CATTLE. 



CATTLE. 



purpose of making animal charcoal, and the 

 blood to the sugar-refiners. 



In New York orfly four quarters are made 

 by the slaughterer, and the hide and tallow are 

 not weighed or reckoned in the price : facts 

 which are to be remembered in making com- 

 parisons of prices in the different markets. 



The following are some examples of live and 

 dead weights of New England cattle, killed at 

 home and after having been driven from the 

 Connecticut river to Brighton, the Boston beef 

 market, a distance of 75 or 80 miles. 



"Example 1. One ox, live weight in market 

 2393 Ibs.; quarters weighed 418 Ibs., 415 Ibs., 

 324 Ibs., 331 Ibs.; hide, 150 Ibs.; tallow, 173 

 lbs. = 1811. Difference 582 Ibs. 



"Example 2. Two oxen of A. S., killed at 

 home, weighed as follows : 



Live One 1979 Ibs. - - Killed 1400 Ibs. 

 1910 " " 1341 " 



About 29*4 Ibs. loss on a hundred of the live 

 weight. 



"Example 3. An ox owned by A. S., con- 

 veyed to Brighton on a sled, weighed at home 

 about 2630 Ibs. ; the precise number of pounds 

 not recollected. On being slaughtered, his 

 weight was as follows : quarters, 480 Ibs., 479 

 Ibs., 374 Ibs., 383 Ibs.; hide, 154 Ibs.; tallow, 

 250 Ibs. Total, 2120 Ibs. Loss, 510 Ibs. 



"Example 4. Ox belonging to R. D. ; when 

 he left Connecticut river weighed 2435 Ibs. 

 Weight at Brighton when dressed, 1588 Ibs. 

 Loss of weight, 867 Ibs. This is a little more 

 than rne-third, and is a remarkable result. 



"Example 5. An ox weighing on Connecti- 

 cut river 2250 Ibs. weighed in market 1472 Ibs. 

 Loss, 778 Ibs. 



" Example 6. An ox weighing as above 

 2255 Ibs., weighed in market 1487 Ibs. Loss 

 768 Ibs. 



"Example 7. A fat bull of D. S., killed at 

 home, weighed alive 1495 Ibs.; dead 1051 Ibs. 

 Loss, 444 Ibs. 



" Example 8. A fat heifer of E. W., killed at 

 home, weighed alive 1120 Ibs.; dead, 832 Ibs. 

 Loss, 288 Ibs. 



"Example 9. An ox belonging to S. C. 

 weighed on Connecticut river, alive, 2590 Ibs. ; 

 at Brighton, dressed, as follows : quarters, 394 

 Ibs., 350 Ibs., 362 Ibs., 358 Ibs.; hide, 120 Ibs.; 

 tallow, 207 Ibs. Total, 1791 Ibs. Difference 

 between live and dead weights, 799 Ibs. 



mftle 10. An ox belonging to S. C. 

 weighed as above 2345 Ibs.; at Brighton, 

 dressed, as follows: quarters, 352 Ibs., 310 

 Ibs., 364 Ibs., 308 Ibs.; hide, 115 Ibs.; tallow, 

 217 Ibs. Total, 1666 Ibs. Difference between 

 live and dead weights, 679 Ibs." 



Pasturage.-^-The cost of pasturage is difficult 

 to estimate, since the qualities of soil and faci- 

 lities afforded differ so much in different sec- 

 tions of country, and even in the same neigh- 

 bourhood. In Conway, situated a little west 

 of the Connecticut river, the pasturage is ex- 

 cellent; that is to say, 30 acres will keep 

 twei cattle, consisting of cows and oxen, the 

 year round. Oxen from four to six years of 

 age are taken to be pastured at from 50 to 67 

 rents per week ; farrow cows at 25 cents per 

 eek ; steers at two years old at 75 cents per 

 300 



week each. Sheep are pastured at 3 cents each 

 per week, and lambs at 1^ cents. 



In Buckland, in the same county, cows are 

 pastured at 25 cents per week, including salt. 

 Pasturing of an average quality will feed eight 

 cows upon 30 acres. A yoke of oxen require 

 half as much again as two cows. In Hawly 

 two acres of pasturage are considered sufi> 

 cient for a cow. 



In the fattening of cattle, universal experi- 

 ence, Mr. Colman remarks, shows the import- 

 ance of a scrupulous punctuality as to the 

 times of feeding. Under the influence of that 

 mighty despot, habit, which reigns throughout 

 the animal creation, these animals measure 

 time with great exactness ; and if at the cus- 

 tomary hour the feed is not ready for them, 

 they become restless, uneasy, and fretful, dis- 

 positions exceedingly unfriendly to all cases 

 of thrift. During the time of feeding they 

 should have little given to them at once, that 

 their food may not become loathsome by being 

 frequently tossed over and blown upon. 



In regard to the native stock of New Eng- 

 land, in which various bloods and breeds are 

 intermingled, Mr. Colman remarks that "many 

 of them are indeed miserable in appearance, 

 in shape, in condition, and every other quality. 

 This comes in general from neglect and indif- 

 ference, because we kill or sell to the butcher 

 our best calves, and commonly leave what we 

 do attempt to raise 'to shift for themselves.' 

 Yet at the same time without presumption, I 

 think, New England may challenge the world 

 to produce finer teams of oxen, by fifties and 

 hundreds of pairs, than are to be found at our 

 cattle-shows. Let any intelligent judge of stock 

 go into Worcester county, Mass.; into New 

 Haven and Hartford counties, in Connecticut; 

 or especially to Saccarappa, in Maine, where 

 ox teams are constantly employed in carting 

 lumber to Portland, and if he will find any su- 

 perior oxen for labour ajid condition than are 

 to be found there, he would do a signal favour 

 to the agricultural public in letting us know 

 where we may look for them. I have seen 

 none. I believe we should search the world 

 over in vain to find any. 



" Our native cows are of every variety, but 

 there are several parts of the state where, 

 though it cannot be said that any scientific or 

 systematic improvement has been undertaken, 

 yet by a long-continued selection from the best, 

 whole families or breeds are to be found dis- 

 tinguished for their excellent properties as 

 dairy stock. The list of native cows which I 

 have given shows conclusively that we have 

 those which, for the quantity of milk they give, 

 are scarcely inferior to any, and for the amount 

 of butter and cheese which they produce are 

 surpassed by none. The numbers referred to 

 prove that they are not rare. 



"Whether any thing would be gained by 

 substituting the improved short-horns for our 

 present stock is, to say the least, questionable. 

 The short-horns are great consumers. Though 

 animals do not always consume in proportion 

 to their size, yet this must be considered as a 

 general rule. They require most particular 

 attention and liberal feeding to bring them to 



