THE GENESEE FARMER 



Feb. 19 1831, 



THH GENBSBE FARMER 



SATURDAY. FEB. 13, 1831 



DIFFERENT BREEDS OF CATTLE. 



Much has been written respecting the differ- 

 ent breeds of cattle, as to the nett profit attend 

 ing the rearing of one kind more than another. 

 This is a subject in which we can never arrive 

 at any mathematical demonstration. We are 

 therefore left to consult circumstances. The 

 points of excellence which would be most de- 

 sirable in one instance, might not be so in an- 

 other. Thus a farmer who is wishing to raise 

 oxen for working, will prefer those that are 

 quick in their motions, are good walkers, car- 

 ry their heads well up, and are of good size; 

 and it is found that those oxen will draw most 

 hat are heavy in the fore quarters, as when 

 drawing, the body acts as a lever, the hind 

 legs serving as a fulcrum, and being heavy for- 

 ward, places the power nearer the end of the 

 lever, where it acts with greater force. But 

 the farmer who is raising cattle for beef, has 

 different objects in view. His leading one is, 

 how can he realize the most money for the 

 least expense, all things consideied. Here the 

 calculations become more complicated. First, 

 local circumstances must be consulted — next, 

 whether it is more profitable to turn off an an- 

 imal at less age and weight, or to increase the 

 age and weight by long keeping. As regards 

 these points, nothing but local circumstances 

 can decide ; but there is great differenoe in 

 breeds, as to early maturity, or as the express- 

 ion is, " for fattening young." Some breeds 

 are much more disposed to take on fat when 

 young than others, although they may be small- 

 er in size ; this quality renders the flesh more 

 valuable. Under some circumstances, it is an 

 object to increase the size of the animal, but 

 in all cases where fattening is the object, it is 

 important to have the flesh well proportioned, 

 or to lie most in that part which commands the 

 greatest price. On this account, the butchers 

 always seleot those animals which are heavy 

 in the hind quarters. This is also the choice 

 of dairymen, as it is generally the case that 

 cows with small heads and neol;s,and light fore 

 quarters, are the best for milk. All these 

 points considered, we would introduce to no- 

 nce, three different breeds of animals. 



First — For working oxen, we do not know 

 of any that are equal to the Devonshire breed. 

 They are of a deep red colour, rather inclining 

 to dun color rouud the eyes and nose, horns of 

 <i good length, and bending upward, strait on 

 the back, with small tails, which are set hijjh, 

 heads elevated, eyes quick, their flesh firm and 

 fine, and are highly valued in the English mar- 

 kets. Most of our deep red cattle in the state 

 ol New York, take their characteristics from 

 this breed. 



Second — For early maturity, the long horned 

 Lancashire breed are preferred for the London 

 markets. This breed is particularly distin- 

 guished by tho length of their horns, which 

 generally incline downwards. Their colour 

 alwms more or less mixed with white. They 

 have large necks and heavy fore quarters, which 

 is their greatest failing, short legs, large hoofs, 

 thick firm hides, hair short, close and fine, and 

 the Smithfield butchers say they give greater 

 weight according to size than any other cattle. 

 Was it not for the length and. direction of their 



horns, thev would be well calculated for ihi 

 yoke, but this will prevent the use of the full 

 bloods for that purpose. The number of these 

 cattle in the Smithfield market, is greater than 

 any other. 



The sltort-korned, or as they are more gener- 

 ally called in this country, the Hotdcrness, pre- 

 sent more valuable points, all things consider- 

 ed, than any other breed known. This is an 

 improvement upon the Leceister breed, and 

 such has been the success of different breed 

 ers in perfecting them that they have become 

 more celebrated than any other in Europe or 

 America, The colour of this breed is almost 

 universally dark red, or chesnut colour, and 

 white, the colors being in patches, and distinct; 

 any variation from this, in colour, would be 

 looked upon as indicating impurity of blood. 

 They have small head:, small strait necks, 

 short horns, much curved, rather drooping than 

 otherwise, of a semi-transparent color.extend- 

 ing quite to the tips, and black tips are also con- 

 sidered a proof of degeneracy, or a variation 

 from the pure breed. They are light in the 

 fore quarters, long on the back, broad on the 

 loin, and hind quarters full and heavy, and of 

 the finest proportion. Their skin is thin, the 

 hair fine and short, and very glossy. Their 

 legs are short, and their motions slow, indica- 

 ting a quiet disposition — the eye is small and 

 pleasant. Tho flesh is equal to any in point of 

 fineness and flavour, and they are said from 

 their quiet disposition, to fatten easy. They 

 are undoubtedly the greatest milkers known, 

 for which reason they are held in great esti- 

 mation by dairymen about London ; and Mr. 

 Rhodes, of Islington, who keeps about from 

 six to eight hundred cows, informed us that 

 they excel! all others in quantity, and said he 

 had some cows that averaged twenty-four 

 quarts of milk per day, through the year : he 

 also stated that he had some that had been 

 milked three yoars without having calves. 



We roost sincerely recommend to farmers 

 and graziers, to turn their attention to this 

 breed, for this section of country, in prefer- 

 ence to all others ; and they have become so 

 numerous in the neighborhoods of Philadel- 

 phia and Boston, that they may be obtained 

 at very fair prices. 



PRINCEJS POMOLOGICAL MA5JTJAL,. 



Wo are looking with great anxiety for the 

 publication of this work, now in press, which 

 is a treatise on all the stone and seed fruits, 

 which are growing in this country. From the 

 known ability, and great experience of the au- 

 thor, in whose family Horticulture and Flori- 

 culture has become almost an horeditary sci- 

 ence, we anticipate a great addition to our 

 knowledge of the qualities, babits, and capa- 

 bilities of the different varieties, suited to the 



diversified climate of oar country, as well as 

 settling and arranging the nomenclature, or 



{proper names of fruit, which in many parts 

 have got iDto soch inexplicable confusion that 



j every grower b is a cognomeu of his own. 



The cause of this complaint obtains particu- 

 larly in this region of country, where every- 

 thing is new and of recent dute, aud experi- 

 ence and comparison have not yet had a chance 

 of exertion. With us, every apple that ij red 

 U a SpiUenbersb, or a signijider. and every 

 thing green a greening, and every thing yellow 



a pippin, and every early peach is a Rase-Ripe, 

 a name which to us conveys any thing but 

 what is intended. 



The taste, shape, flavor and colour of the 

 fruit of all good varieties with which we are 

 acquainted, are to strongly marked, and dis- 

 tinctly characterized, as when once known, 

 cannot easily be confounded with any others j 

 it is therefore in consequence of the impor 

 tance which we attach to this forth-coming 

 work, as a text bock of acknowledged high 

 authority, to settle at once all disputos, and 

 as a reference for tho young or inexperien- 

 ced, that we shall hail with great satisfaction 

 its appearance. 



We hope that in all those cases where 

 shape is the boldest, and most apparent crite- 

 rion, that they will be accompanied with cuts 

 after the manner of Coxe, and we have no 

 doubt but that the demand for the work wil' 

 warrant tho expense. 



GEOLOGY. 



THE VALLEV OF THE OENESIE. 



We have given in oor preceding numbers 

 quotations from the Pioughboy, on this sub- 

 ject : we will now take a geological view ot 

 the valley of the Genesee from Lake Ontario, 

 to the head waters of this river. First, wc 

 shall make somo digressions by way of the 

 ory, after which we shall confine ourselves 

 to the productions of different formations as 

 to soil; &c. We will commence with the 

 first rock of the socondarv formation, the mUl- 

 stone grit of some geologists, and the second 

 grayxoackc of others. This rock is generally 

 composed of •elecious particles; some speei 

 mens are coarse and conglomerate, cemented 

 together by carbonate of lime, others are more 

 sandy. In most places it is hard and impervi 

 ous to the water. 



This rock, in all probability, forms the bot 

 torn of the most part of Lake Ontario. Next 

 above this is the salifeTOUs,oi salt bearing rock; 

 this forms the southern boundary of the Lake 

 and is in sight much of the way from Oswego 

 to the Niagara river. The color of this rock 

 varies Irotn an ash color to a brick red, which 

 latter prevails, interspersed with spots of a 

 bluish gray, the colors not blending, but dis- 

 tinct — these spots distinguish it in detached, 

 pieces. It is rather soft and porous than oth 

 erwise. It is in this rock that most of the 

 mines of rook salt known, are found, and from it 

 issue most of the salt springs ; and it is into this 

 that miners bore to procure salt water. Geol- 

 ogists & Chemists are not exactly agreed as to 

 the cause of salt in this rock. One class con- 

 tend that when this <trata was deposited from 

 water, the water was very salt, a quantity of 

 which was retained in the rock as in a sponge, 

 which is not entirely drained out. On the o 

 ther hand they contend that soda which is the 

 base of salt, is a component part of the rock, 

 and that muriatic acid is furnished by the su- 

 perincumbent strata, and a3 it percolates thro 1 

 this rock unites with the soda, forming the mu- 

 riate of soda or oommon salt. 



So fir as we have examined the localities of 

 salt mines or springs, they are situated at the 

 lower end of long inclined planes, where the 

 rock has a descent for a long distance, and 

 I when this inclination is interrupted by a change 

 n the descent, either by a discontinuation o;' 



