No. 5. 



Hereford Cattle. 



145 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Hereford Cattle. 



Mr. Editor, — A friend has forwarded 

 me your last paper, that I might peruse a 

 letter from Mr. Thomas Tliompson, Prospect 

 Farm. I have read it carefully, but do not 

 see any thing to the point; and I am at a 

 loss how to take it, whether intended as a 

 compliment or a sneer for me. I like to see 

 a man flourish his pen without fear, and tell 

 plainly what he means, and not insinuate. 



Can Mr. T. point out to me one breeder 

 in Herefordshire, that gives his calves new 

 milk from two cows ] if not, he has no right 

 to assert this ; hear-say is no proof. If he 

 is a descendant of Messrs. Randall & Hep- 

 burn, &c., and has read Youatt, that is no 

 foundation to rest such an assertion upon. 

 Youatt is no guide for a practical man. I 

 can name two breeders in this State, who 

 have said it, and I know one of them will 

 say so publicly. Nor do I believe he can 

 maintain that Herefordshire calves have 

 new milk in any way, except when fed for 

 the butcher. 



Again — he says linseed jelly will make 

 a larger, better, fatter calf, than any thing 

 else. I know this assertion is not made 

 from practice, and I will leave him to prove 

 it by trial; he cannot give a young calf be 

 yond a limited quantity; it will do more 

 harm than good ; and that limit is not equal 

 to new milk — let Mr. T. try it, and tiien 

 state his experience. 



The only bull calf I saved, I let run with 

 the cow, and he came to house fat; but my 

 heifers and steers came thin ; they neither 

 had jelly nor milk, after the 1st of June, nor 

 shall they have a particle of meal of any 

 description, if I know it. I decline feeding 

 high for, breeding stock, altogether; if a calf 

 is "forced, that forcing must be continued, and 

 1 know it will not pay. I know many breed- 

 ers who have ruined their stock from high 

 keeping, and then are at a loss to tell the 

 public the true cause. My feed this winter, 

 will be ruta-baga and hay, the best feed of 

 any other, for calves. 



I suppose Mr. T. alludes to Mr. Rhodes, 

 of Islington, for his 1000 milkers ; and to Mr. 

 Laycock, of the same place, for his 700. If 

 so, he is mistaken. I have frequently ex- 

 amined both herds. They are not Short- 

 horns : they are what are called in England, 

 old fashioned Durhams, or Yorkshires. I 

 did not see one of the Improved Short-horns 

 or Herd Book animals, in either herd. 



I will grant the old fashioned Durham is 

 the best breed for city milking establish- 

 ments ; they give a great quantity, but in- 

 ferior quality, except in a few instances; 



and when they give quality, they are truly 

 extraordinary ; nor do they want any "milk 

 and water" letters to puff them : they how- 

 ever, consume a great quantity of food over 

 a Hereford. To contend with this breed, I 

 want allowance made for food, each having 

 it weighed to them. The Improved Short- 

 horns, although great consumers, I ask no- 

 thing for; they may stand side by side, and 

 both be fed alike, although I consider less 

 feed a very prominent item. And I agree 

 with Mr. Bates, of Kirkleavington, that 

 there are but very few of the best Short- 

 horns. The Yorkshires are abundant, and 

 there are good and bad of that breed as well 

 as of every other. I took it for granted, 

 that every reasonable man would make the 

 allowance for my "young things." 



I have but four yearling heifers, and I 

 will show three of them at three years old, 

 against Mr. T. or his reporter'' s Short-horns, 

 for milking, symmetry, and quality, sepa- 

 rately or collectively. Mr. T. may call this 

 boasting, but I call it right principle. I 

 will not boast of beating, if the challenge is 

 not accepted. / tcant a fair trial. And I 

 repeat for the Cabinet, what I have done for 

 the Agriculturist and Cultivator; that I will 

 show from six to ten breeding cows, and a 

 bull, all pure Herefords, against a similar 

 number of any breed in the United States, 

 for beauty, symmetry, quality, milking, and 

 activity for breeding working oxen, for a 

 premium of a silver tankard, value $i50, and 

 meet tlie acceptor half way. This may be 

 deemed boasting : I do it to defend, and not 

 to hrag, and I say it is the only means of 

 arriving at trusty knowledge. I shall name 

 my judge ; my opponent may have the choice 

 of the other two, if he is disposed. 



I have no fears in relation to profit from 

 native cattle. What I should call boasting, 

 would be for a man to boast of having beaten 

 twelve three-year olds, with twelve aged, 

 tried cows: when I do this, you may call 

 me a brag. I like bold assertions well 

 maintained; and I want to come to trial with 

 the Short-horns. You may hear from me 

 again if you wish it. 



Wm. H. Sotham. 



Hereford Hall, near Albany, 

 Nov. 20th, 1843. 



Lime spots on woollen clothes, may be 

 completely removed by strong vinegar. The 

 vinegar effectually neutralizes the lime, but 

 does not generally affect the colour of the 

 cloth. Dark cloth, the colour of which has 

 been completely destroyed in spots six inches 

 square, has thus had its original colour com- 

 pletely restored. 



