No. 1. 



Product of Dairy Cows. — Breaking Steei'S. 



11 



Product of Dairy Coavs. 



Editors Cultivator, — I notice in the 

 last number of your paper, a proposition of 

 Mr. Sotham, at Hereford Hall, to ascertain 

 the product, for the current year, of his dairy 

 of Hereford cows, tor the benefit of the pub- 

 lic. I entertain the opinion, that it is only 

 by pursuing this course, that the public can 

 ever become enlightened on this subject. 

 We have had theories and opinions, unsub- 

 stantiated by facts, in abundance ; we now 

 call for proof of these theories, and it can 

 only be furnished by experiments of this 

 character. Tiie isolated cases which have 

 been exhibited as tests of superior milking 

 qualities in some of the improved breeds of 

 cows, in my judgment prove nothing. Simi- 

 lar examples can be shown respecting any 

 breed. It is not enough that a single cow, 

 for a .single jsveeli, yields a large product, 

 upon high keeping. Place, with 10 or 20 

 others of the same kind, this cow, and keep 

 them in the same manner that the native 

 cows of the ordinary dairy farmer are kept ; 

 weigh and measure the products for the pe- 

 riod of a year; and if they possess superior 

 properties, it will by this process be made 

 evident. I should be happy if some gentle- 

 man who has a dairy of Short-horns, will 

 pursue this course and give the result. If 

 ^ there is such an one, I wish to state, for his 

 f encouragement, that from my dairy of 12 

 cows, not one of which possesses a drop of 

 royal blood, — for the current year, commenc- 

 ing 1st of March, 1842, I made 6,403 lbs. of 

 cheese and butter, or about 533^ lbs. per 

 head — the cheese weighed when cured and 

 sold. There is no estimate here ; it is the 

 actual weight. The feed of the cows was 

 grass and hay alone, no meal or roots being 

 used. Mr. Sotham is going ahead on the 

 right principle: success to him. In this way 

 •we shall become possessed of the truth, which 

 in these days of humbug and moonshine, is a 

 great desideratum. 



Respectfully yours, Jas. T. Norton. 



Goshen, Conn., April 17th, 1843. 



Breaking Steers. 



A FARMER who had exchanged oxen with 

 another, found that he had come into posses- 

 sion of a pair of real cut and run fellows; 

 a pair that were not slow neither, nor very 

 particular as to the time or occasion of show- 

 ing their speed to their new proprietor. 



Being in the woods one day, and just ready 

 to hitch on to a log, they started for home, 

 and he after them in pursuit. The oxen 

 having many/ee< the start of him, and more 

 feet to apply as locomotives, soon won the 

 race, and wouldn't heave-to till the barn-yard 

 brought them up. Tiie owner said nothing 

 to them when he arrived, but supplied him- 

 self with an extra number of chains, and 

 drove them quietly down again to tiie woods. 

 He then put all the chains he had together, 

 put one end round a tree and backing the 

 oxen up, hooked them on — and then turned 

 away to other business. In a few minutes 

 the oxen started again, and being elated 

 with their former success, started with more 

 steam than at first; little thinking that they 

 were moored by a chain cable. They had 

 made but a leap or two, and began almost 

 to shout for victory, when — crack O ! they 

 came to a dead stand, and their necks were 

 almost broken by the suddenness of the 

 check. The farmer then moved them to 

 another tree, fastened one end as before, and 

 coiled the slack of the chain at the roots. 



As soon as the pain was a little over they 

 thought they would try a new gallopade. — 

 Hardly had they got a fair start when the 

 chain began to straighten, and they were 

 brought up again "all standing." This was 

 too much for even the " patience of an ox," 

 and one of them " roared right out" with 

 pain and vexation, and they probably men- 

 tally resolved to reform their habits, for they 

 never tried to run away again. — Maine 

 Partner. 



Gentle means the best. — The best tamer 

 of colts that was ever known in Massachu- 

 setts, never allowed whip or spur to be used; 

 and the horses he trained never needed the 

 whip. Their spirits were unbroken by se- 

 verity, and they obeyed the slightest impulse 

 of the voice or rein, with the most animated 

 promptitude. He said it was with horses as 

 with children — if accustomed to beating, they 

 would not obey without it. But if managed 

 with untiring gentleness, united with con- 

 sistent and very equable firmness, the victory 

 once gained over them was complete. 



Bees. — To prevent bees from going off 

 upon swarming, take the precaution, when 

 they exhibit a disposition to swarm, to stop 

 most of the holes by which they leave the 

 hive, so as to force the swarm to be a good 

 while coming out. The swarm is commonly 

 made up of the young bees, many of whom 

 can scarcely fly; and as nothing can be done 

 by the swarm till all are out of the hive, but 

 fly about in the air; by prolonging the time 

 of their coming out, the feeble ones get tired, 

 and their plans so frustrated, that it is ne- 

 cessary for them to alight lor rest, and to 

 re-arrange for their journey. If the swarm 

 be able to leave the old hive all at once, 

 they care but little about alighting. — Prai- 

 rie Farmer. 



