DAIRY. 



ham, whose pedigree is not known, which was j 

 sent from this country to England for exhibi- 

 tion three years since, was pronounced by 

 competent judges the finest animal of the kind 1 

 ever seen there. His live weight was reported j 

 as not far from 3700 Ibs. The Greenland ox 

 was nearly as heavy, and singularly beautiful. ' 

 A native ox exhibited in Boston, in 1840, did 

 not differ much from these in size, fulness, and 

 weight; but compared with them in appear- 

 ance, he was misshapen and deformed. The 

 Durham cows, in general, especially the se- 

 lected ones, which have been imported on ac- 

 count of these qualities, are large milkers; but 

 their milk seems generally inferior as to rich- 

 ness or butyraceous properties. The milking 

 properties of Mr. Whitney's stock, at New 

 Haven, are very remarkable. The Durham 

 cows are large animals, and should be expected 

 to secrete largely of milk ; but many of them, 

 however, are inferior as milkers; and, upon as 

 calm and impartial a view of the subject as I 

 can take, from my own personal observation, I 

 cannot pronounce them, as a race, distinguish- 

 ed and preferable to all others for their dairy 

 qualities. I have come to this conclusion with 

 very strong prejudices in their favour; and as 

 I measure my words in this case, I wish to be 

 judged only by what I say. Whenever a short- 

 horn cow proves an inferior milker, the enthu- 

 siastic advocates of the race are pleased to tell 

 us that it is because she has no pedigree, and 

 is not a herd-book animal ; but admitting that 

 her genealogy is somewhat mixed, it is singu- 

 lar that the virtues of the blood should not 

 show themselves to a degree, and that the im- 

 purity or defect should always predominate. It 

 is certain, however, that many mixed bloods 

 have in every respect excelled many of the 

 pure bloods." 



Such are the respective merits of the short- 

 horned and common breeds for dairy purposes, 

 according to the experience of one who has 

 had extensive opportunities for observation, 

 and who is to be regarded as a candid and im- 

 partial witness. We think, however, that the 

 most just view of the subject is presented in 

 the following extract from the Edinburgh Quar- 

 terly Journal of Agriculture, and we are pleased 

 to find this opinion sustained by no less an 

 authority than the late Judge Buel, who has 

 endorsed the sensible views of the European 

 writer, by imbodying them in his Farmer's 

 Iiutructer. 



"It has been frequently asserted that short- 

 horned cows are bad milkers ; indeed, that no 

 kind of cattle are so deficient in milk. Those 

 who say so do not know the still greater defi- 

 ciencies of the Herefords, a species of cattle 

 quite unknown in Scotland. The highest bred 

 stocks 'of the Messrs. Collins, Mr. Mason, and 

 Mr. Robertson, yielded little milk. Indeed, Mr. j 

 Robertson's could not supply milk sufficient j 

 for their own calves, at least not in the quan- 

 tity which it was desired by him they should ! 

 receive. Cows were kept for the purpose of j 

 supplying the deficiency of milk of the high- 

 bred cows. But this deficiency of milk did 

 not altogether proceed from the circumstance 

 of the cows being of the short-horned breed; 

 because those eminent breeders devoted their 



DAIRY. 



whole attention to the developement of flesh, 

 and not at all to the developement of milk. 

 Had the flesh been neglected as much as the 

 milk, and the property of giving milk as much 

 cherished as the developement of flesh, their 

 abort-horned cows would have been deep 

 milkers. As it is, the generality of short-horned 

 cows are not bad milkers. Indeed, it is not 

 to be doubted that where the general secreting 

 powers of the animal system have been in- 

 creased, as it has been in that of the short-horns, 

 the power of secreting milk will be increased 

 with the power of secreting flesh and uit; all 

 that seems requisite is to encourage the power 

 of that secretion which for the time is most 

 wanted. I have no doubt that it is completely 

 in the power of the breeders of short-horns to 

 make them good milkers. It would be to de- 

 sire an impossibility, to desire the full develope- 

 ment of flesh, fat, and milk at the same time; 

 but there is no absurdity in desiring a large 

 secretion of flesh and fat at one lime, and a 

 large secretion of milk at another, from the 

 same cow. Accordingly, this is the very cha- 

 racter which has been acquired by short-horned 

 cows. They will yield from six to sixteen quarts 

 a day throughout the season ; and they are so 

 constant milkers that they seldom remain dry 

 above six weeks or two months before the time 

 of calving. 



"But the practice of the owners of public 

 dairies in towns, were there no other proof, 

 would prove the milking powers of short-horn 

 cows. They prefer them as the greatest and 

 most steady milkers; and it is now difficult to 

 see cows of any breeds but short-horns or 

 crosses with them in these dairies. In London, 

 Edinburgh, and Liverpool, fine short-horn cows 

 may be seen at the public dairies. They are 

 bought by the milkmen whenever they come 

 of age, that is, five or six years old. They give 

 milk till they attain the age of eight or nine, 

 and are then fed off fat for the butcher. These 

 cows- can be fed off fat. This property, and 

 that of milking, prove clearly that short-horns 

 possess both in a remarkable degree. They 

 do not, it is true, possess both in an eminent 

 degree at the same time ; but they exhibit either 

 property separately when it is desired. They 

 thus give a return in flesh for part of their 

 original high price, while they remunerate 

 their owners in the mean time with an abund- 

 ance of milk for their food." 



Dairies in Holland. Holland has long been 

 celebrated for its fine dairies, and the Highland 

 Society of Scotland, considering that the Scotch 

 dairies might derive some advantages from 

 an acquaintance with the management of those 

 of Holland, offered a premium for the best 

 report upon that subject, founded upon perso- 

 nal observation. The premium was in 1833 

 awarded to John Mitchell, whose report, filled ' 

 with interesting facts and details, is published 

 in the Transactions of the Highland Society for 

 that year. In the quotation formerly made 

 from the London Commercial Journal, the 

 superior qualities and higher market value of 

 Dutch butter were referred to. Some idea of 

 the dairy produce of Holland may be gained 

 by considering, that in addition to the home 

 consumption of a populous country, and the 



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