CATTLE. 



CATTLE. 



The breeds of cattle which stock the farms I 

 of the United States are all derived from Eu- 

 rope, and, with few exceptions, from Great 

 Britain. The highest breeds at the present 

 day are comparatively of recent origin, since 

 the great improvements commenced by Bake- 

 well only date about the period of the American 

 Revolution. The old importations made by the 

 primitive settlers must consequently have been 

 from comparatively inferior grades. In some 

 sections of the Union, and more particularly in 

 New England, the primitive stock is thought 

 to have undergone considerable improvement, 

 whilst in many parts of the Middle, and espe- 

 cially of the Southern States, a greater or less 

 depreciation has ensued. The prevailing stock 

 in the Eastern States is believed to be derived 

 from the North Devons, most of the excellent 

 marks and qualities of which they possess. 

 Hence they are very highly esteemed, and have 

 been frequently called the "American Devons." 

 The most valuable working oxen are chiefly 

 of this breed, which also contributes so largely 

 to the best displays of beef found in the mar- 

 kets of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. 

 The prevailing colour of the New England 

 cattle is a deep red. Sometimes, however, 

 they are dark-brown, or brindle, or nearly 

 black. Their horns are moderately long, 

 smooth, and slender. The oxen are remarka- 

 ble for their docility, strength, quickness, and 

 powers of endurance. The cows are fair milk- 

 ers, and both kinds are hardy and fatten readily. 

 By means of this fine domestic stock, and the 

 importations still so extensively made of selec- 

 tions from the short-horned, and other of the 

 finest European breeds, the cattle, not only of 

 New England, but of other sections, are rapidly 

 improving, especially in the Middle and West- 

 ern States. 



The graziers of Kentucky and other parts 

 of the West have heretofore generally shown 

 the greatest preference to the short-horned 

 breed, which, with various crosses, is now per- 

 haps the predominant stock of the country. 

 Since Durhams have become so common, the 

 extravagantly high prices they once brought 

 are no longer maintained; and, indeed, the 

 farmers now not only think of changing the 

 breed, but have actually commenced doing so. 

 They have been led to this chiefly for the rea- 

 son, that the short-horned cattle, which take on 

 fat so readily when well fed, and become so 

 heavy, are unable to retain their fat and flesh 

 on being driven some 1000 or 1200 miles to 

 the Eastern markets, where they generally 

 arrive in such a meager condition as to bring 

 only the price of lean stock. The Western 

 graziers, therefore, wish to adopt some breed 

 which will be able to carry their beef along with 

 them. The English Herefords have been sought 

 after, and as much as 500 paid for an imported 

 cow. Captain Barclay, a gentleman owning a 

 large estate in Scotland, called Ury, and who 

 has recently made a tour through the United 

 States, says that he thinks our Western farm- 

 ers will find themselves mistaken in this selec- 

 t*on from the British breeds, and that they 

 C>uld derive more advantage by importing 

 Angus or Aberdeenshire Doddies, which are 

 kindred breeds of well-formed, moderate-sized, 

 294 



active animals; or, perhaps still better, the 

 small and peculiarly symmetrical West High- 

 land cow; and to cross them with a short-horn 

 or Durham bull. The West Highlander, he 

 says, possesses all the points of a good feeder; 

 and being hardy, and active as a deer, would 

 suffer little from being driven even 1000 miles. 

 In its na.tive glens it may feed to 20 or 25 stones, 

 Amsterdam ;* but the heifers, on being trans- 

 planted to a rich and sheltered pasture, attain 

 to nearly double that weight. This he says he 

 has demonstrated by introducing a herd of forty 

 West Highland heifers on his farm at Ury, 

 where they were crossed with short-horned 

 bulls, and the experiment, on repeated trials, 

 has been attended with great success ; for while 

 the mothers, by removal to better pasture, have 

 greatly increased in size, the cross has produced 

 strong and handsome animals, kindly feeders, 

 rising to a great weight, and bringing high 

 prices. It is a great desideratum for the gra- 

 ziers of Kentucky and other parts of the West, 

 where pastures of the richest kind abound, 

 could they find some active breed which would 

 be able to perform the long journeys to the 

 Eastern markets, and carry their beef with 

 them. , 



A very general impression now exists in the 

 United States in favour of breeding a cross 

 from the best short-horned bulls with the finest 

 native cows. 



Mr. Colman, in his Reports upon the agricul- 

 tural interests of Massachusetts, recently made 

 to the legislature of that state, has collected a 

 fund of valuable information in relation to 

 American neat cattle, showing their distin- 

 guishing characteristics for dairy and other 

 purposes, together with the improvements made 

 and still making by the introduction of select 

 cattle from Europe, and the results of' feeding 

 in various ways. Several books and periodi- 

 cals published in the United States, and devoted 

 to agriculture, are rich in details relating to 

 American and European nea,t stock. But, 

 instead of culling from these, we prefer draw- 

 ing upon Mr. Colman's Report to the Legisla- 

 ture of Massachusetts, as we regard it a high 

 source of authentic information, and calculated 

 to be the more highly useful from the exactness 

 of the details. We regret that our limits will 

 not admit of some particular notice of nume- 

 rous mammoth beasts which have been raised 

 and fattened in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and 

 elsewhere. Particular accounts of these, with 

 the modes of management and feeding, are 

 duly recorded in more or less of the periodicals. 



Stall-fed animals. It appears that the stall- 

 feeders in Massachusetts usually select cattle 

 brought from Vermont, New Hampshire, and 

 New York, choosing such as are small-boned, 

 neat, and thrifty. Rather than keep these on 

 hand a long time, they generally find it most 

 advantageous 1o "turn them soon," and after 

 thus disposing of their fat stock early in the 

 season, many purchase an additional supply 

 pretty far advanced for the market, and finish 

 these so as to be ready to send them off in the 

 spring. In the hilly districts, where Indian 



* The Amsterdam stone is only about 10 IDS. of Eng- 

 lish troy weight. 



