THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



89 



— / think it is a certain criterion of bad-breeding. I 

 have i.oticed through lite that llie ofispiing of a 

 well-bred animal generally comes small, and 



■ makes less improvement the first year than any 

 other; iherei'ore, it'I purchased calves for stock, I 

 ihould never ehoose an overgrown one; time in- 

 creases their bad points. Another great error I 

 liave noticed, — I'ersons make distinctions be- 

 tween breeds of cattle without putting their hand 

 u|jou them. It is totally absurd tor a man to Ibrm 

 a correct idea of the quality of an animal by the 

 eye alone ; that is ascertained by the hand ; the 

 handling (as it is termed) is the governing point in 

 purchasing with all butchers and graziers, and any 

 man with a grain of information on the subject, 

 must he aware that breeders should look to that 

 point, beyond all others, in the males which they 

 make use of; it is the only way to keep right. 

 Hard handlers require much more food, and njust 

 be forced with expensive keep to make tlienj ripe; 

 this 1 have known by experience from boyhood ; 

 and I am satisfied that when the good quality of 



Jlesh, as above described, is foimd in a milch cow, 

 the milk will invariably yield much more butter 

 in proportion, than that which is drawn from an 

 animal inferior in the touch. If short-horn breeil- 

 ers had jjaid more attention to these matters, 

 there would not he so many " tight hides,^^ bad 

 forms and bad milkers, which now disgrace their 

 name. An inferior Durham is a very unprofitable 

 animal, but the better sort must always maintain 

 a high rank, and will, with the Herejords, be the 

 staple breeds of the country. 



The Greatest Natural Curiosity. — We 

 find in one of the latest numbers of the Louisville 

 Journal the following vei7 curious account of 

 what is, in one sense at least, lUe greatest natu- 

 ral curiosity ever known to man. 



The Missourium. — This gigantic wonder of 

 the animal creation has at length arrived in our 

 city, and will be e.^hibited at the Washington 

 Hall as soon as the bones, which are now con- 

 tained in fourteen large boxes, can be put togeth- 

 er. Ill the mean time we will endeavor — from 

 data furnished us in a printed description of the 

 skeleton, to give our readers some idea of this 

 mighty wonder of creation ; as such it may be 

 regarded, for in comparison with the Missourium 

 maaimoths, mastadons, and all other hitherto dis- 

 covered monsters are but small affairs. 



The skeleton measures thirty two feet in length 

 and fifteen in lieight. The head measures, iiom 

 tip of the nose to the spine of the neck, 6 feet. 

 From the edge of the upper lip, measuring along 

 the roof of the mouth, to the socket of the eye, is 

 3 feet ; from the lower edge of the upper lip to the 

 first edge of the front tooth, 20 inches. Each 

 jaw has 4 teeth, and the upper jaw lias besides 

 two enormous tusks. The teeth are each 4 in- 

 ches broad. The nose inojects 15 inches over 

 the lower jaw. The tusks are 10 feet long, ex- 

 clusive of 1 feet and 3 inches, — which forms the 

 root, and is buried in the skull. The right tusk 

 was found firm in the head, and remained fixed 

 in its socket during its excavation and its trans- 

 portation to St. Louis, which fortunate circum- 

 stance enables us to know the exact position and 

 situation which the tusk occupied in the head of 

 of the animal during its life. They were carried 

 by him almost horizontally, bending somewhat 

 down, and then coming with their points up 

 again, making a sweep from extiemity to ex- 

 tremity, in a straight line across the heail, ofl.") 

 feet. The longest rib measures 5 feet 6 1-2 in- 

 ches in length, the shortest 2 ti^eti and 3 inches. 

 The scapula, or shoulder blade, is 3 feet 1 inch 

 in length, 2 feet 7 inches in breadth. The lengtli 

 of the liumerus, or forearm, is 3 feet 5 1-2 in- 

 ches, and its greatest circumference 3 feet 3 in- 

 ches. The femur, or thigh-hone, is 4 feet and a 

 half inch long, and 8 3-4 inches in diameter. — 

 The feet of the animal appear to have been web- 

 bed. The fore foot has four toes and a thumb. 

 The longest toe measures 1 foot S.inches, the short 

 est 1 foot, and the thumb 7 inches. All the bones 

 ofthe aiinimal are firm, and contain niariovv. — 

 ■ The cavity ofthe brain is quite large. 



The proprietor, Mr. Koch, in his printed 

 description of the animal, makes the follow- 

 ing remarks on bis supposed habits and na- 

 ture : 



" The animal has been, without doubt, an 

 inliabitant ofthe water-courses, such as large riv- 

 ers and lakes, which is proved by the formation 



of the bones ; 1st his feet were webbed ; 2nd all 

 his bones were solid and without marrow, as the 

 aquatic animals ofthe present day ; 3d, his ribs 

 B loo small and slender to resist the many 

 pressures and bruises they would be subject to on 

 land; 4th, his legs are short and thick ; 5tb, his 

 tail is flat and broad ; 6th, and last, his tusks are 

 situated in his head that it would be utterly 

 impossible for him to exist in a timbered country. 

 His food consisted as much of vegetables as flesh, 

 although he undoubtedly consumed a great abun- 

 dance of the latter, and was capable of feeding 

 himself with his fore foot afier the manner of the 

 beaver or otter, and possessed, also, like the hip- 

 popotamus, the faculty of walking on the bot- 

 tom of waters, and rose occasionally to take 

 air." 



" The singular position oi the tusks has been 

 ei-y wisely adopted by the Creator for the protec- 

 tion ofthe body from the many injuries to which 

 it would be exposed while swimming or walking 

 under water; and in addition to this, it appears 

 that the animal has been covered with the 

 armour as the alligator, or perhaps the megathe- 

 rium." 



British Corn Laws. — The intelligence by the 

 Caledonia, that the British Ministry intend to 

 propose a modification of the Corn Laws is the 

 most important item of news that has lately come 

 to us from abroad. The proposition is to sub- 

 stitute in place of the present flnrtiiiiling scale a 

 moderate duty on the importation of liiroign corn. 

 The announcement of tliis intention ua.s receiv- 

 ed, as might have been expected, with exultation 

 by one party, and with deep murmurs of indig- 

 nation by the other. 



If the motion oi the Ministers prevails, a great- 

 er change will be wrought in the British Consti- 

 tution than was effected by the passage of the 

 Reform Bill. The landed interest of the Iving- 

 dom on which the aristocracy is based, must re- 

 ceive a blow, the consequences of whirli may be 

 fataJ to its continued supremacy. The real strug- 

 gle between the people and the aristocracy of 

 England never came until now ; for in the Corn 

 Law system the whole question is involved. It 

 is a system created and sustained for the benefit 

 of landed proprietors, and it lends to bring mil- 

 lions of laboring men to the verge of starvation, 

 for the sake of keeping up high prices for corn 

 (wheat and flour,) that the purses of the nobility 



d gentry may be well filled. 



It is plain, therefore, that all questions of reform 

 and conservatism, all disputes between the friends 

 of liberty on the one hand, and the advocates of 

 privilege on the other — all notions, ideas, theor 

 of social and political progress or finality w hich 

 divide [larties in England — must be concentrated 

 and brought to an ultimatum in this great practi- 

 cal issue which comes directly home to the vital 

 interests of all classes. The result of an over- 

 throw ofthe Corn Law monopoly will not termi- 

 nate in giving the laboring people of England 

 bread in greater plenty— for if that were all, no 

 aristocracy could be so selfish as to object to the 

 change. But with a reduction in the price of 

 corn, every landed proprietor will find his i 

 roll shrinking like a punctured bladder or a split 

 balloon ; and with the loss of wealth will go pow- 

 er, influence and supremacy. 



For years the popular leaders in Great Britain 

 have been urging on the repeal ofthe Corn Laws. 

 Every means short of actual rebellion — and even 

 that was partially resorted to — have been tried to 

 shake down the strong citadel of monopoly. Pe 

 tilions, remonstrances, threatenings, mass meet 

 ings, agitations — tlie power of the press and the 

 stirring appeals of orators — the outcry ofthe mul- 

 titudes suffering for bread — the voice ofreasot 

 and the exclamations of passion — have not ceaset 

 to plead at the footstool of power for some ame- 

 lioration of a system which grew more opprcs 

 sive the longer it was endured. 



The concessions long demanded and long re 

 fused are now about to he made. Yet what an 

 illustration is hereby exhibited of the honesty 

 politicians ! It was not many months ago that 

 Lord Melbourne declared the Corn Law question 

 to be one that must not be meddled with. Whence 

 so sudden a change of mind ? The my.stery may 

 he explained perhaps by the fact that Sir Robert 

 Peel intimated lately his willingness to admit the 

 question and to modify the system, if he should 

 conif? into power. This intimation, coupled wit! 



the recent defeat ofthe Ministry, has probably in 

 duced the cabinet to change ground in order to 

 keep their places. The concessions about to be 



ade are not yielded from convictions of justice, 

 or from a regard to the national interest, or from 

 sympathy with an oppressed people — but from 

 that sincere love of office and power which so 

 eminently distinguishes tlie ordinary run of pat- 

 riots in this our day. 



The proposed modification ofthe British Corn 

 Laws is a matter of much interest to the United 

 States. It is now highly important that we should 

 have an able man at the Court of St. James, since 

 the occasion seems to be altogether favorable for 

 the establishment of new commercial relations 

 between this country and Great Britain. We can 

 supply the British market with bread stuffs to any 

 extent, and it will be to the interest of England 

 to purchase from us rather than from Continent- 

 al Europe — because in the former case she would 

 not have to make i)ayment in specie. A trade 

 mutually advantageous to the two countries might 

 now be opened, which would do more to strength 

 en friendly relations and promote a good under 

 standing between them, than any expedient which 

 diplomacy would suggest for a twelvemonth. 

 Baltimore Anerican. 



From the JNortliern Light. 



Importance of the Farmer. — It is too much 

 the habit of inconsiderate young men to think 

 lightly of a farmer's life, and to prefer some more 

 easy, sedentary occupation, with the fallacious 

 idea of appearing genteel in the eyes of the world. 

 Official employment, a city life, large whiskers, 

 while and delicate hands, with a display of gaudy 

 jewelry and costly attire, seem to he the prevail- 

 ing objects w ith these languishing youths, whose 

 vanity prompts them to believe that they are the 

 most brilliant meteors of fashion, on whom the 

 fair will gladly bestow their smiles. The preva- 

 leuce of these ab.surdities is an injury to society, 

 and lias done its full share in contributing to the 

 embarrassments ofthe country. 



Man sprung from the eartli, is supported by its 

 products, and returns to its bosom again. ^Vhat■ 

 then can be more ajipropriate than to devote all 

 his faculties to its improvement? It is the farm- 

 er's toil that preserves his health and vigor, gives 

 strength and elasticity to his spirits, developes 

 more fully his mental energies, and makes him 

 in reality one of the noblest of God's creation — a 

 real substantial man, vigorous in body as in mind. 

 Though n.anual labor is too often held in light es- 

 timation, there is dignity in all its applications, 

 w hen diiecled hy intelligence to some useful pur- 

 pose. To cultivate the soil is an interesting pur- 

 suit ; to increase its products a profitable study ; 

 it exalts the mind, wliich whilst quietly contemp- 

 lating the result of its occupations, is lifted up 

 with thankfulness to that Being who has ordained 

 that our labor should be so richly rewarded. 



The enlightened farmer is an ornament to soci- 

 ety; his patli is open to pros|)erily, w ealth and rep- 

 utation, and he w ill always retain his steady value. 

 To fill the place to wliich hn is justly entitled, he 

 should be well-bred; it is the true test of excel- 

 lence. What can be more worthy of respect than 

 the venerable parents of a well-bred family; 

 their true worth cannot he over estimated ; they 

 have done their duty, and in the proud contem- 

 plation of a hardy and virtuous progein, their 

 earthly enjoyments are perfect. 



How inferior is the value ofthe pompous igno- 

 ramus, linked to some proud dame, and pufied up 

 by his wealth and imaginary importance. He is 

 never satisfied, but always craving for something 

 beyond his reach ; for homage which is never 

 paid ; for respect which is never accorded ! When 

 stiffly seated in his gaudy equipage he imagines 

 himself a superior being, and glories in his arro- 

 gance and pride. He mingles in the fashionable 

 throng ; his finery and show attract the giddy 

 gaze, and give food lor reflection to the sensible 

 and sedate, but he has no claim to the praise of 

 good breeding ; his sons grow up to be dandies 

 and coj:co?n5«; and his daughters to be coquettes 

 am] prudes. Behold them in the streets ; they are 

 a laughing-stock to all. Pursue them to the 

 drawing-room ; their self-approbation is the only 

 support for their imagined superiority. Follow 

 them to the grave ; but few tears are shed to their 

 memory, and their mother earth covers them w ith 

 shame, for the bad example they have left to (los- 

 terity. 



