90 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



April 



jhnprcroeb Stock. 



SHORT HOHN CATTLE. -ME. VAIL'S STOCK. 



BY SANFORD P. CHAPMAN. 



[Reply to M. Hanford. Jr., andA.G. P., page 43 of present volume.] 



As friend H. calls for some testimony in regard to 

 Mr. Vail's stock, and also asks a few questions, we 

 think we cannot do better than present him a few 

 facts, most of which are already familiar to the 

 greater part of the agricultural public. 



At the show of the American Institute, in 1843, 

 Mr. Vail's Meteor, then only two years old, was 

 awarded the highest premium for the best bull of any 

 age, competition open to the United States. At the 

 State Show, held at Poughkeepsie, in 1844, Meteor 

 was again awarded the first premium for the best 

 Durham bull, and also the first premium for the best 

 bull of any age or breed. At the State Show at 

 Auburn, in 1846, Mr. Vail's Lady Harrington III, 

 [for portrait and pedigree of this cow see vol. vm, 

 p. 212 of this journal. — Ed.] received the first pre- 

 mium. At Saratoga in '47, Mr. F.'s Hilpa was also 

 successful. In '45 Mr. Z. B. Wakeman, of Herki- 

 mer Co., purchased two calves of Mr. Vail, a bull 

 and heifer. These obtained the first premiums in 

 their class at Utica in '45, at Auburn in '46, at 

 Saratoga in '47, and the bull at Buffalo in '48. 



In 1844, (see the Society's Transactions for '44, 

 pages 214 and 215,) the Society's first premium was 

 awarded to Mr. Vail, for the largest quantity of butter 

 made from 6 cows,* (all thorough bred Durhams,) 

 in 30 days, fed on grass pasture alone, and that not 

 the best. It will be seen by that statement, that the 

 six cows produced 265 lbs. and 10 oz. of butter in 30 

 days. One cow, (Old Wxlley,) milk and cream kept 

 separate, produced 52 lbs. and 9 oz. The quantity 

 of milk, accurately weighed and measured from the 

 six cows in one day, was 265 lbs. 10 oz., measuring 

 134 quarts; averaging for each cow in one day 22 £ 

 quarts. 



In the American Agriculturist for 1848, page 294, 

 Mr. Bell, of Morrisiana, gives a challenge for 

 milking stock, (his stock are Durhams,) which is 

 still open. If friend Hanford, or some of his friends 

 who have the "common stock," wish to test their 

 value as milkers against the Durhams, this will 

 afford them a good opportunity. We have not the 

 pleasure of a personal acquaintance with Mr. Bell, 

 nor do we know much about his herd: but judging 

 from the animals we have seen, and knowing that 

 they possess the blood of the late Earl Spencer's 

 celebrated herd, we have no fears as to the result. 



There are many recorded facts showing the good 

 milking qualities of the short horns, a few of which 

 we will briefly mention. Mr. Calvert, near Bramp- 

 ton, in England, had a short horn cow, which pro- 

 duced 373 lbs. of butter in 32 weeks. In one week 

 she produced 17 lbs. on grass pasture. The imported 

 cow Dime, owned by Mr. Allen, gave upwards 

 of 30 quarts of milk per day, on grass pasture. Mr. 

 Whittaker of England had one cow, Yellow Rose, 

 which gave when 3 years old, 36 quarts (wine meas- 

 ure) per day, and when 4 years old 38 quarts. The 

 celebrated herd of Col. Jaqtjes of Mass., which 



* The keeping of these cows during the winter previous 

 to the trial, was hay fed at night, and during the day corn 

 stalks and straw in the barn yard. Had the pasture been 

 first rate during the lime of trial, we presume the cows 

 would have yielded nearly two pounds of butter more per 

 week each. 



from the quantity and quality of their milk he has 

 named " Cream - pots," are high grade Durhams; 

 descended on the side of their sire from the imported 

 bull Calebs, While Col. J. owned this bull he 

 received no less than three thousand two hundred 

 and thirty dollars for his services. (A better invest- 

 ment we should think than money in the state stocks.) 

 In a letter to the Editor of the Cultivator, in 1845, 

 Col. J. says: "The different strains of CcdeUs 

 blood are now daily talked of, and are eagerly sought 

 after, * * * particularly by our milk-men." A little 

 farther on the editor remarks — "Particular trials 

 have been made with some individuals of this stock, 

 and they have given at the rate of from seventeen to 

 twenty-one pounds of butter per week." Truly a 

 strain of Durham blood does not injure the milking 

 qualities of our native stock. Mr. Allen, Editor 

 of the American Agriculturist, for 1848, page 54, 

 says: "For a combination of all these qualities," 

 (viz: good working cattle, good beeves and good 

 milkers,) "and especially as beeves and milkers, we 

 do not think those Durhams which are properly bred 

 can be excelled.'''' In the article referred to Mr. 

 Allen tells a story of a Durham bull, which we 

 wish friend Hanford to read. We think, however, 

 it will be rather hard for his quality feeding to digest. 



" It is said," (by whom 1 any one that ever bred 

 or owned a pure bred Durham ?) " they are great 

 consumers. In this principle it will be observed is 

 involved the quality of feeding." We should like 

 to see the facts with figures to prove this. We 

 deny the charge; and without the testimony we think 

 we have as good a right to demur as friend Hanford. 



The Editor of the Cultivator in 1845, page 44, 

 speaking of Mr. Prentice's Durhams says: "This 

 herd of cattle cannot be large consumers ; after mak- 

 ing clue allowances for the fertility and production of 

 the land, the quantity of stock kept is certainly re- 

 markable. * * * Appolenia is one of the best dairy 

 cows we have ever seen." 



In 1842 in the New Genesee Farmer, Mr. Colman, 

 then Editor, says — "If any man, however, chooses 

 to see this stock in perfection, let him go to the farm 

 of E. P. Prentice, of Albany; and if he has any 

 prejudices of any kind against the stock, and is not 

 prepared to yield every one of them, I can only say 

 he is differently constituted from what I am." 



We last fall purchased the cow Charlotte of Mr. 

 Vail, [for portrait of this cow see plate in February 

 number of Cultivator, for 1848 — Ed.] formerly owned 

 by Mr. Prentice. We have kept this cow through 

 the winter until February, entirely upon barley straw; 

 and yet such is her thrift and the ease with which 

 she is kept, that strangers frequently inquire if we 

 are fattening her. A few years since we kept a 

 Durham bull Nero, from Mr. Van Rennselaer's 

 stock, owned by Mr. Ward of Wampsville. During 

 part of the winter we were under the necessity of 

 feeding this bull wheat straw, as he was likely to 

 become too fleshy upon barley straw for spring's 

 service. We don't however suppose that all Dur- 

 ham's will keep with the ease of the two last men- 

 tioned animals, but we do think as a herd they are 

 small consumers. As to the cow referred to in our 

 previous article we would say, that she is expected 

 to calve in June next, and should we find it conve- 

 nient, as we presume we shall, it will afford us much 

 pleasure to furnish friend Hanford, and the readers 

 of the Farmer the information he requests. 



We would not advise A. G. P., if he is about com- 



