112 



Native StocJc. 



Vol. VI. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Native Stock. 



Mr. Editor, — I am miich pleased with the 

 bpanliful portraits ofremaricable cattle of the 

 different and very distinct breeds which you 

 give us, and most readily do I join in the 

 praise which is so generally awarded to the 

 Farmers' Cabinet for bringing us acquainted 

 with their peculiarities, so faithfully executed, 

 ns well in the drawing as the engraving. 

 The experience which has been obtained from 

 that source will turn to good account, in our 

 future progress in stock-breeding. But I can- 

 not help tiiinking, that mucli good would be 

 done, were you to give us from time to time, 

 the portraits and particulars of some of our 

 native breeds, of which there are great and 

 very distinct varieties, some partaking largely 

 of the Alderney blood, and which, with care 

 in keeping and selection in the breeding, 

 might come near to rival those which have 

 lately been bringing $200, as imported stock 

 of that peculiar breed. The last time I visit- 

 ed the drove-yard, I saw a small cow of that 

 description, with which I would not have 

 feared a trial with the best, for she was as 

 thin and poor as could be desired, with a ca- 

 pacity for milking, equal in appearance to 

 the Ayrshire, at p. 231 of the 5th vol. of the 

 Cabinet. 



I find some very sensible remarks on this 

 important subject in a late number of the 

 Southern Planter, which would, I conceive, 

 be acceptable to your readers. In that south- 

 ern climate, they have suffered immense losses 

 amongst imported cattle, broua^ht from the 

 more northern parts of the country, as well 

 fis from Europe; and imdor these circum- 

 stances, I think the advice "to improve the 

 native breeds by judicious crossing," highly 

 to be commended. 



It is said : " Now we ask our readers, if it 

 is not better by careful selection and judicious 

 crossing, to raise a stock which will be accli- 

 mated, than to rely upon northern or western 

 importations 1 When we consider the mys- 

 terious and fatal disease to which all imported 

 cattle are subject in Eastern Virginia, we 

 hazard the assertion, that home production is 

 the only course to which we can ever look for 

 permanent and valuable improvement in our 

 etock of cattle. It seems to be a principle 

 recognized, that cattle degenerate with a 

 chans^e of climate, with few exceptions; ac- 

 cordingly, every district in England has its 

 peculiar stock, which is generally the native 

 breed improverl by judicious selection. So 

 valuable is •acclimation, tiiat the judicious 

 breeder seldom discard'^ the native stock, but 

 builds upon it by careful selection and cross- 

 ing; and poor as our native stock of cattle 

 may appear, we are little aware how much 



of that appearance is owing to indifferent 

 keep and bad management, or what vast im- 

 provement may be effected by a more judi- 

 cious course. We once knew a physician in 

 country practice who had a fine eye for a 

 cow, and who, when he met with, one that 

 pleased his fancy, would purchase her, per- 

 haps for eight or ten dollars, and by judicious 

 keep and management, increase her milk 

 from a quart, to several gallons at a milking; 

 she then became the wonder of the neigh- 

 bourhood, and was soon purchased by some 

 less judicious person at a very high price; 

 another, purchased in her stead, showing the 

 same results. And this person, who was a 

 man of great observation and judgment, and 

 devoted to agricultural pursuits, often de- 

 clared his conviction of the ability, if his pro- 

 fessional engagements permitted, to raise 

 from our native cattle a stock for the dairy 

 equal to any that could be imported. The 

 fact is, that for producing a good stock of our 

 own, the material is not so much wanting in 

 our cattle, for nature everywhere affords fa- 

 vourable specimens of her work ; we only 

 require more information and discernment 

 amongst our breeders. What avails it, to 

 advise the selection of the best individuals, if 

 those are ignorant of anatomy, and of points 

 indicating the qualities to be desired? 



Cattle are used for three purposes, as oxen 

 for draught, as producers of milk, or for the 

 food they afford as beef: there are certain 

 points of form giving activity and endurance 

 to the ox ; there are others, indicating a milk- 

 ing propensity in the cow, and there are 

 others arrain, denoting a tendency to convert 

 food into fat ; the marks of each are certain, 

 and easily understood by observation and 

 study, but they no more come by nature than 

 do reading and writing. We then advise our 

 farmers to make themselves acquainted with 

 these points of form, by resorting to the best 

 works and obtaining the best advice they can 

 procure on the subject : let them select a cer- 

 tain number of our native cattle, according to 

 the information they shall obtain, and keeping 

 them in the best manner, let them select from 

 their offspring those individuals only as breed- 

 ers, having the points they have learnt to 

 esteem: every year they will find the pro- 

 duce coming nearer their standard of perfec- 

 tion, and they would venture to confer a. high- 

 soitnding name upon them, which will be all 

 that is wanted to enable them to rival the 

 " imported." C. 



Innocence, meekness, purity, integrity, 

 and faithfulness have each a power over evil, 

 but when united and crowned with benevo- 

 lence, they exert a power by which evil is, 

 almost of necessity, overcome. 



