488 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 STANDABD OP MERIT AT FAXES. 



It is generally believed that agricultural so- 

 cieties are formed and hold fairs to encourage 

 farmers to produce the best articles, and to 

 furnish the means for comparison by which 

 they may form an opinion as to which is best. 

 If this is so, societies should make rules with 

 the greatest care, so as to encourage and re- 

 ward the really meritorious, and avoid com- 

 mending and introducing aught that partakes 

 of humbuggery or subserves private ends to the 

 detriment of the public good. 



If societies are formed to advance agricul- 

 ture and aid the farmers, it would certainly 

 se^m that the rules which direct the action of 

 committees in the bestowal of premiums, should 

 also aid and direct farmers in the purchase 

 and breeding of domestic animals. If this is 

 a truth, do societies live up to it ? 



At the New England Fair, all cattle must 

 have a pedigree to be entitled to a premium 

 The managers of the Vermont State Fair have 

 adopted the same rule. Now shall county 

 societies and farmers encourage only those 

 cattle that have a herd-book pedigree ? Under 

 this ruling, will these societies encourage the 

 exhibition of the best cattle, or can they in all 

 cases reward years of pains-taking in develop- 

 ing a breed ? Wdl it not result rather in re- 

 warding those who have purchased a fat-hion- 

 able or new breed from which to make money 

 by sales? We ask these questions, first be- 

 cause there are men who have for a life-time 

 been breeding a herd of pure-blooded cattle 

 because they loved them, who are now cu: off 

 from showing and competing for premiums, 

 though the animals thus excluded are above 

 suspicion in regard to breed, and are better 

 cattle than some with a pedigree. If it were 

 not so, why rule them ouc and ignore cattle 

 that the people want to see and the owners 

 want to show ? 



In the .-econd place, for years after Short- 

 horn cattle were first introduced, there was 

 not one in ten that had a herd-book pedigree, 

 and until 1855 there had been only one volume 

 of the herd-book published in the United 

 States. Shall the descendants if all the early 

 importations be ignored as unworthy of notice ? 



In the third place, sheep, swine, and hordes 

 are sold for high prices upon a personal war- 

 rant as to blood. 



While it is proper and desirable that agri- 

 cultural societies should discountenance deceit 

 and fil?e pretensions, it is equally proper and 

 desirable that they should ent;ourage honesty 

 and excellency. 



In Verm >nt there is a herd of Devon cattle 

 owned and bred by H. M Hall, of Burke, 

 Pie>identol the Caledonia County Agricultu- 

 ral Society. This herd was e-tabli>hed about 

 forty years ago. 'It was started with some of 

 the first animals sold from the Patter.-on im- 

 portation, and from time to time additions 



have been made from other stock of undoubted 

 purity of blood. Mr. Hall has bred on his 

 own farm two families, using the greatest care 

 to prevent deterioration ; but the animals are 

 not recorded in the herd-book. 



In Coventry, Vt., there is a herd of Short- 

 horns, comprising twenty-five head, bred and 

 owned by Hon. E. Cleveland and his son, H. 

 C. Cleveland. This is believed to be the only 

 Short-horn herd in the State where every ani- 

 mal has been bred by the owner. In 1858, 

 Mr. C. sent by a special agent to Kentucky 

 for some Durham heifers, which were ob- 

 tained at quite a high price. A bull was 

 bought in New York, of the Vail stock, and 

 from this beginning a herd of great excellence 

 has been bred, which has been shown at the 

 State Fairs and received premiums as pure 

 blood Short- horns. The bull Major, that 

 stands at the head of this herd, is five years 

 old and weighs 2320 pounds. The bull Oen. 

 Grant is two years two months old, pure milk- 

 white in color, and weighs 1500 pounds. One 

 of the cows has weighed 1535 pounds. There 

 have been many sales of young animals from 

 this herd, at prices from $50 to $150 each, 

 which are giving great satisfaction for vigor- 

 ous, healthy growth, and excellent milking 

 qualities in the heifers, and good stock quali- 

 ties in the bulls. Eleven years ago there was 

 less regard paid to herd-book pedigree, and 

 these cattle have not been duly named and 

 numbered, although bred with the greatest 

 painstaking, and amidst a community whoe 

 prejudices were agamst them. Now, tbis herd 

 having triumphed over local indifference and 

 opposition and having gained a good reputa- 

 tion, find a new difficulty. Men who have 

 within a very few years bought pedigree ani- 

 mals have succeeded in introducing a rule 

 which excludes this stock from competing at 

 the Fairs of agricultural societies ! If these 

 animals are inferior, they are not to be feared 

 in competition ; if they are better, is not the 

 painstaking by which they have been produced 

 entitled to encouragement? Is it pedigrees, 

 or is it quality of cattle that we should encour- 

 age, an<J which farmers wish to buy ? 



Irashurg, Vt.,Aug. 20, 1869. z. e. j. 



P. S. — Since writing the foregoing I have 

 received the Premium List of the Vermont 

 State Fair, and find that the Directors have 

 made up an appendix, since the regular meet- 

 ing, that provides for Durhams that are not 

 registered in the herd-book. z. E. J. 



Aug. 24. 



— Mrs. Alvira Robinson, of North Russell, N. 

 Y., answers a question as lied in the Rural Ameri- 

 can liow to make butter from bitter cri.ara by say- 

 ing, when tho cream is ready to churn, dis-olve a 

 little good sugar and add to it; the bu iter will then 

 come in a short lime. I think the cause of cream 

 getting bitter is, that it is kept too cold while ris- 

 ing ; the sugar helps to sweeten it. 



