NEW ENGIiAND FARMER. 



PUBLISHED BY J. B. RUSSELL, AT NO, 02 NORTH MARKET STREET, (at thk Agricultural Warf.house.)— T. G. FESSENDEN, EDITOll^ 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL, 13, 1831. N0./39. 



01^. IX. 



»<ss(iSLt^sr:i»sii^a:©sJ39 



k;)R the kew e.nglaxd farmer. 



SPAYED COWS. 



Fr.ssF.NPEN — Some years since, I passed a 



iier at Natchez and pnt np at the 1 Intel then 



by Mr Thomas Winn. — Durinp- tlie time that 



tliere, I noticed two remarkably fine cows, 



were kept constantly in the stable, the ser- 



ivho had charge of the horses, feedino- them 



arlv, three times a day, witli green Guinea 



cut with a sickle. 



cse cows had so often attracted my attention, 

 count of tlie great beauty of their form and 

 red color, tlie larwe size of their bacfs and 

 rh condition in which they -n-ere kept, that 

 at lentftli induced to ask ftfr Winn, to what 

 of cattle they belonged, and his reasons for 

 g tliem constantly in the stable, in prefer- 

 to allowing them to run in the pasture, where 

 ould enjoy the benefit of air and exercise, 

 the same time crop their own food and 

 ,' save the labor and trouble of feeding them ? 

 inn in reply to these inquires, stated, that 

 o cows which I so much admired, were of 

 mmon stock of the country and he believed 

 mish origin — but that they were both spayed 

 id that they had given milk, either two or 

 ears. — Considering this a phenomenon (if 

 lature, at least in art) I made further inqui- 

 Mr Winn, who politely entered into a very 

 ;ing detail, communicating facts, which were 

 aordinary, as they were novel to me, and 

 ng that they will prove equally as interest- 

 •our numerous agricultural readers, as they 

 I me, I am induced, on the request of a 

 to offer them for publication in your very 

 3 Journal, in the hope, that some of the 

 who supply our lar;;e towns with milk, 

 em them of sufficient importance, to make 

 lents for the purpose of ascertaining wheth- 

 iBiesults which they may obtain, will corrob- 

 .ta e facts stated by Mr Winn, and wliich, 

 ■iJiliey be fully confirmed, may lead to great 

 1 l)ortant benefits, not only to farmers, but to 

 ieepers and other inhabitants of cities, 

 iges who now keep cows, in order that 

 y be sure of a constant supply of pure and 

 crated milk. 

 MiVinn, by way of preface, observed, that 

 n former years been in the habit of read- 

 English Magazines which contained ac- 

 )f the ploughing matches which were an- 



Ield in some of the Southern Counties of 

 , performed by cattle, and that he had 

 that the ])rizes were generally adjudged 

 t!l|plough-nien, who worked with spayed 

 and although there was no connexion 

 that subject and the facts which he should 

 was nevertheless the cause which first 

 his mind into that train of thought and 

 g, which finally induced him to make the 

 jnts whicli resulted in the discovery of 

 of which he detailed and which I will 

 ra as accurately as my memory will enable 

 ) it, after the lapse of more than twenty 



Mr Winn's frequent reflections, had (he said) 

 led him to the belief— ' </m( J/" coi«s were spayed 

 soon ii/ler calving and while in a full flow of milk, 

 Ihcji would continue to give milk for many years, 

 withonl intermission or any diminution of quantity, 

 except what woul I be caused by a change from green 

 to dry or less succident food.'' 



To test this hypothesis, Mr Winn caused a very 

 lod cow, then in full milk, to he spayed ; the op- 

 iition was perfi)rmi'd about one mouth after the 



w Irul i)roduceil her third calf; it was not at- 

 tended with any severe pain or much or long cou- 

 tinneci' fever; the cow was apparently well in a 

 f(!w davs and very soon yielded her usual quantity 

 of milk and continued to give milk freely, for 

 several years, without any interuussion, or any 

 diminution in quantity, except when the feed was 

 scarce and dry — but a full flow of milk, always 

 returned, upon the return of a full supply of green 

 /bo;/.— This cow ran in the Mississippi low groun<ls 

 or s'vanip, near to Natchez, got cast in deep mire 

 and was found dead. — Upon her death, Mr Winn 

 caused a .•secoiirf cow to be spayed, the operation 



! entirely successful, the cow gave milk con- 

 strutly for several years — but in jumping a fence, 

 stuck a stake in her bag, that inflicted a severe 

 wDund, which obliged Mr Winn to kill her. 

 U|ion Xhis seco7id loss, Mr Winn had two other cows 

 spayed, and to prevent the recurrence of injuries 

 from simular causes with those which had occa- 

 si'pued him the loss of the two flrst spayed cows, 

 '.0 resolved to ker|) them !,Uvays in the stable, or 

 some safe inclosure and to supply them regularly 

 with green food, which that climate, throughout 

 the greater part, if not all the year, enabled him 

 to iirocure. 



Tlie result in regard to the two last spayed cows, 

 was as in the case of the two first entirely satis- 

 factory, and fully established, as Mr Winn be- 

 lieved, the fact, that the spaying of oows, lohile in 

 full milk, will cause them to continue to give inilk 

 diirii g the residue of their lives or until prevented 

 by old age. 



Wiien I saw the two last spayed cows it was I 

 believe, during the third year that they had con- 

 stantly given milk, after they were spayed. 



The character of Mr Winn, (now deceased) 

 was highly respectable and the most entire confi- 

 dence could be reposed in the fidelity of his state- 

 ments, and as regarded the facts which he commu- 

 nicated in relation to the several cows which he 

 had spayed, numerous persons with whom I 

 became acquainted, fully confirmed his state- 

 ments. 



At the time to which I alluded, I endeavored to 

 persuade Mr Winn to communicate the foregoing 

 facts to the late .Judge Peters, then president of 

 the Agricultural Society of Pennsylvania. But he i 

 was restrained from complying with my request by 

 an extreme unwillingness to appear before the 

 public, and peradventure, his discoven/ might prove 

 not to be new, as doubts in regard to the facts, 

 might inhere he tvas unknown, su!)ject him to some 

 degree of ridicule. 



The many and great advantages that would re- 

 sult to the community, from the possession of a 

 stock of cows, that would be constant milkers, are 

 too obvious, to require an enumeration. 



Should gentlemen be induced from this com- 

 munication, to make experiments, they will find 

 I it lietter to spay cows which \r,ve had several 

 calves, rather than beifi^rs, as at that age, their bags 

 are usually large and well fcrmed, ami are capa- 

 j ble of carrying a much (;rc;itcr ipiautity of milk 

 [ (without [Klin and iiic».ivenience,) than younger 

 animals. VIATOR. 



Keene, JV. H. April 1, 1831. 



Proceedings of the Massalhusetts Horticultural So- 

 ciety, at a meeting held t/t the Hall of the Institu- 

 tion on the 9th of April, \l831. 

 Report made by H. A. S. Deardovin, Prpsident of Iho Society. 



It is with great pleasure, vhat I am enabled to 

 announce encouraging indications of the deep 

 interest which has been exciti^l, in all parts of the 

 Union, in litvor of horticultural lairsuits. A spirit 

 of inquiry has gone forth, and a ; eal for collecting 

 and disseminating intelligence, se -ds and plants, 

 has lieeii evince I, within a few yea-s, wliirli pre- 

 sage great results. The liberality, which has been 

 extended towards our iiistitiition, by numerous 

 intelligent, patriotic and generous fellow citizens, 

 as well as by many foreign honerary and corres- 

 ponding mem'iers, merit our gialefnl ncknow- 

 ledgemeii:s. Having acquired n reputation, far in 

 advance of our txctiial means of utility, and of the 

 services which have been rendered to a most in- 

 teresting and valuable department of tillage, we 

 must strenuously endeavor, to reach the level of pub- 

 lic expectation. 1;; rrupwed eflbrls, to make our 

 labors more directly and extensively beneficial. 



To insure success, in any undertaking, unremit- 

 ting industry and a resolute determination, to sur- 

 mount all imiiediments are indispensable ; and 

 with such powerful means nothing is ini|)ossible. 



Since the last meeting, the following letters 

 have been received. 



1. A letter from Sheldon Norton of Pennsyl- 

 vania, now making a tour through the south wes- 

 tern states. 



G.». n A. s. T>..^ZT ''"""''■ "^'"""' '""• '' ''''■ 



President of tlie Mass. Ilort. Society. 



Sir — I a:m now in Alabama with the view of pro- 

 moting the cause of Sunday School instruction. I 

 have, though a Layman, been urged to this course 

 by a high sense of religious duty. All the ener- 

 gies of my mind will be devoted to this service, for 

 some 8 or 10 months yet to come. At wliicli time, 

 if my health is preserved, I shall probably return to 

 my residence at Mount Republic, Wayne County, 

 Pennsylvania. 



Feeling an interest in whatever may refine the 

 taste, improve the mind, or add to the proper en- 

 joyment of my fellow-men, I have viewed, with much 

 pleasure, tlie organization and successful operations 

 of the Mass. Horticultural Society ; and have been 

 induced to offer any service that may promote the 

 success of that Association, and that may be con- 

 sistent witli the performance of a higlier duty. 



If the Society should not have a correspondent, 

 resident in this State, whose friendly attentions may 

 make my offer unnecessary, you can command, from 

 me, any compatible service which my limited pe- 

 cuniary resources will admit. I am no Botanist, 

 but I would, most freely, inquire for, search out 

 and forward, in such manner as may be directed, 



