THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



29 



an ox becomes lame, to determine whether it is 

 occasioned by shoeing or not. 



He deemed it important that oxen should be 

 broken when quite young ; and too much care 

 could not be taken in their early training. Boys 

 may injure steers, if entrusted with the manage- 

 ment of them. There are some boys, however, 

 who may bo confided in, and their management 

 then is soiiictiiiics better than that of grown per- 

 sons. That which we learn in youth is likely to 

 be retained. Tliis rule applies as well to cattle 

 as to men. Cattle, broken when young, are like- 

 wise more able to endure hardships than the later 

 trained. 



Oxen should be trained well to back. The best 

 way of teaching steers to back is to slap them 

 with the hands upon their noses. Goads should 

 not be used. Some persons, in attempts to induce 

 them to back, strike them with their goads upon 

 the forelegs, which is as likely to induce them to 

 jiunp forward as to back — they may be more 

 easily taught to back by touching than by beating 

 Ihem. 



In regard to driving, drivers are not sufficient- 

 ly caretid as to the language which they use. 

 They should not use language without meaning. 

 They often talk to their teams in a language 

 which they cannot themselves understand ; and 

 the oxen, of com-se, can know nothing about it. 

 He insists that the language adopted in such case 

 is of much importance. He knew a deaf and 

 dumb persou who could manage one yoke of oxen 

 well, but could not drive three yokes. If we are 

 careful to say only what we mean, and accustom 

 them to mind when they are spoken to, much 

 will be gained. 



He saw twenty-four yokes of cattle attached to 

 a building, but they could not start it. There was 

 a i)articular driver among the men, who was ac- 

 customed to use only one word, and that was, 

 " Come." If an ox did not know what it meant, 

 he would make him know. This man took charge 

 and ordered the teamsters tl) stand by their own 

 cattle, and to make no movement untU he gave 

 the order, "Come." As soon as the order was 

 given, all bi-ought their svhips down together, and 

 started at once. One man remarked that when- 

 ever this teamster said " come," he was afraid 

 his oxen would split their joke. The oxen un- 

 derstood perfectly that if they did not start at this 

 signal, the whip would be felt. If they were 

 thus tauglit to obey, the cattle would get on much 

 better. 



Mr. Sheldon said he would be glad to add some- 

 thing on the subject of horses, but he scarcely felt 

 a right to speak on this subject in the presence of 

 Col. Jaques. There is a good deal in the man- 

 agement of horses, but something may be deter- 

 mined from their looks. He thought theie was 

 more risk of being deceived in horses than in men. 

 Men are themselves often deceived in rcgaid to 

 their own horses and cattle, from a habit of think- 

 ing that what belongs to themselves, and that to 

 which they are most accustomed, must be best ; 

 when, if they belonged to another person, a dif- 

 ferent judgment would be Ibrmed. 



He remarked that if a horse "hollows in" from 

 his nose to the top of his head, he would be Ibund 

 ambitious and excitable. A fractious man wouKl 

 make such a horse obstinate and ill-tcniperrd. 

 Some of the best horses toe out, and are apt to hit 

 the foot against the ancle. This indicates a quick 

 traveler. The nearer the feet were together un- 

 der a horse, so that his weight is brought nearer 

 to a point, the more easily he will travel. The 

 best traveling horses are short from the foot lock 

 to the gambrel, and long froiri the gambrel to the 

 saddle. This rule he thinks applies to other ani- 

 mals. A boy, shorter than he himself was, with 

 whom he was accustomed to walk, always beat 

 him in traveling. Upon measmement he found 

 this boy's legs were shorter, and his thighs longer 

 than his. He had only to add, that for strength, 

 a horse slioidd rise well between the kidnejs. 



Mr. Fay, of New-Brainti-ee, inquired whether, 

 when steers were first yoked, they should be 

 hitched to oxen or yoked alone ? 



Mr. Sheldon thought it might sometimes be 

 well to hitch them to oxen. He knew one man 

 who always yoked his steers in the barn, and then 

 tied them up in staiicheons, to accustom them to 

 the yoke. It was well to let them wear the yoke 

 in the yard. Great care must be taken not to 

 frighten them ; to avoid hurting them ; and not 

 to use the whip. 



Mr. Welles Lathrop, of South Hadley, was 

 then kind enough to give the meeting an account 

 of his valuable stock. 



Mr. Lathrop would confine his remarks to the 

 subject of cattle, and to a race of animals with 

 which he considered himself somewhat acquaint- 

 ed. Of the Ayrshire stock he had owned some 

 animals, but none which were full-bred. He 

 though them valuable for New England, tor our 

 light soils and short pastures. A small animal is 

 preterable to a large one. They may get as much 

 feed as a large one, but will be kept in better 

 condition. He had heard of a small and hardy 

 race of horses on the island of Nantucket, who 

 were left to take care of themselves until tour or 

 iive years old ; a large race of horses could not 

 subsist there. 



Mr. Lathrop proceeded to say that Mr. Jaques 

 had effected most valuable improvements. His 

 success had been great; and his stock was of a 

 superior character. He is of opinion, however, 

 that his success would have been better if he had 

 taken for the foundation of his stock, instead of a 

 native, an improved Durham cow. 



The Improved Durham Short Horn stock was 

 that which he had adopted, and he highly esti- 

 mated them. Mr. Charles Ceilings, of Elngland, 

 may be considered, in a measure, tlie founder of 

 this stock. Mr. Collings had long been in pos- 

 session of the Tees water breed of cattle, and had 

 made great improvements in the race. From an 

 animal of this breed, crossed with a Galloway 

 cow, he produced a stock which has been unrival- 

 led in the public estimation. This is evident, 

 tiom the prices paid for them at Charles Coll- 

 ings's sale — when forty-eight animals produced 

 £7115 sterling, averaging more than £148 ster- 

 ling, or $650 each. This sale had a decisive ef- 

 fect upon public opinion, as to the value of this 

 stock, and brought them into high repute. 



It was the aim of Mr. Collings to reduce the 

 size of the original race of animals from which he 

 bred ; and to render them more compact It is 

 not safe to breed from too close affiuities, unless 

 done with great care. If pursued too far, it pro- 

 duces a cavity and deformity between the shoul- 

 ders. Many "breeders have aimed, not so much 

 at good points in the animal, as the increase of 

 the size. The best breeders seek to render the 

 aninjal compact and close. There is no animal 

 perfect ; it is only an approach to perfection that 

 we can make. If an animal in form he too long 

 or too short, she should be crossed with one hav- 

 ing opposite jiroperties. 



Earl Spencer, one of the most distinguished 

 breedeis of Improved Short Horns, says the male 

 animal should approach to coarseness, the neck 

 be thick, and that he should handle well. These 

 facts are established respecting this race of ani- 

 mals,— that they come early to maturity, and that 

 at tv\o or three yeais old they will make greater 

 weight than any others known. 



The color of" the jnu-e race is red or white, or 

 red and white mixed. So far as his experience 

 goes, any black or blue hairs indicate an impuri- 

 ty of blood. The improvement or f rmation of 

 this race of animals has been the work of half a 

 ccntiuy. The progeny will partake of the pro|)- 

 erties nf the sire, or dam, or jointly of both. — 

 f^ome families of the Short Horns are deep and 

 rich milkers; others have a strong tendency to 

 fhrilt and fat. The former seem better adapted 

 to our situation ; the latter, more suitable for the 

 VVcsl. The beef is good ; and those portions 

 which are of little value, are of light weight. 

 For milking and dairy properties, he is of opinion 

 that this race can be relied upon. He did not 

 come prepared lor detail, but he would refer to 

 two or three cases which lir.d come to his know 1- 

 edge. A cow, of this bree<l, owned in Delaware, 

 had given thirty-five quarts of milk )ier day. 

 Another, owned in Pennsylvania, had given thir- 

 33i quarts of milk per day. The 31essrs. Lnlh- 

 rop, themselves, owned tw o cows ; one of w hich 

 gave 48 pounds the other, 45 pounds of milk per 

 day, for ninety days in succession. Another cow, 

 raised by the lateMr. Williams of Northborough, 

 and now owned by Messrs. Lathroiis, upon grass 

 only, had given twenty-eight quarts per day. They 

 had" nineteen of these animals on their farm, at 

 South-Hadley, which were Herd-book animals. 

 They had ten more which were high-bred. They 

 had "two heifers, which wore two years old last 

 spring, and another, two years old last autumn — 

 wliich weighed 1200 lbs; 1 175 lbs; 1065 Ihs, on 7th 



Oct. last. They were so compact and snug-built, 

 that good judges of cattle estmated them at no more 

 than three fourths of their actual weight. The 

 dams were all deep milkers ; and he had sent 

 these three heifers to Philadelphia, to a bull 

 bought of Mr. Bates, a principal improver of the 

 race. This bull was imported by Mr. Joseph 

 Cope of West-Chester, Pennsylvania, and cost, 

 in England, one hundred guineas, at one year 

 old. Mr. Bates bred with great judgment, and 

 produced animals of great weight. Two ani- 

 mals, imported from his stock, by Mr. Vail of Al- 

 bany, cost $700 each. The Messrs. Lathrop had 

 two cows, whose dams were sired by Comet. 



Mr. Dodge of Hamilton, inquired whether a 

 native cow, crossed by a Durham bull, would not 

 produce a calf so large as to suffer in parturition. 

 He had seen this statement. The fact had oc- 

 curred on his ovvn farm. 



Mr. Lathrop answered, that the principal 

 breeders are of the opinion that the progeny takes 

 after the sire, more than after the dam. He had 

 never seen a thorough-'bred animal, without per- 

 ceiving that he partook strongly of the character 

 of the sire. An Improved Durham bull will 

 mark his stock strongly. He was not able to an- 

 swer further than this. 



Mr. Dodge was anxious, further, to ascertain 

 whether the Durham cows give more milk than 

 others, and would yield more dairy produce .' 



Mr. BncKMiNSTER remarked, that England had 

 been sixty years engaged in improving her stock, 

 and we had seen to what point she had carried 

 these improvements. They had doubled the av- 

 erage weight of their cattle, which were sent to 

 market. The important question now is, wlieth- 

 er our animals are superior to theirs ? Are our 

 native stock better than any which we have im- 

 ported .' He would be glad to have the imported 

 stock, if it is better than that which we have. If 

 our animals are not surpassed, can we gain any 

 thing by importation ? 



He is of opinion that the English have erred 

 in attempting too much to increase the size. It 

 should be our plan to breed a small race. The 

 middle sized animals are the most profitable for 

 us. The late Gov. Gore introduced a large bull 

 into the x-ountry. His descendants are still to be 

 found. Some of the cows died in calving. If 

 the bidl is not more than one year old, the calf is 

 not likely to be too large. If the bull should be 

 seven or eight years old, a small cow would suf- 

 fer. Col. Jaques had chosen a native cow as the 

 foundation of his improvement ; and, in his opin- 

 ion, had accomjdished much. He is of the 

 opinion that th« cows near London do not give so 

 great a produce as the cows near Boston. (This 

 we believe is an error. The cows in the London 

 dairies, while in milk, average ten quarts; with us 

 not six. — Repoiicr.) 



M>: Paoli Lathoi- remarked that, if the bull 

 be a coarse animal, and large when a calfj his 

 calves will be large and coarse. The true Dur- 

 ham bull will produce small calves, weighing 

 from sixty to eighty pounds. His cows, on the 

 same keep, produced a (juartcr more than other 

 cows, which he had prtviously owned. A cow 

 which lie had froiii John ^Vt'IIes, Esq. of Dorch- 

 ester, filled fit a milking a luclvc-quart pail. He 

 had a calf wliiuli, when tlropjicd, weighed sixty- 

 five pounds, anri on the day w hen it was one year 

 old, one thousand and twenty jiouuds. The calf 

 run with the cow through the season. The cow 

 was kept on coarse hay. A cow kept by Gov. 

 Lincoln reqni.-6Ll two pails to receive all her milk 

 at a milking. If the bull be fine, the calves will 

 be good ; if otherwise, coarse. 



Mr. Dodge of Wenham, had his bidl from 

 Poor's Indian-Hill Farm, at West Newbiny. He 

 was large when a calf, weighing 121 pounds at 

 his birth. He inquired whether large cows pro- 

 duced ntoic niiikthan small ones? He observed 

 that the cows belonging to the milkmen, who sup- 

 ply the cities with milk, are in general large. The 

 milkmen select those which give n;ost milk. 



Mr. Sheldon of Wilmington, observed that for 

 years he had bred some of the Durham stock. 

 He had crossed his stock with Ccelcbs, and had 

 half-bloods. The calves wei-e larger than from 

 native bulls. The farmers who are seeking the 

 improvement of their stock, are more careful and 

 liberal in keeping them. Respecting the question 

 of 3Ir. Dodge, he said that large cows, when full- 

 fed, give more milk than small cows ; but when 

 the pastures become dry, they sooner fall awaj'. 



