138 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEE. 



March 



of its tropical vegetation. Forests act as regula- 

 tors, preserving snow and rain from melting and 

 evaporation, and producing a regularity in the 

 flow of tlie rivers draining them. When they 

 disappear, thunder-storms become less frequent 

 and heavier, the snow melts in the lirst warm 

 days of spring, causing freshets, and in the fall 

 the rivers dry up and cease to be navigable. 

 These freshets and droughts also produce the ma- 

 laria which is the scourge of Western bottom- 

 lands. Forests, although they are lirst an obsta- 

 cle to civilization, soon become necessary to its 

 continuance. Our rivers, not having their sourc- 

 es above the snow line, are dependent on forests 

 for their supply of water, and it is essential to 

 the future prosperity of the country that they 

 should be preserved. " 



FIFTH LEGISLATIVE AGRICULTURAL 

 MEETING. 



Reported for the New England Farmer, 

 BY WILLIAM W. HILL. 



No. 5, in tlie series of agricultural meetings, 

 ■was held in the Representatives' Hall, at the State 

 House, on Tuesday evening, 13th inst. 



Sanford Howard, Esq., of the Boston Cultiva- 

 tor, presided, and opened the discussion of the 

 evening. After some remarks in regard to the 

 influence of domestic animals, on civilization, their 

 native localities, &c., he proceeded to speak of 

 the fact that our domestic animals, not being na- 

 tive to the soil, but brought over by the colonists 

 from various localities, presented a miscellaneous 

 character at the outset, and the want of skill in 

 the propagation has led to great diversity. In 

 this respect, however, proper attention is begin- 

 ning to be devoted to the subject. Two or three 

 questions had been put into his hands, the writers 

 requesting his views thereon. One was, "What 

 are improved breeds of cattle, and how are they 

 produced?" He would reply that a breed of cat- 

 tle may be said to be improved when the standard 

 is raised in regard to any particular quality, — as 

 the yield of more milk or flesh. They may be im- 

 proved in one quality and lose in another ; as an 

 .animal may be made to yield more abundantly of 

 isnUk, but it will decrease proportionably in flesh, 

 ftud the flesh may be increased, but the milk will 

 be diminished at the same time. The object 

 should be to work for a particular object, and if 

 the animal deteriorates in some other respects, no 

 matter. The means to be used are very simple, 

 although much judgment is requisite in the use 

 of them. It consists in propagating from those 

 animals which possess in the highest degree the 

 qualities iwe desire. Another question asked was, 

 ' * What k breeding in-and-in ? " While some ap- 

 plied the term only to animals distantly related, 

 he conceived the only true idea of the matter to 

 be that it applied to creatures of the same blood. 

 The consequeoces of breeding in-and-in he be- 



lieved might be either good or bad, and dept nded 

 wholly on the skill of the breeder. As proof that 

 breeding in-and-in is not contrary to nature, he 

 referred to birds, the buffalo, &c., in a wild state. 

 It is known that they breed "in-and-in" couytant- 

 ly, and yet no deterioration takes plat!"*. He had 

 known geese to be propagated in tl-is ' f.y for for- 

 ty years, and not the slightest depreciation in 

 size, quality or feather was visible in them. Still, 

 cases could be cited where breeding in-ani'-in had 

 produced bad results ; yet he thought they might 

 be satisfactorily attributed to imperfections in the 

 parent stock. It is only necessaiy co select per- 

 fect specimens. A third question was, "Are small 

 lungs an advantage in cattle designed for fatten- 

 ing?" This idea might seem perfeetly prcpester- 

 ous, but the theory h.is been broached by some 

 who professed to raise cattle on sclenuuc princi- 

 ples. The theory is that, with small lungs, the 

 animal cannot throw off so much carbon, and 

 therefore more of it is retained to be converted 

 into fat. This is a great fallacy, for when the 

 organs of the creature are most fully developed 

 and healthiest, then is fat generated the fastest. 



Mr. Brooks, of Princeton, follo'.red, and re- 

 marked that he did not profess to have much 

 knowledge in regard to raising caiie, yet from 

 what experience he had had, he wa.s of opinion 

 that breeding in-aud-iu was a very poor system. 

 He had succeeded badly in all efforts in that di- 

 rection. It might have been owing 'o de^'jcts in 

 the animals selected, but he could discover none 

 at the time. He agreed entirely witli the chair- 

 man in regard to the effect of contracted lungs in 

 fattening cattle. Good health is essential to fat- 

 tening stock, and this could not be maintained 

 without good lungs in cattle any more than in 

 men. The small lungs of Durham cattle were in 

 his mind a serious drawback upon thiir value. 

 They are more liable to disease than native or 

 other breeds, in consequence of this peculiarity, 

 and they do not work so well, not having so good 

 wind. He thought the State should take la hand 

 the subject of making experiments in regard to 

 cattle. The climate he considered Lad a good 

 deal to do with the class of animals which we 

 need to raise. Perhaps native stock v.-ould bo the 

 best to rear from, as they are accliiiiated, whilo 

 foreign breeds cannot bear our climate, and con- 

 sequently deteriorate. In order to obtain a desi- 

 rable race of animals, the best specioiecs among 

 us should be selected. It would take mu,ny years 

 to accomplish this object, however. 



Mr. Meuriam, of Tewkshury, said that some of 

 Mr. Brooks's conclusions were at variance with 

 his experience. He had bred Durham cattle for 

 the last fifteen years, and considered their speed 

 as travellers, remarkable. He considered them 

 good workers, having used them on his farm ; 



