

 or nearly lull-blooded Durham.) After inquiring and 

 lookincr long for a suitable cow with which to begin his 

 course, Mr llaskins, of Roxbury, putrhased one in Gro- 

 ton, that iironiised to answer bis fiurpose. This cow's 

 poiuts were good ; flank deep, touch elastic and silky. 

 Coelebs was put to her, and she brought first a heifer 



calf, and next a bull. These were called Young Groton 

 and Young Coelebs. Subsequently, Col. J. obtained 

 these animals together with the first calf of Young Gro- 

 ton. These are the parenls of his herd. Young Gro- 

 ton, the firsi season of being milked, gave sixteen qia. 

 per day. The family name now is Cream Put — Don 

 Cream Pol, Betty Cream Pot, &c. At this time the 

 family numbers something like sixty. 



Ho thinks much of ()/oi»(i — goes for blood. Give liim 

 time, nine generations, and he will breed to order, any 

 color or any shape. Got his first inslruciion I'rom Ja- 

 cob ; though he thinks there was something besides the 

 peeled slicks producing the results of old. Formerly 

 he fed his stock with a silver spoon — fed high ; but lat- 

 terly has given no grain ; hay and grass, with from or>e 

 to two pecks of roots per day to eoics in milk make his 

 feed. Some pretend that it is feed which makes the 

 diff.rence in animals — ho says it is the blood. As well 

 might you, by manuring, think to make out of the wild 

 pear a St. Michael's, as to produce the peculiar excel- 

 lences of a breed of animals by the feed. He however, 

 would feed well. The milk from his cows is very rich ; 

 the cream IS very thick, and yields very little butter- 

 niilk. He maintains that 100 pounds of the cream will 

 make 05 pounds of butter. From one of his cows he 

 makes one pound of butler to each four quarts of milk. 

 The cream can be converted into butter by beating it 

 with the spoon in a bowl, in the short space of one or 

 two minutes. This was actually performed on two 

 separate parcels, in the presence of theasscmblf at the 

 State House. The color, however, was not much chang- 

 ed : it remained white; but we understood that in the 

 coi'rse of twentyfour hours it usually becomes of very 

 irood butter color. In this case we savr no buttermilk. 

 Many of the remarks by this gentleman we are oblig- 

 ed to omit for want of room. We take the liberty to 

 thank him for ihesprightly and interesting manner in 

 which he made his narration, and we most heartily wish 

 him success in his efforts to make for our community an 

 improved dairy stock. We doubt not that he has started 

 upon the right course. 



Mr Sheldon, of Wilmington, well acquainted with his 

 subject, next favored us with the points of th« good 

 working ox. The head should be long and slender. 

 The short-headed ox may start tolerably quick at the 

 whip, but he will soon forget it. The eye should be 

 sharp but plea^^ant. The black-eyed ox is apt to run 

 away. For strength he should have a full l^osom. For 

 travelling, the legs should be straight, and the ancle 

 smaller than the foot ; the toe should be directly for- 

 ward. If the animal should toe out, the knee will bend 

 in, and the leg will be as much weaker than a straight 

 one, as a crooked stick is weaker than a straight one for 

 bearing a weight placed upon the top : with such a 

 form, the inside claw is liable to be strained. Avoid, 

 he savs, the long peaked hoof. Let the back be straight 

 fr<im head to tail — though from the hips backward if he 

 slope a little it is not much of n fault ; but do not let 

 him rise in that part For hardihood, the round built or 

 round ribbed ox — one that is not in danger of knock- 

 ing his hips off in goiog through the woods is best. 

 He would have them trained to the yoke when quite 

 young. Three pair early put to work, and not over- 

 worked, would do as much labor as four pair that are 

 not broken until they have nearly attained their growth 

 A boy put to the trade of a blacksmith will be much 

 stronger than if his employment is to measure tapes and 

 laces. Almost any horse may be made to draw befoie 

 oxen. He would never harness a colt for the first lime 

 at any other hour than in the morning, when he had 

 the full day before him. He would not use the whip. 

 Nor would ho have the colt headed from homo. Let 



his head be towards home, and towards the old horse 

 placed a few rods distant and he will draw. 



Mr Jones, of West Tisbury, stated that formerly h» 

 had spent considerable time in England, and seen much 

 of the English stock. It is in a high state of improve- 

 ment. This is true of both cattle and sheep. Both Mr 

 J. and Col. Jacques think well of the South Downs for 

 us. Mr J. doubts whether any breeds of Cattle can be 

 profitably substituted for ours which are derived from 

 the red Herefords. But ours need much attention in 

 order to bring them up to the excellence which they 

 are susceptible of acquiritjg 



He had understood that it was in ccntemplajon by 

 the Legislature to cut short the Agricultural Survey. 

 He wished it might goon, w.is willing to pay ten times 

 his share of the tax. England had paid Arthur You ig 

 i;"0,000 pounds for surveys, ai d Massachusetts would 

 do well to proceed farther. A board of Agriculture he 

 hopes to see established. 



Mr Buckminister likes the Ayreshire and Devon 

 breeds of Cattle. Many of the views and opinions of 

 the previous speakers he recapitulated and approved. 



We ventured to inquire of Col. Jacques whether there 

 was any reason to believe that where a pound of buttei is 

 obtained from a small quantity of milk, that the butter it- 

 self is inferiorto thatfrnm milk yeilding less cream ? If 

 a cow yield seven quarts of milk per day and make seven 

 pounds of butter per week, will her butter be a.-j good as 

 that from a cow which gives eleven quarts per day and 

 makes seven pounds per week ? Results, witnessed by 

 us in two or three instances suggested the inquiry. If 

 we comprehended his reply, he would not suppose 

 the quality of butter affected so much by the quantity 

 of milk as by the blood of the animal. 



Though our report is somewhat long we have omi^ 

 ted much that was said at this interesting meeting. — 

 The same subject will come up before the meeting 

 again to morrow evening. After that is diposed oC^ 

 T/ie root crops will be considered. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Several communieaticms are deferred for want of 

 room. One from near Fall River is not forgotten. We 

 are not ready to answer the inquiries it contains. 



BOSTON ALMANAC. 



Our thanks are given to the publisher, Mr S. N. Dick- 

 enson, for a copy of ihe second edition of this good, 

 very good, Almanac. The extent and arrangement of 

 its matter will render it highly convenient and useful. 



MEETING OF FARMERS AT SOUTHliORO.' 

 O 1 Wednesday evening last we had the pleasure of 

 addressing the farmers of Southboro'. The awakening 

 desire among our ajtriculturists to gain information rela- 

 tive to the priniiples of their art, is truly gratifying. 

 It gives us pleasure to contribute our mite whenever op- 

 portunity offers. It has been with reluctance that we 

 have yielded to the duly of returning to the city bef re 

 we could visit the premises of those who have invited 

 us recently to speak to them upon matters pertaining to 

 husbandry. The good people of Newton, Westboro' 

 and Southboro' may depend upon it that when the sum- 

 mer comes we shall steal into their enclosures and take 

 as much knowledge as we have given. 



The error of youth is that of thinking itself as wise 

 as age ; and the error of age is that of expecting youth 

 to ael as prudently as though it had received the bene- 

 fit of experience. 



