252 



Cattle — Philadelphia Agricultural Society. 



Vol. X. 



where the animals after reaching maturity 

 have been superior for butter properties, to 

 the common stock ; indeed, in a great ma- 

 jority of instances, the calves so raised, 

 though receiving extra attention, have fallen 

 short of the average value, for dairy pur- 

 poses, of the native breed. The result 

 however, is precisely in accordance with the 

 experiments of the amateur breeders of the 

 Durhams. You may examine their herds, 

 and with a few splendid exceptions, it will 

 be found that their milch cows, when tested 

 by the product in the pail, do not exceed in 

 value, if they equal, the ordinary cows of 

 the country. Almost all the gentlemen who 

 enter upon a career of fancy breeding, en- 

 deavour to obtain an animal remarkable for 

 milking properties, which when obtained, 

 proves to be an exception to a very general 

 rule. It only requires a retrospective view 

 of the few celebrated Durham cows that 

 have given character in this port of the 

 country to the whole race, to prove that not 

 one of them has ever produced, so far as we 

 have been informed, any progeny whose 

 yield at all approached the quantity of milk 

 they themselves were alleged to produce. 

 There was the celebrated cow Blossom, said 

 to yield 36 quarts of milk per day, and 13 

 pounds of butter per week. There was 

 Dairy Maid, who produced upwards of 33 

 quarts of milk per day, and 12 pounds of 

 butter per week ; these and other recorded 

 performances of extraordinary Durham cows, 

 are certainly great, but not greater in yield 

 of butter than some native breeds; for in- 

 stance, the Germantown cow and a name- 

 less cow, both noticed in the seventh volume 

 of the Cabinet, pages 192 and 283 ; but of 

 all the progeny of the great Durham milk- 

 ers, where do we hear of one that at all 

 equals the dam 1 I am not aware that the 

 owner of Blossom has ever alleged that any 

 of her numerous progeny have rivalled her, 

 or exceeded the ordinary product of common 

 cows ; and the energetic and enterprising 

 owner of Dairy Maid, who for a series of 

 years has exerted all his energies to main- 

 tain the character of the Durhams, and has 

 been in this section of the country the main- 

 stay in preventing them from sinking to their 

 deserved obscurity for dairy purposes;— that 

 gentleman, with all his ability, has been un- 

 able to produce from his numerous herd, a 

 single cow, with the exception of Dairy 

 Maid, whose product has been such as to be 

 worthy of record ; if he had, I am sure that 

 even his acknowledged modesty, would not 

 have prevented him from informing the ag- 

 ricultural community of so rare a circum- 

 stance. We therefore accept it as proved 

 beyond all controversy, that the celebrated 



milkers amongst tlie Durhams do not pro- 

 duce calves, which, under the most judicious 

 management, and without regard to expense, 

 at all equal their dams. It is also Vv^ell known 

 that persons engaged in the milk business, 

 who have thoroughly tested the properties 

 of the Durhams, particularly the half-bloods, 

 have generally discarded them, as being less 

 profitable than the common stock. 



These observations are not made to depre- 

 ciate the value of Durham cattle, for al- 

 though they have failed to realize the ex- 

 pectations of their admirers in relation to 

 the pail, it is probable they will prove an 

 acquisition to the stock-raisers of the inte- 

 rior, and be the means of increasing the size 

 of cattle intended for the shambles. 



The object of the present communication 

 is not to enter into a discussion as to the 

 merits of any particular breed of cattle, or 

 to call out adverse statements from any of 

 their admirers — but to call the attention of 

 the managers of the Philadelphia Agricul- 

 tural Society to the object which should be 

 kept in view, to wit: the advancement of 

 the farming interests of the country adja- 

 cent to Pliiladelphia. To show that they 

 have somewhat failed to interest that class, 

 look at the list of their members — active 

 members — and see how kw among them 

 are practical farmers: by that term is meant 

 men who really till their grounds in the 

 sweat of their own brow; — but they are 

 mostly gentlemen, and very liberal gentle- 

 men too, who have acquired fortunes at mer- 

 cantile or other lucrative pursuits; and who, 

 wearied with the dull round of money-get- 

 ting, have determined to improve agricul- 

 ture by money-spending; but who have failed 

 to perceive that their experiments in stock- 

 raising and otherwise, do not influence, be- 

 cause they are not applicable to the condi- 

 tion of the great body of farmers, who have 

 not the means to follow their example, even 

 if they were convinced of their utility — 

 which, however, is far from being the case. 

 I have but few suggestions to make; — it is 

 much easier to note the failure, than to point 

 out an improvement; but I do submit to the 

 consideration of the Society, whether some 

 other course in relation to cattle, is not ne- 

 cessary at the annual exhibitions: — a large 

 part of the premiums of the Society are, 

 and have been tor many years, devoted to a 

 particular class of animals, which experi- 

 ence has fully proved, does not in the judg- 

 ment of the farming community, meet their 

 wants — and hence we find the interest in 

 the cattle department, declining year by 

 year. Whereas, in the department of agri- 

 cultural implements, though obtaining but a 

 small share of the Society's attention, as 



