NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Published every Saturday, by THO.MAJ^ W. SIFKl'ARD, Rogers' Buildiii";, Coiisrns-s Sir. . I. lioston ; at ? J.'.O i...r aim. in advaurr-, or $:i,(''tl aL the (lost nf ll\i yi av 



Vol. I. 



BOSTON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1822. 



No. 13. 



CATTLE SHOWS, cVc. 



OFFICIAL REPORTS 

 OF THE CATTLE SHOW AT BRIGHTON, 

 Oct. 9Ui & 10th, 1322. 

 No. L 

 On all the larger Horned Cattle {except Heifers.) 

 The Committee report that the aaimaU in 

 this hranch of live stock, were unusually nu- 

 merous and good, proving, that a gradual and 

 regular improvement is steadily, snd as rapidly 

 as could be expected, taking place. The num- 

 ber of entries (or premiums, in this department 

 alone, amounted to 42, and of individuals (many 

 entries comprising more than one) to 52, while 

 the whole number of premiums offered, and 

 granted, are only 10, so that four fifths of the 

 competitors were necessarily thrown out. — 

 This Is inevitable, unless our funds should be 

 exceedingly increased, or unless we should make 

 our premiums smaller, and more numerous. 

 This might be liable to great objection, by ex- 

 tending rewards to animals of inferior merit, and 

 thus dimmishing the motives to make the breeds 

 as perfect as possible. While the beneficial ef- 

 fects of the liberal premiums offered by the 

 Society, for the importation of the most im- 

 proved breeds of foreign countries, is every 

 year evinced by the crowds which, Irom the be- 

 ginning to the end of our shows, gather round 

 the imported animals, and their improved pro- 

 geny, we ought never to forget the sound ad- 

 vice of the venerable farmer who addressed the 

 Societ}' this year, " that the progress of improve- 

 ment by foreign crosses must be very slow;" 

 and possessing as we unquestionably do, the ma- 

 terials among our own stock of improving our 

 breeds by careful selection, we should follow 

 the example of Bakewell and the other British 

 farmers, who in fifty years have raised the stock 

 of Great Bntam to a state of perfection little 

 short of what it is supposed they can ever reach. 

 And, who at the late show had the pleasure of 

 viewing those fine animals, Denton and Ccelebs, 

 could doubt whether they were superior to any 

 animals of the same description now to be found 

 in New-England? And why is this the case'! 

 Assuredly our pastures are as fine, and the race 

 has not degenerated with us. Wherever a pride 

 is felt in raising fine stock, our success is perfect, 

 and the single town of Sutton might send its team 

 of 120 oxen and challenge Devonshire or any 

 other county of Great Britain, to trials of 

 strength or activity. 



Let us then, on this occasion, earnestly solicit 

 our farmers to select and propagate only the 

 best individuals of their horned cattle. If they 

 reply, we feel no encouragement to do this be- 

 cause we find the improved crosses always pre- 

 ferred at your shows, we reply that though this 

 is partially true, it is not entirely so, and what 

 would the farmer have us do on such an occa- 

 sion? If, in fact, the full blooded or half blooded 

 descendant of imported slock is superior, shall 

 we refuse to admit it so to be? This would be 

 indeed sacrificing the best interests of our coun- 

 try in relation to this object, as well as violating 

 our solemn pledges, to gratify an improper na- 



tional prejudice. Our true course is to strive 

 to equal or surpass the foreign races by select- 

 ions and careful management of our native stock. 

 If was upon this principle that our manufactures 

 have been built up on the only solid foundation. 

 Instead ol' complaining that foreign goods were 

 preferred, our citizens have exerted tliemselves 

 to make our own better as well as clicapcr ; and! 

 let Manchester and Yorkshire beware, lest tliey 1 

 find themselves not only shut out from our inii-- 

 kets, (not by prohibitions but by skill and industry) I 

 but cventuallv rivalled in those of foreign coun- 

 tries. These preliminary remarks are not only 

 intended to allay, or dimmish any feeling of dis- 

 content at our inijiartial preference of the best 

 stock, from whatever country it may have been 

 onsrinally derived, but to encourage our own 

 farmers to take more eflicient measures for tiie 

 amelioration and improvement of our own na- 

 tive breeds. They cannot attend one of our 

 shows, without perceiving the public preference 

 for the new races, and tins is a strong confirma- 

 tion of the justice of the decisions, though we 

 are aware that if is not the least difficult task of 

 the Committee to endeavor to decide without 

 any bias from this clearly pronounced opinion 

 of all the bystanders. 



We have said, that the imported stock and 

 their progeny have usually been preferred by 

 the visitors at our shows; — we would make one 

 exception, and that is, with respect to milch cows. 

 Although the milch cows of Great Britain and 

 the lietherlands are in general far, infinitely, su- 

 perior to our own, — yet during the six years in 

 which 1 have had this unpleasant duty to per- 

 Ibrm, I have never seen an imported cow ol 

 equal merit (taking the positive evidence of qual- 

 ities, the quantity and quality of milk into viewj 

 with some of our own which have been offered. 

 .So fully am I convinced of this truth, as well as 

 that our country possesses a very considerable 

 number of these fine cows, that I am persuaded, 

 that, if Great Britain or the Netherlands were 

 to send us ten cows each, of the best quality. 

 New-England alone could furnish twenty, which 

 would equal them in the quantities of milk, Inil- 

 ter and cheese, which they would respectively 

 produce. If this should be true, and I have nr 

 doubt of it, we at least possess one of the parent' 

 in perfection, from which an improved race 

 might be procured. This opinion is not expres- 

 sed lightly. We infer its truth fiom an examiii 

 ation of the products of foreign cows, thougiit to 

 be so extraordinary as to merit notice in theii 

 ]ieriodical journals ; and during our short period 

 of exhibitions, we have had several, which have 

 equalled the best, of which any accounts have 

 been published. But we would wish, that ii 

 shoulil be distinctly understood, that we refer 

 only to a small part of our milch cows, and that 

 we fear much the greater number are lamsntr- 

 bly poor. We are well convinced, that somt 

 dairies in our country, with two good cows, pro. 

 duce as much as the average of those which have 

 five. If we are correct, or nearly so, in the opi- 

 nion above expressed, how does it happen thai 

 our breed of cattle on the whole is so inferior? 

 Because the owner of a good cow, instead ol 

 putting a proper value upon her, will generally 



send her to the nearest scrub bull, to save a little 

 labor, and some trifiing difference of expense. 

 This we all feel and know to be true. But tliis 

 shameful negligence is giving place to more ju- 

 dicious measur"i, owing principally to the effect 

 of the public shows. If every owner of a good, 

 and very superior cow, would consiiler her in a 

 proper light, not merely as a valuable animal 

 during her life, but as capable of improving hi.s 

 whole stock — if he will spare no moderate ex- 

 pense in procuring calves from her, from bulls 

 of an improved breed, we shall soon see our 

 whole stocic gradually improve. Bakewell and 

 Princeps, among the most distinguished raisers 

 of stock in Great Britain, lived to see their im- 

 provements eminently successful. We are fully 

 aware, that all this exhortaticii and argument is 

 of very little importance, compared with the 

 more substantial proofs derived from prices. — 

 When, therefore, our farmers learn, that a call 

 of six months, has been sold at the price of four 

 ordinary cows, of l\\e years old, who have con- 

 sumed twelve tons of h.ay, including pasturage, 

 and have required great labor in attending on 

 them ; when they hear such a fact as this, that 

 an excellent judge offered fifty dollars for a two 

 months calf, of the cow herein after mentioned, 

 owned by the Hon. Mr. Gray, they produce, 

 more conviction than any other soi't of address. 



Before we announce the premiums, we would 

 express the thanks of the Trustees to those Gen- 

 tlemen, who without claiming any reward, and 

 purely with the view of giving aid to the show, 

 exhibited fine animals at no small expense and 

 trouble. It is probable that as the Committee 

 look no minutes of these animals some of them 

 may be overlooked. One we could not forget — 

 the fine imported bull Denton, belonging to Ste- 

 phen Williams, Esq. of Northborough. He has 

 improved with age, and shows that he has an 

 owner who is sensiide of his great value. Nor 

 could any one overloi k Cadebs, owned by Major 

 Jaques, of Charlestown. If there had not been 

 my other animals on the ground, those who are 

 loud of viewing fine natural productions, would 

 i'eel that a visit to Brighton was well repaid bj' the 

 sight and comparison of these animals, differing 

 considerably to be sure, but each very remarka- 

 le for beauty. There was also a fine imported 

 cow, with her Calf, lately bought by the Hon. 

 .Mr. Gray for jjS200. Such liberal prices will en- 

 ■lure a constant and gradual improvement of our 

 -lock. It is said that this cow is very reriiar- 

 \able for the quantity and quality of her milk — 

 >ve have heard that she had given in England 

 36 quarts per day, but there was no person to 

 <^ive us any accurate account of her. Capt. 

 Pracy, of the London Packet, added a new 

 ;iroof, to the many he has already given, of his 

 zeal for the promotion of the ."Agriculture of his 

 . ountrv, by exhibiting three young horned ani- 

 mals, just imported by him. Major Jaques also 

 exhibited three fine cows, without asking a 

 premium. 



After so long a trial of the patience of the 

 Competitors, by these introductory remarks, 

 many of which competitors will, however, be 

 disappointed quite as early as they would wish — 



Tlie Committee awarded the premium : 



