ttO 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



Feb. 26, 18Si, 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



SATURDAY, FEB. 2G, 1831. 



DIFFERENT BREEDS OF CATTLE. 



I Continued from page 52.] 



In our last number, we noticed some of the 

 most approved breeds of cattle — in this, we 

 mention others that are still reared to conside- 

 rable extent in England. 



The Herefordshire cattle— Theso somewhat 

 resemble the Devonshire breed.being of a deep 

 red color, with a white face. They have thin 

 hides, and fine hair, are more moderate in 

 iheir motions, than the Devons. They are 

 well proportioned for beef or milkers, being 

 heavy in the hind quarters, which have rather 

 i bony appearance, tolerably strait on the back, 

 neck rather descending, the head small and 

 ;lean, and carried rather low. They are thin 

 and light in the fore quarter?, narrow in the 

 chine, but a full sutloin, they fatten yotrng.and 

 are considered by many of the English gra- 

 ziers, as being next to the Holderness in exeel- 

 lenee, and dairymen say their milk is very 

 rich. 



The polled breed — These are raised more in 

 Scotland than England, and some of them have 

 been brought to this country. The color of 

 this breed is mostly black. Tuey are strait 

 and round in tbeir build ; the head is short, but 

 carried well up; general features rather dull 

 than otherwise ; strait on the back, broad 

 on the loin, round in the hind quarters, and ra- 

 ther light ; short legged, with a heavy bushy 

 tail ; and the hair is longer than on most breeds. 

 In size, they are below the Lancashire breed 

 but are said to arrive at maturity young. They 

 are not in high estimation for the dairy, and 

 are only grown in those parts of the country 

 where the breeding of fine cattle is neglected. 



Each of the above breeds, as described in 

 this and the preceding number of our paper, 

 have had their advocates; some preferring 

 large, others small breeds of cattle ; but I 

 believe the best breeders, both in the Uni- 

 ted States and England, are now agreed tint 

 the difference in size of breeders, is not so im- 

 portant as the shape. Bakewell, who was 

 one of the first breeders in England, gave a 

 preference to the Lancashire breed, which he 

 consienled were raised at less expense than 

 any ethers. Others again maintain, that the 

 Holderness, or short horned breed, excell eve- 

 ry other for dairy and for beef; while the far- 

 mer, who is wishing to raise oxen for the yoke, 

 prefers the Devonshire. \ 



If farmers would be more careful in the se- 

 lection of the slock from which they intend toj 

 breed, even with the common cattle of the! 

 country, fine stock might be raised, with care I 

 fill feeding. And here let me observe. that the 

 best breeders are now satisfied that as lunch 

 rlepend* on the selection of the dam as the 

 sire, both with cattle and horses, and large fe- 

 males arc allowed to be best in both; the health, 

 strength, and proportion, then, of these, be- 

 iniii. equally as important as the siro, not on- 

 ly in giving proportion, but in giving support 

 after they have brought forth their young. — 

 Therefore, almost as much advantage might be 

 gained in breeding cattle, to select the best 

 iwwi from our present breeds, as to impart 

 fine bulls and ncglcet this selection. 



In short, the first point to be gained on this 

 subject is, to get up an exciiement sufficient to 

 make farmers seek for information ; or a spirit 

 of inquiry, which, when once started, will al- 

 ways beget ambition, or a wish to excel, which 

 >vill be attended with a lasting benefit to our 



country. 



GEOLOGY. 



THE VALLEY OF THE GENESEE. 



[Continued from page 36.] 

 Next above the gray-band is a mixed forma- 

 tion, if we include all the variety between the! 

 gray band and the Lias, in one. As modern 

 geologists have adopted this course, and have 

 included them all under the head of Feriferous 

 sand rack, we will follow them, but describe! 

 the different layers, and their effect upon the 

 soil. Directly above the gray-band, there is a 

 layer of magnesian slate, of a light green co- 

 lour, having a peculiar soft soapy feel ; it read- 

 ily disintegrates, or falls to pieces, on being 

 exposed to the air. It forms a tenaceous soil 

 from the quantity of clay which it contains, as 

 the layer is thin ; we do not know of any large 

 fields where this predominates. Above this 

 lies layers of feriferous sand rock, which are 

 very hard, containing many bivalve shells; in 

 short, some of the stones seem almost entire- 

 ly composed of them. Many specimens are 

 agatized, and fine specimens of chalcedony 

 are found among (hem. These stones are 

 very hard and durable ; ahhoogh they do not 

 decompose readily, yet the soil where they out 

 crop is generally strong and light, and of a rus- 

 ty iron colour. Alternating with these layers, 

 and near the centre of this formation, is the 

 layer of conglomerate argillaceous iron ere, 

 varying in thickness from one to four feet. 

 In some localities, this ore may be shovelled 

 like coarse sand ; in others, the particles aro 

 cemented together by a carbonate of lime, to 

 i he hardness of ooramon lime stone. This lay< r 

 of iron ore may be traced from the high lands, 

 west of the hitle falls, on the Mohawk river, 

 through the stale of New York, and into Up. 

 per Canada, on the north of Lake Ontario. — 

 The iron made from ii is coarse, hard and brit- 

 tle, and of little %vorth, except for sleigh shoes, 

 plough irons, &.c. Stoves and hollow ware 

 made from it almost invariably crack by heating 

 and cooling. In some places this ore is ground 

 into Spanish brown. As the whole of the 

 feriferous formation in this region, is not more 

 than forty or fifty feet thich ; its character on 

 the surface is limited. 



Next in progression we come lo the Lias, or 

 calcifirous sluto. This is a more important 

 formation in Agriculture, and the general thick- 

 ness of it may be calculated at about one hun- 

 dred feet. It is through this formation thai 

 most of the celebrated falls, in the western 

 part of the United Slates, descend, viz — the 

 falls of Niagara, of the Genesee at Rochester, 

 and the fills of St. Anthony, on the Mississip- 

 pi. The component puts of this rock are dif 

 ferent at different localities. It contains sul- 

 phate and carbonate of lime, magnesia, iron, 

 silsx, and a largo proportion of .'illumine, or 

 clay. In this formation are found bedsofsul- 

 phutc of lime or gypsum, and water lime or 

 hydraulic cement. When it is decomposed, 

 this rock makes a very excellent soil, both for 

 wheat and grass j it is very retentive of mois 

 tare, and is not rrs apt to suffer from drought, 



as limestone land. Manure lasts longer on 

 this than on sandy land. In some places the 

 soil from this rock has sufficient clay in it fq,r 

 brick making. 



This is the superincumoent formation over 

 a very considerable extent of country, on both 

 sides of the Genesee river, north of the lime^ 

 stone formation. From the nature of this rock 

 it is capable of absorbing water and giving it 

 off again by capillary attraction, to tho soil a- 

 bove, and it is owing to .his quality that soils 

 formed from and upon this rock, are capable ol 

 enduring the drought for a longer time, than 

 those upon impervious rocks, where the water 

 passes down through the cracks which are too 

 large for its return by capillary attraction, and 

 such rocks being impervious to the water do 

 not retain any water to soften the soil by evap- 

 oration. There is no doubt but this rock ta- 

 ken up at such places as are undergoing de- 

 composition, and carried upon our thin light 

 sandy soils, would prove an excellent manure j 

 the effect would be similar to putting on clny. 

 which is found to be a great strengthener ol 

 such soils. 



The beds of gypsum found in this formation 

 are of importance to this western country, as 

 upon some soils it has a powerful influence 

 in promoting vegetation, and it is likewise use- 

 ful as a cement, as it is now found, that the 

 celebrated cement with which the Romans laid 

 iheir baths and aqueducts, was nothing more 

 than ihe sulphate of lime, orgvpsum, bating 

 its waler of crystahzation driven off by heat, 

 in a manner very similar to our burning lime ; 

 after which it was pounded fine, and on adding 

 water it soon hardened, and was verv durable, 

 as we have examined some of these works 

 which have been done nearly fifteen hundred 

 years, without being able to discover any signs 

 of failure in the cement. 



MAPLE S GAR. 



This is the season to prepare for manufac- 

 turing this article, which is one of the purest 

 of sweets, and may be made into the fines: 

 loaf sugar. For catching the sap, pails or 

 buckets- are preferable to troughs, and may be- 

 made almost as cheap ; and when we take into 

 consideration the ease with which they arc 

 handled, and their durability, compared with 

 troughs, we think the latter should be rejec- 

 ted. We have seen buckets made with one 

 s'ave longer than tho others, through which 

 was a hole for the purpose of hanging it upon 

 a nail, driven into the tree below the spout, 

 tlii-» is a very neat and convenient way, as 

 when the buckets arc set down, they are some- 

 times turinid over by the thawing of the snow. 



If those farmers who have maple trees plen 

 tv, would provide themselves with two hun- 

 dred buckets, they might manufacture all the" 

 sugar that they would want for their family 

 use, and some to spare ; for where the business 

 is well attended to, there may he made about 

 Mireo pounds for each bucket, and a good si- 

 zed tree will afford s.-ip enough for about five 

 pounds in a season. If proper vessels are u- 

 sed, one cord of wood will evaporate sap for 

 two hundred pounds of sugar. One man with 

 a horso or yoko of oxen ' and sled, will tend 

 two hundred buckets: cutting his wood, col- 

 lecting the sap, iVc. The usual season for 

 making sugar continues about one mantis, u>. 



