No. 1. 



Allen's Herd Booh — Use of Poudrette, SfC. 



27 



Allen's Herd Book. 



CIRCULAR. 



Black Rock, N. Y., July, 1845. 



Sir : — About a year ngo at the solicitation 

 of a number of gentlemen interested in the 

 breeding of Short Horn Cattle, I published 

 a notice in several of'the agricuUural papers 

 of the United States, that 1 would get up an 

 American Herd Book, provided my etibrts 

 should bo seconded by a respectable portion 

 of those engaged in that pursuit. Although 

 slow in their responses, a considerable num- 

 ber of breeders have forwarded the pedigrees 

 of their herds for insertion according to the 

 terms of my proposal. Many, however, and 

 among them, some of the early and distin- 

 guished promoters of this branch of agricu 

 tural improvement, remain unmindful of 

 this opportunity of thus recording their val 

 uable stock. 



A sufficient number of individuals having 

 already contributed the pedigrees of their 

 cattle to insure its publication, the work will 

 proceed as soon as circumstances will permit, 

 which will be within three months from this 

 time. * 



I presume no arguments will be necessary 

 with any systematic short horn breeder, to 

 convince him of the necessity and conveni- 

 ence of an American registry of his cattle, 

 other than such as will suggest themselves 

 to his own mind, and those already advanced 

 in my two several notices to breeders alrea- 

 dy published. 



In case you think proper to register your 

 cattle in the proposed work, you will please 

 transmit your catalogue of thorough bred 

 animals (none other being admitted) with as 

 little delay as possible, to me (post paid) at 

 this place, with the registry fees accompany- 

 ing them, and stating also the number of 

 copies of the work you wish for, when pub- 

 lished. 



I will here remark, that the month of Oc- 

 tober next, will be the latest period at which 

 pedigrees can be received, as the work will 

 be put in press immediately after. 



The terms for registry are as follow: 



For a single animal, one dollar. 



For any greater nu ruber not exceeding 

 ten, 50 cents each. 



For a number exceeding ten, 40 cents 

 each. 



The work itself not to exceed three dol- 

 lars a copy. 



• If any gentleman of your neighborhood 

 or acquaintance be a breeder of short horns, 

 and not.in receipt of this notice, you will 

 confer a mutual favor by giving him the 

 above information. Very respectfully, your 

 obedient servant, Lewis F. Allen. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Use of Poudrette, «!kc. 



A LETTER from J. R. Bowman of Mnntfromery coun- 

 ty, dated the 1st ult., to Wm. R. Conkling, has been 

 handed us, from which we make the following extracts. 

 The time for applyinpr the poudrette to the wheat crop 

 is now nearly at hand. The accounts from those who 

 liav<; used this manure have been very generally satis- 

 factory. Its price compared with other manures— the 

 small expense of transportation, and the little labor 

 rf'(|nired in its application, will induce our farmers who 

 purcliase manure, tocontinue to use the poudrette. We 

 always have it on sale at this office. — Ed. 



" Last year, the quan ity made, was insuf- 

 ficient tor the demand, and I could only pro- 

 cure a single bushel at a time, which was 

 applied in comparison with several other 

 manures, to onions, cabbages and corn — on 

 all of which crops it showed a very decided 

 advantage, both as to cheapness and efficacy 

 over bone dust, ashes and stable manure; 

 that is, when we take into account the dif- 

 ference in the expense of hauling, and the 

 ease of application. 



" The plants nourished by poudrette have 

 a much broader leaf, and more luxuriant 

 colour than those produced by either of the 

 other above mentioned manures. The pre- 

 sent season, I have applied several loads of 

 poudrette to various crops, and find it com- 

 pletely successful on all; and yet to my 

 surprise, the chemical mixture you call arti- 

 ficial guaiio is double in power to the former. 

 I have tried the experiment accurately, by 

 placing half a peck of your guano, and a 

 peck of poudrette on adjoining rows of po- 

 tatoes, sowed after the sprouts came through 

 the ground, and carefully worked in with 

 the hoe ; also, in Jike manner to sugar beets, 

 and to peas and tomatoes with equal success, 

 there being at present scarcely any differ- 

 ence ; if any, it is in favour of your guano. 

 A more advanced state of the crops, may 

 show a different result, as probably the slight 

 amount of moisture since the manures were 

 applied, has been insufficient to dissolve the 

 nutritive qualities of the poudrette, whilst 

 the potash, &c. in the other stuff have at- 

 tracted from the atmosphere what vegetation 

 so much needed. 



" I have been using bone dust since 1832, 

 and fully understand its great value; twelve 

 years back, it was all engaged by a few 

 Englishmen at 50 cents per barrel ; I visited 

 all the button fiictories about the city, and 

 offered a better price, in consequence of 

 which the fine dust soon raised to 50 cents 

 per bushel, at which rate it is mostly sold off 

 very quick. I am told much of it is now 

 exported to England, the high price in that 

 country paying a handsome profit, and this 

 will probably continue to be the case, as their 

 much wetter climate renders it more valu- 

 able to them than to us." 



