322 



Permanence of Blood. 



Vol. VI. 



Once, they constituted the life and soul of 

 every domestic establishment which had any 

 reputation for the abundance of its comforts, 

 for the cordial hospitality with which they 

 were administered, and for everything which 

 made home delightful ; but since their change, 

 go where you will, you meet them, even with 

 infants in their arms, flying to and fro over 

 the face of the earth, or the great waters 

 thereof, in search of something, they often 

 know not what, unless it be to kill time and 

 to see sights. The mighty agent of this fear- 

 ful revolution is that gigantic power — steam 

 — a power which has nearly annihilated both 

 time and space ; the instruments used, being 

 steamboats and railroad locomotives ; and so 

 constantly are they engaged in the service, 

 that should you wish to find any of these new 

 converts from the stay-at-home class, the par- 

 ticular spot which they honour with the name 

 of home, is one of the very last places on 

 earth in which you should look for them, un- 

 less it be in the depth of winter, when ice and 

 snow preclude all travelling, either by land 

 or water. The inevitable consequence is, 

 that when the females of the household are 

 no longer found at home, their fathers and 

 husbands, sons and brothers, must run with 

 them, either from affectionate regard for their 

 safety, or because they too have become in- 

 fected with the wandering fever ; and then 

 what follows? Why the females abandon 

 their domestic duties, and the men give up 

 their farms during the busiest seasons of the 

 year, to those whose interest it is to use them 

 tor their own special benefit. And when the 

 want of funds compels the proprietors to a 

 reluctant return, they find that everything 

 has gone wrong — their orders having been 

 totally neglected, or executed in a way so as 

 to be productive of more harm than good. 

 This state of things creates disappointment, 

 which suffices to beget lukewarmness, and at 

 length aversion to agricultural occupations; 

 and under such circumstances, improvements 

 in agriculture are things nearly as imprac- 

 ticable as the extraction of blood from tur- 

 nips or sunbeams from cucumbers .' — and it 

 is almost folly to hope for any, unless they 

 and their wandering families can learn once 

 more to resume the thrifty domestic habits 

 of their ancestors — a state of things scarcely 

 to be expected, in these times of general sus- 

 pension. 



" Agriculture demands the aid of every 

 other department of science; and from its 

 being the source of encouragement to every 

 other art, and the foundation of the whole 

 structure of national greatness, it becomes 

 the duty of every member of the profession 

 to adopt whatever may seem fitted for extend- 

 ing its capabilities." 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Permanence of Blood. 



Mr. Editor, — At page 379 of the 5th vol. 

 of the Cabinet, is an article by J. R. C, which 

 details several very remarkable instances of 

 what is called breeding back. Amongst the 

 rest, mention is made of Mr, Gowen's famous 

 cow Dairy-Maid, who the last year brought 

 a white calf by a roan bull — her colour also 

 being dark roan ; and the writer adds, " it is 

 probable that her next year's calf will be 

 white also, unless a bull of a more decided 

 colour shall be used." Now what will J. R. 

 C. say, when he is informed that Dairy-Maid's 

 calf of the present year, by "Prince of 

 Wales," is as white as milk ! Here are two 

 white calves since the cow was put to white 

 Colostra, showing most clearly the strength 

 of sympathy, and the danger of ever using a 

 white bull, unless the wish be, to obtain a 

 whole dairy of white cattle. And at page 

 222 of the same volume, we find an account 

 of the breeding back of that other remarka- 

 ble cow, "Blossom," whose progenitor was 

 " Comet," of white colour, and who had al- 

 ready brought two white calves. And then 

 follow two remarkable instances of the same 

 propensity in the feathered creation. 



In addition to the above very curious col- 

 lection of facts on this highly interesting sub- 

 ject, I find another, which seems to be well 

 authenticated, and is worth preserving: it is 

 taken from the Maine Farmer. " Forty-two 

 years ago, a Mr. Wingate removed into Hal- 

 lowell, and brought with him a polled or horn- 

 less bull and cow. The bull was sold and 

 driven away, but a bull-calf was raised from 

 the cow, which at two years old was shot for 

 a bear, he being without horns and of black 

 colour. This was some 35 or 36 years ago, 

 and since that time no hornless bull has been 

 with his stock, yet they have always had ani- 

 mals of the polled breed. Mr. Wingate has 

 a cow that has raised two calves with horns 

 by a horned bull, but last spring the same 

 cow brought a fine polled bull-calf by a horned 

 bull also ! Jn this instance, none of the polled 

 breed, as sires, have been with Mr. Wingate's 

 stock for nearly 40 years, and yet the polled 

 blood continues to show itself amongst the 

 calves." How careful, then, ought breeders 

 to be in their selections and crossings; rely- 

 ing upon it that a bad point also will lurk in 

 the blood and make its appearance after years 

 shall have passed away, and the circumstance 

 be forgotten. W. C. 



One man considers himself rich, because 

 he has money to lend at usurious interest; 

 another, because he owns a large amount of 

 stocks in some moneyed institution ; but the 

 farmer's wealth consists in his rich lands. 



