502 



NEW ENGLAND FAR]MER. 



Nov. 



eral generations to breed their coarseness and 

 ■wild nature out. It is a question whether it 

 would not be cheaper to introduce our belter 

 natives, even into their own country, with 

 which to commence a prolitable herd. The 

 common run of" Texan cattle must be doomed 

 to extinction, ultimately, before the better 

 breeds. 



We only mention them here, because in 

 their own ranges, and over an extensive ter- 

 ritory, they are the prevailing cattle, and 

 many of them there must be of better quality 

 than we have described. A few short-horns, 

 from Kentucky, have, years ago, been taken 

 to Texas, with an effort to improve the native 

 Mexican stock, but we hear of no results 

 worth noting ; nor can there be much improve- 

 ment, so long as they retain their wild and 

 vagrant habits. These cattle, in addition to 

 Texas and New Mexico, are extensively kept, 

 by the natives in the JMexican territory of 

 Lower California, the adjoining Provinces, 

 and to a considerable extent iu our own State 

 of California itself. 



There should be a sanitary law, if nothing 

 else, to regulate the introduction of these cat- 

 tle into the States north of Texas or New 

 Mexico, as they have either brought with 

 them, or originated within themselves on the 

 way, deadly diseases, which have spread from 

 them wiiile in our Western States, into which 

 they were driven for market, and large num- 

 bers of valuable cattle have died from their 

 contagion. We give an extract from one of 

 our agricultural periodicals, touching the dis- 

 ease we have alluded to : — 



"The Texas Cattle Plagxje. — The 

 troublesome and dangerous disease intro- 

 duced occasionally among the cattle of Mis- 

 souri and Kentucky, by those driven from 

 Texas, to which we have heretofore referred, 

 is now called by this name in our Western 

 exchanges. The Farmer''s Advertiser, (a pe- 

 riodical just established at St. Louis, under 

 the editorship of Dr. L. D. Morse,) says: — 



" 'We iiave seen a letter addressed to a 

 friend, from a gentleman in Southwest Mis- 

 souri, which details his experience with the 

 cattle plague from its first introduction to the 

 present autumn — the substance of which is, 

 that there was no such disease known prior 

 to the introduction of Texas cattle; that up 

 to ISGO, he was a heavy loser annually by it. 

 That from 18(51 to IStJ."), the rebellion broke 

 up the cattle trade from Texas. During those 

 years he lo?t not a single head, though a large 

 dealer in cattle all the time. That in the 

 present j ear, soon after the first appearance 

 of Texas herds, the disease broke out again, 

 and he hid lo>t upwards of 150 head during 

 the sea-ion — as many as 20 dying in a day. 

 He recommends that the present law be so 

 amended, as to entirely prohibit the introduc- 

 tion of these cattle, from the first of April to 

 the first of October; and that from the first of 



October to the first of April, there be no re- 

 striction. 



" 'There are not sufficient data to determine 

 how early in autumn they can be permitted to 

 come in with safety; but as the disease this 

 year broke out in the viiinity of St. Louis (at 

 Cheltenham,) late in October, it appears that 

 the first of October is too early by a month at 

 least. The first victim was a fine cow, bought 

 out of a Texas drove ; in the course of ten 

 days, seven other cows running in the same 

 pasture took it and died. On the oOlh of Oc- 

 tober, we had the first white and killing frost; 

 since then there has been not a single case. 

 It would then seem that the disease is checked 

 and controlled by frosts ; the inference there- 

 fore is, that there is no safcity in suffering 

 them to come in until cold, frosty weather sets 

 in, which hardly ever comes earlier than the 

 first of November.' " 



As to their value for any economical pur- 

 pose, beyond their hides, what little tallow 

 they have, their horns and bones for manufac- 

 turing or fertilizing purposes, we consider 

 them of little consequence within the bounds 

 of modern civilization, or intelligent agricul- 

 ture. 



Remarks. — It may be proper to say that 

 the foregoing remarks on the Texan cattle dis- 

 ease were written several months previous to 

 the late excitement upon the subject. 



For the Neva England Farmer, 

 FARM PRODUCE IN" MARKET. 



Why all these stale eggs, this bad butter, 

 poor cheese, bruised, decaying fruit, coarse 

 and worthless vegetables, lean and tough 

 meats ? In short, why is so large a part of 

 the products of the farm of an inferior quality 

 and in a damaged condition when they reach 

 the consumer? Do not farmers yet know how 

 to raise, prepare for market and sell the sta- 

 ple an : common crops, or are they catching 

 the spirit so prevalent in American manufac- 

 turing of slighting and s-hamming everything 

 they do. Surely with all that is saiil and done 

 far tlie promotion of agriculture, people have 

 a right to look for a steady improvement in the 

 quality of provisions. 



To answer these questions, it is necessary 

 to consider who establish the standards for 

 whiih farmers aim, and who fix the system of 

 marketing. Farmers, like manufacturers, can- 

 not alone create their own market, or dictate 

 what articles shall be sold. To a certain ex- 

 tent they cater to the public taste. A promi- 

 nent feature of trade is that anv article to sell 

 well, to be popular, must be offered at a low 

 figure. This desire to get everything at the 

 lowest price possible, extends to the provision 

 trade and inclines many to buy the lower grade 

 of goods. A mistaken idea of economy leads 

 others to select goods of this description. 



