1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



365 



For the New England Farmer. 

 INFLUENCE OP SEX. 



Mr. Editor : — The prevailing opinion has 

 heretofore been, among those engaged in the 

 rearing of milk cows, that the character of the 

 male is more deeply impressed upon his progeny 

 than is that of the female. Indeed, farmers have 

 been repeatedly and incessantly urged to regard 

 the bull as of the chief importance in the making 

 up of a good dairy. Men of extensive informa- 

 tion and large experience, have spoken, written, 

 and reported, citing facts, and confidently assert- 

 ing the correctness of the principle. The reports 

 of the committees of our State and county socie- 

 ties nearly all make particular reference to the 

 supposed fact. Men of limited experience, with- 

 out the facilities for testing the matter, and wil- 

 ling to profit by the wisdom of others, have taken 

 the thing upon trust, and have adopted a course 

 in accordance with the instruction given. But 

 the end is not yet ; in his last Report, Mr. Secre- 

 tary Flint proclaims a new gospel, which is rath- 

 er a disturbing element to the settled conviction 

 of many, and will be likely to mar their faith in 

 the infallibility of agricultural prophets and 

 preachers. 



Mr. Flint says, page 28 of his Report, "The ex- 

 perience of the best breeders in all countries has 

 pretty well established the truth of the principle, 

 which experiment will only still further confirm, 

 that in the breeding of animals, it is the male 

 which gives the external form, or the bony and 

 muscular system to the young, while the female 

 imparts the respiratory organs, the circulation of 

 the blood, the mucus membranes, the organs of 

 secretion, S-'c, and if this principle, now general- 

 ly conceded by practical breeders, is true, it fol- 

 lows that the milking qualities come chiefly from 

 the mother, and that the bull could in no respect 

 alter the conditions which determine the transmis- 

 sion of these qualifies." 



It may be that there is something a little be- 

 -yond my depth in this, but as it gets through my 

 wool, it entirely explodes the principles enunciat- 

 ed by an eminent breeder of stock, that "the male 

 has far more influence than the female in fixing 

 the characteristics of the progeny." According 

 to the latest intelligence we have, it would seem 

 that a good frame and form are the only requi- 

 sites in a bull from which to raise dairy stock, 

 and that the rest depends upon the cow. As this 

 is a subject to which too much importance can- 

 not be attached, it is to be hoped that a thorough 

 investigation will be had, and the true principles 

 which govern the matter determined and present- 

 ed to the public in a character that can be relied 

 upon. J. K. 



COOL WATER. 

 At this season of the year a cool draught of 

 water is a luxury which we may enjoy with a 

 little care. By the following method, simple and 

 inexpensive, water may be kept almost as cold 

 as ice. Let the jar, pitcher or vessel used for 

 water, be surrounded with one or more folds of 

 coarse cotton, to be constantly wet ; the evapo- 

 ration of the water will carry off" the heat from 

 the inside, and reduce it to a low temperature. 

 In India and other tropical countries, where ice 

 cannot be procured, this expedient is common. 



Let every mechanic and laborer have at the place 

 of his work two pitchers thus provided, and with 

 lids or covers, one to contain fresh water for 

 evaporation, and he can always have a supply of 

 cold water in warm weather. Any person may 

 test this by dipping a finger in water, and hold- 

 ing it in the air on a warm day ; after doing this 

 three or four times, he will find his finger uncom- 

 fortably cool. This plan will save (lie bill for 

 ice, besides being more healthful. The free use 

 of ice water often produces derangement of the 

 internal organs, which, we conceive, is due to a 

 property of the water independent of its coldness. 

 — Maine Farmer. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 

 SOIL FOR STRAWBERRIES — COUGH IN HORSES. 



Please inform me of the best kind of soil for 

 strawberries, and the manner in which the soil 

 should be prepared for them. 



Also, what is the best thing to be done for a 

 young horse, seven years old, which has consid- 

 erable cold and cough. 



June 16, 1858. A Constant Reader. 



Remarks. — New soil, that is rather moist, but 

 well pulverized, is undoubtedly the best for straw- 

 berries ; but they will succeed quite well on a 

 heavy clay soil, or even on gravelly soils, with 

 care. A sandy, moist loam, we should select. 

 The strawberry requires great quantities of wa- 

 ter, in order to flourish in perfection. 



Moist feed and careful attention to the horse 

 will often be sufficient to remove a cough that is 

 not cmonic. If it is of long standing, consult Dr. 

 Dadd, of Boston. 



AN OLD USE of GRASS — MOWERS. 



As I passed the luxuriant field of grass, to- 

 day, I was reminded of the use made of new- 

 mown hay by our fathers when they constructed 

 their defence against the British arm eighty-three 

 years ago at the battle of Bunker Hill. I have often 

 thought it strange that they could readily find at 

 that time grass sufficient to be of any use for 

 that service. But if the fields were clothed then 

 as they are now, there would have been no diflft- 

 culty at all in constructing a battery quite as ef- 

 fective as that of cotton, which under the skilful 

 direction of the brave Gen. Jackson, saved New 

 Orleans. The prospect now is that the mower 

 will soon be in demand. Farmers should be on 

 the look-out for those of best construction, for in 

 so doing, one-half of this most arduous labor can 

 be saved, as compared with the use of the scythe. 



June 17, 1858. Essex. 



AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY. 

 An agricultural library association has just 

 been formed in our town, which starts with sixty 

 members. At the first meeting of the associa- 

 tion, on Wednesday of last week, there was quite 

 a numerous attendance, and a farmer's club was 

 fornied, which will include among its members 

 all our best farmers. We intend to have meet- 

 ings for discussions, Sec, once a month, and we 

 think much good will result therefrom. Our 

 farmers are certainly as good as any in the State, 



