260 



/. W. Roberts^ Durham Steers. — Ingenious Haven. Vol. IX. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 I. W. Roberts' Durham Steers. 



An account of two Durham Steers, raised 

 and fed In/ Isaac W. Roberts, Esq., of Mont- 

 gomery county. Pa. 



The larg-er Steer was six years old; 

 he had been stall fed two winters and 

 one summer, principally on ground Indian 

 corn and oats, with a few sugar beets. He 

 was for his size a very light eater, aver- 

 aging in winter, about nine quarts per day, 

 and six quarts in §ummcr, with the advan- 

 tage of good natural grass for pasturage. 

 When under four years old, he had during 

 winter, a few sugar beets witii a little wheat 

 bran, and was always fed on good hay. He 

 was a remarkably close built and thick set 

 animal, and formed almost the perfect solid 

 parallelogram, wiiich is the grand desidera- 

 tum of the English grazier. Besides which, 

 every point essential to a good beast, was 

 filled out, prominent and complete; he was 

 in a word, a tkoroughly fat animal. His 

 hide was unusually light and clear, being 

 almost semi-transparent. The loose fat and 

 entrails were very small. He was exceed- 

 ingly rich, fine and broad on the back and 

 loins, and not less full and prominent on the 

 ribs, flanks, dz:c. He was in every point all 

 that the most fastidious butcher or grazier 

 could desire, and probably in fatness and 

 form, has never been excelled, if equalled, 

 in this eminently grazing district. 



He was not unusually large, but the 

 weight and measure may be of interest 

 for comparison, and we therefore give 

 them. Live weight about 2,000 lbs. — dead 

 neat weight 1826 lbs ; three feet through the 

 shoulders ; three feet seven inches through 

 the ribs; and two feet six inches across the 

 hips; depth of shoulders, three feet seven 

 inches; girth behind the shoulders, nine feet 

 six inches; aroimd the first ribs, 10 feet five 

 inches; over the hips, nine feet three inch- 

 es; length from the pomt of the withers in 

 the set of the tail, six feet seven and a half 

 inches; do. from the root of the horns to tail, 

 eight feet three inches. The smaller steer 

 was five years old, he weighed alive 22S5 lb.<., 

 and dead 1503 lb.s. ; he was not so fat as his 

 companion, but equally fine in quality ; his 

 feed was precisely the same in kind and 

 quantity. He was a beautiful steer, and was 

 by some as much admired as the larger ani- 

 mal, but in form and valuable points, was 

 not so prominent, or conformable to the re- 

 quirements of the butcher and grazier. The 

 larger steer was seven-eighths Purham ; and 

 got by Col. Powell's "Frolic;" the other 

 was three-fourths Durham, and hi." sire was 

 Mr. Kelly's celebrated " Prince of Wales;" 



both were the progeny of Mr. Roberts' dis- 

 tinguished butter and stock cow, "Rosanna." 

 They died well, and the beef made a 

 beautiful display on the shambles. The city 

 butchers, although frequently invited, declin- 

 ed buying, or even looking at them, and 

 without any assignable cause. Their owner 

 was therefore compelled to have them exhi- 

 bited on the Farmers'' Stalls, and they were 

 brought to market by Messrs, Levermg and 

 Sons on the 1st instant, and sold on his own 

 account. Some apprehension was felt that 

 so much fat and heavy beef could not be dis- 

 posed of, without the agency and skill of the 

 city victualers; but the result proved highly 

 satisfactory ; every pound was sold, and at 

 fully remunerating prices. It will we hope 

 be the means of improving to the citizens of 

 Philadelphia, this new source of supply. 

 Very respectfully, A. S. Roberts. 

 Philadelphia, March 5th, 3845. 



Some birds have a great deal of humour 

 in them, particularly the raven. One that 

 belonged to me was the most mischievous 

 and amusing creature I ever met with. He 

 would get into the flower garden, go to the 

 beds where the gardener had sowed a great 

 variety of seeds, with sticks put in the ground 

 with labels, and then he would amuse hira-^ 

 self with pulling up every stick, and laying 

 them in heaps of ton or twelve in the path. 

 This used to irritate the old gardener very 

 much, who would drive him away. The 

 raven knew that he ought not to do it, or 

 he would not have done it. He would soon 

 return to his mischief, and when the garden- 

 er again chased him — the old man could not 

 run very fast — the raven would keep just 

 clear of the rake or hoe in his hand, dancing 

 before him, and singing as plain as a raven 

 could — "Tol de rol de rol! tol de rol de rol !" 

 with all kinds of mimicking gestures. — New 

 Monthly Magazine. 



Burning Smoke. — At the last session of 

 the British Parliament, it was enacted that 

 from and after the 1st of last month, the fur- 

 naces of Manchester and Salfbrd shall con- 

 sume their own smoke or pay a penalty of 

 40s. a week for not doing so. As a matter 

 of economy, therefore, the factory people 

 have found it necessary to comply with the 

 law. The .■=moke is efi'cctually prevented by 

 an extremely simple contrivance, and unat- 

 tended with any trouble nr difficulty to ihe 

 engineers ; the plan consisting merely of the 

 introduction into the furnace of a due pro- 

 portion of atmospheric air, whereby perfect 

 combustion and a considerable saving of fuel 

 are effected. 



