No. 9. 



Stock Raising. 



285 



siderably, and enriching it by its strong and 

 overshadowing growth. The seed is sown 

 broadcast, at the rate of two, or two and a 

 half bushels per acre, and the produce is 

 about 12 tons of green food per acre; or 

 from 20 to 30 bushels of seed, on good soils. 

 It might be followed by every crop that is 

 cultivated, either grain or grasses, accord- 

 ing to the nature of the soil, light, moderate, 

 or stiff; affording also a first-rate seed bed 

 for potatoes ; the autumnal sowing of tares 

 coming off the ground in good time for a 

 full planting of these, the latter end of May; 

 as also for turnips, beets, or ruta-bagas. In 

 fine, it is perhaps the most valuable of all 

 the crops in the rotation of the best farmers 

 in England, drawing less from the soil and 

 yielding more food for all descriptions of 

 stock, than any other whatever." 



John Taney. 



January 12th, 1843. 



Stock Raising. 



Editors of the Cabinet, — I was much 

 interested by an article in your last number, 

 over the signature of "Zebu," by which, 

 in the course of a wide ramble among the 

 breeds of British cattle, he seems inclined 

 to show us of the barn-yard and dairy-house, 

 that the best plan is for us to take his advice 

 and be of his opinion, in regard to every 

 thing connected with the subject of stock 

 raising. Now I admit that every one has 

 a right to his opinion, and is at liberty to 

 convert others who differ from him if he 

 can; but fair and softly — and what are 

 Zebu's opinions, and how will they suit 

 general application 1 In the first place, he 

 eulogizes the Short-horns, whose portraits 

 adorn your pages, and yet seems to demand 

 an oblivion of their existence, by recom- 

 mending us to raise the best animals that 

 can be obtained anywhere. He well enough 

 remarks, that one breed of cattle can never 

 fulfil all purposes required, yet seems to 

 waver about sundry varieties suited to the 

 dairy — now this I do not comprehend ; does 

 he wish to say that all are good for that pur- 

 pose — that it is immaterial of what breed a 

 cow is, provided she be good for the pnil! if 

 so, I think he is in error, and that by his own 

 showing. He asserts that the practice of 

 his friend Johnson, buying up his own-bred 

 heifers, is the best plan for an economical 

 rearing of dairy cows; but does he not per- 

 ceive, that the cause of these heifers becom- 

 ing good cows, is that for which his friend 

 keeps an eye upon them from their birth — 

 namely, because of their having come of 

 animals whose character he knows to be 

 suitable to his purpose] Standing to him 



precisely in the same relation, in which the 

 Short-horns, the Devons, or the Sussex Polls 

 do to their breeders. I believe that cattle 

 as much depend on their progenitors for 

 their good qualities as for their existence, 

 and yet your correspondent holds up the 

 idea, that the stock which he has been eulo- 

 gizing, is of no particular value to dairy 

 farmers, but that each should hunt up for 

 himself the best cows he can find, without 

 regard to name or breed, and raise his own 

 stock from them. Now, had such been the 

 practice in England, the very breeds which 

 lie praises for this or that peculiarity, would 

 never have existed. As to the general adop- 

 tion of his friend Johnson's plan, he must be 

 aware that it would defeat its own object, 

 for every one who had taken the trouble to 

 raise a heifer from his stock, would feel in- 

 clined to raise the price also, when he found 

 it to be an object with the breeder to pur- 

 chase her back again, if he did not prefer to 

 keep her for the use of his own dairy. And 

 further, Johnson asserts that a part of the 

 heifers raised from his own cows, will be 

 found to be valueless for the purpose of the 

 dairy. Now we know that much depends on 

 the mode of rearing and treating young 

 stock, and that by mismanagement, many a 

 good milker has been spoiled in the calf: 

 yet I must remain unconvinced, that it is 

 best not to raise your own calves from first- 

 rate cows. Besides, if the points of a cow 

 are indications of her qualities, these will 

 be developed, so as to enable an experienced 

 eye to judge of her future character, long 

 before she becomes a springer. Why, I 

 have seen calves only a few weeks old, that 

 any one who knows anything of the matter, 

 would pronounce milkers; and in this case, 

 who would like to dispose of them with the 

 bare chance of repurchasing them when 

 fine young cows] However, one thing is 

 pretty clear; those who choose to raise good 

 stock for themselves, will still continue to 

 do so, whether it be short-horns or long- 

 horns, and if they seek their own interest, 

 they will keep the breed pure from base in- 

 termixture. That a judicious cross from 

 some other pure breed may then prove ad- 

 vantageous, is highly probable, but great 

 care is requisite in seeing that the new 

 breed is adapted to the same purpose. I be- 

 lieve our native breeds of cows are equal, 

 for dairy purposes, on an average, to most 

 of the imported races ; they want, however, 

 the capability of feeding well, and in the 

 case of oxen, of the powers of labour. That 

 breed which is the best for dairy purposes, 

 amongst the imported stock, is the most 

 proper for crossing with our native cattle; 

 the great object being, the improvement of 



