NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



211 



ol ii superior breed lor (atimj at an early 

 ;e ; ami most probahly was descended iVom tlie 

 eed mentioned by Mr. Corner. 

 At that period it was tliouglit that no ox 

 uld lie made properly fat under live 3 oar.s old ; 

 d 1 remember going in the }'ear 1781', to 

 » as a curiosity, a steer ;? and a half years old 

 Mr. Robin.son's of Hnlton. that was suppos- 

 to weigh 1 12U lbs. and had been sold for ij'JO* 

 it to select a variety to I'allen at much earlier 

 8 than had ever yet been obtained, was left 

 the breeders of the present day to accom- 

 sh, who had the judgment to select, what ;« - 

 lent threw in their way. 



In the spring of the year, Mr. Basnet!, of Dar- 



gton purchased a cow, with a bull calf at her 



it, and putting her into a good pasture, she 



so fat, it induced him to dispose of her to a 



:cher in the August following, and the calf 



sold to a farmer in the neighborhood. At 



r years old he was purchased by Mr. Robert 



ng, and Mr. Waistell, of Alihill, who at 



time did not keep a bull for an}' other 



pose than serving their feeding cows; but 



Colling finding him to have a great propen- 



to get fat, sold him to his brother Charles 



lin?, who was then beginning to breed, and 



ious of selecting those with the best dispo- 



)ns to fatten ; for the same reasons, and with 



same view, he soon after purchased of Mr. 



nard, of Ayreholm, a cow, and a heifer, 



daughter. 



'his bull and cow, selected with so much judg- 

 t, are the original stock from which the 

 ■brated Durham ox, and the justly acknow- 

 ed superior breeds in the possession of Mr. 

 rles Colling, Mr. Robert Colling, and Mr. 

 stopher Mason, are descended. 

 essrs. Collings have frequently sold cdws 

 heifers for £lOO, and bull calves at £100. 

 Charles Colling has refused £aOO lor a 

 ; and in 1807, Mr. Mason refused 700 guin- 

 br a cow. 



bese gentlemen let bulls out by the year; 

 jrjces from 50 to 100 guineas ; and the pub- 

 re so fully convinced of their merits, that 

 : celebrated breeders, cannot supply the de- 

 I from the pure blood, which they are as 

 ous of preserving, as the amateurs of the 

 ire the breeds of their race horses, and 

 h the takers of bulls are become so well 

 unted with, that the prices they give, are 

 oportion to the good qualities of the indi- 

 ils and merits of their progenitors — more 

 •d being paid to their pedigree than to any 

 else ; for this purpose they have books 

 ining the full pedigree of their stock, sim- 



the stud book of race horses, by which 

 erson wanting to purchase any of their 



or to hire bulls, may see how they are 

 nded. 

 the surprisingly fat individuals of this va- 



numerous instances might be produced : 



1 select one most deserving of notice, and 

 iDowD in most parts of the kingdom by the 



of 



Thk Durham Ox ; 



ired by Mr. Charles Colling, of Ketton, in 

 ^ar 1796: his form and nice handling, indi- 

 every disposition to fatten at an early age 



he expectations entertained of him'by the 



ur and one-fourlh pence per pound, was a great 

 t that time. 



best judges were not disappointed : at live years 

 old he was not only covered thick with fat up- 

 on all the principal points, but his whole car- 

 case in !i manner loaded with it, and was then 

 thought so wonderful an animal, and so far ex- 

 ceeding whatever had been seen before, that 

 he was purchased to be exhibited as a show, 

 by IMr. Bulmcr, of Harmby, near Bedale, in 

 February, 1801, for £110: at this time he was 

 thought to weigh 2:>5'-' lbs. his live weight being 

 :!021 lbs.: this did not arise from his superior 

 size, as will be seen on comparison in the fol- 

 lowing table conlainin 





Mr. Bulmer got a proper carriage made to 

 convey him in, and after travelling with him 

 five weeks, sold him and the carriage at Roth- 

 eram to Mr. John Day. 



On the 4th of May, 1801, for 



On the 14th May, Mr. Day could 

 have sold him for 



On the 13th June, for 



On the 8th July, for 



Mr. Day preferred keeping him, persuaded 



that his merits were such, as would ensure him 



a greater return: but these prices are strong 



proofs of his very superior excellence, to what- 

 Jever had been seen in those districts before. 

 J Mr. Day travelled with him nearly six years, 



through the principal paits of England and Scot 

 land, and arrived at Oxford, m February, 10O7, 

 wliere on the lOlh, the ox by accident dislo- 

 cated his hi]) bone, and continued in that stale 

 until the I5lh April, when he was obliged to be 

 killed ; and notwithstanding he must have lost 

 considerably in weight, during this eight weeks' 

 of illness, yet his carcase weighed 



lbs. 

 four quarters 2.322 



Tallow 166 



Hide 112»^ 



This was his weight at 11 years old, under all 

 the disadvantages of six years travelling in a jolt- 

 ing carriage, and eight weeks of painful illness; 

 had he been kept quietly at Ketton, and proper- 

 ly fed until seven years old, there is little doubt 

 he would have weighed more than lie did at 

 ten years old, at which age Mr. Day states hi.s 

 live weight to be nearly 34 cwt. or 



3780 lbs. 

 From which if there be taken for 



offal 700 



Leaves the weight of the carcase 3080 lb?. 



Mr. Charge's ox was of the same breed as the 

 Durham ox, being descended from a bull of Mr. 

 Charles Ceiling's : he had been unwell for 

 some time before he was killed, which reduced 

 his weight considerably, at least 112 or 140 

 pounds. 



* From Mr. Day's pamphlet, giving an account of 

 this ox, tlie jilaces lie was shewn at, and distance trav- 

 elled, during the time he was in his possession. 



HINTS TO MECHANICS. 



Avoid giving long credits even to your best 

 customers. A man who can pay easily will not 

 thank you for the delay ; and a slack doubtful 

 paymaster is not to valuable a customer to dun 

 sliarply and seasonably. A fish may as well at- 

 tempt to live without water, or a man without 

 air, as a mechanic without punctuality and 

 promptness in collecting and paying his debts. 

 It is a mistaken and ruinous policy to attempt 

 to keep on get business by delaying collections. 

 When you lose a slack paymaster from your 

 books, you only lose the chance of losing your 

 money — and there is no man who pays more 

 money to lawyers than he who is least prompt 

 in "collecting for himself 



Take care how you agree to pay money for 

 your stock, your provisions, your rent, or your 

 fuel, and take dog skins for your work. One 

 hand must wash the other, as poor Richard says, 

 or both will go to jail dirty. Every man's 

 trade ought to bring him money enough to pay 

 all money demands against him ; and no man 

 can stand it long, who does not get money enough 

 from his business to pay the cash expenses of 

 carrying it on. == 



Maple Beer. — To every four gallons of water 

 (while boiling) add a quart of maple molas.ses. 

 When the liquor is cooled to blootl heal, put in 

 as much yeast as is necessary to ferment it. — 

 Mai', or bran may be added to this beer when 

 ao-reeable. If a table spoonful of the essence of 

 spruce is added to the above quantities of wa- 

 ter and molasses, it makes a most delicious and 

 wholesome drink. 



Chillblains. — A plaster of common turpentine 

 applied to chillblains, or frosted heels, will it is 

 said in a few days effect a cure. 



