XV!I NO. fi 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



43 



" For tlio dairy, the North Devon must be ac- 

 kiiotvledsrerl to be inferior to several other breeds. 

 The milk is good, and yields more than an averasre 

 proportion of cream and butt'^r; bnt it is deficient 

 in quantity. There arc those, however, and no 

 mean judges, who deny this, and select the North 

 Devons even for tiio dairy." 



Perhaps one of the mo3t valuable crosses that has 

 yet been made, is the one described by tlie celebra- 

 ted breeder, Mr Bolton, in a letter to the Farmer's 

 Magazine. 



" I have known many excellent beasts bred from 

 improved Shoit Horn bulls and long horn cows ; 

 indeed I never knew one of tliese bulls put to any 

 cow where the produce was not superior to the dam ; 

 but the cross which I advocate, and with wliich I 

 am best acquainted, is that with the Devon cow. I 

 have uniformly remarked that a cross here was at- 

 tended with a proportionate improvement in size, 

 quality of flesh, and aptitude to fatten. In every 

 instance tliey have shown themselves superior milk- 

 ers, and stand to the pail till within si.K or eiglit 

 weeks of calving; and several instances havecome 

 under my knowledge, where they have never been 

 dry since they first calved. So highly are they 

 prized as milkers, that a friend of mine who hires 

 out dairies, informs me, that the dairymen give Iiim 

 nearly '21. per cow per year more for tlie half and 

 three-fourtli breeds, than they would for cows of 

 any other breed." 



Judging from the expressions of opinion given by 

 cattle breeders in England, by the course of the 

 agricultural periodicals of tliat country, and by tlie 

 fact, th-it at tlie late Smitliland cattle show, open 

 to the whole Kingdom, the first prizes were taken 

 by Devon cattle, we should imagine that since the 

 demise of some of the most celebrated Short Horn 

 breeders, such as Collings, Berry, and others, tlie 

 Devons were treading close on the heels ol'the 

 Short Horns in public estimation. The first pre- 

 mium was given at the late Smithfield fair, to a 

 pure Devon, the property of Mr Coke of Holkliam, 

 and the second to a steer only 19 montlis old, of the 

 improved Devon, or the Devon crossed with the 

 Somersetshire breed. The ox weighed wliende.ad, 

 1122 pounds ; and the steer when dead, weighed 

 1332 pounds. The steer was a most remarkable 

 one, and was owned by Mr Giblett. 



The Devonshire breed of cattle have been more 

 extensively introduced into the United States than 

 any other breed of foreign cattle, and they form a 

 large portion, in different grades, of the cattle of 

 New England and the middle states. Some fine 

 stock of this breed were sent from Mr Coke to Mr 

 Patterson of Baltimore, and two oxen from this im- 

 portation, raised and fattened by the Messrs. Hurl- 

 but of Winchester, Connecticut, weighed when 

 killed as follows : 



First Ox. Second Ox. 



Carcass 1438 Carcass 1.528 



Hide 117 Hide ll.'i 



Tallow 175 Tallow 213 



1730 lbs. 1856 lbs. 



Mr Fisher of New York, addressed a letter to 

 Mr Coke giving an accoimt of tliese cattle, and re- 

 ceived the following reply from tliat veteran agri- 

 culturist, which we insert as showing his opinion 

 of the Devons. 



HoLKHAM, April 21, 1831. 

 Sir, — I am this moment favored with your kind 

 letter, and most flattering account of the Devon 



oxen. It is a pleasing reflection to me, that I was 

 the first person that introduced them into America, 

 through rny friend Mr Patterson. I thought them 

 at tliat tune, and I still more confirmed in my opin- 

 ion now, tliat they are the most superior breed of 

 cattle in tlie Island, if well selected. But I beg to 

 be understood, when I speak of tiie Devonshire red 

 cattle, it is in praise of the jVorth Devon cuttle, witli 

 yellow noses and indented foreheads, and yellow 

 around their eves, which mark their character be- 

 yond that of the South Devons, which have black 

 noses, or intermixed with black. These I beg to 

 be distinctly understood not to recommend as a su- 

 perior breed of cattle. Be so kind as to express 

 my acknowledgments to Mr Hurlbut, when you see 

 him, and to assure him that I shall be at all limes 

 most happy to show him, or any of his American 

 friends, should they come to England, every atten- 

 tion in my power, in the Agricultural line. 



Tho. Wm. Coke. 



Preventing cider from becoming souR.-There 

 are several modes adopted by farmers, to prevent 

 thoir cider from becoming sour. One is, the put- 

 ting in of mustard seed — about a gill to the barrel. 

 For some reason or other, this prevents the acetic 

 fermentation, and tlie cider remains free from that 

 sourness, or hardness, as it is sometimes called, 

 which it otherwise would have. The different 

 modes of refining cider, adopted by some who follow 

 the business, depends undoubtedly on separating all 

 unnecessary vegetable matter from the liquor, and 

 checking th? fermentation at the right time. 



Farmers generally, have neither the time nor the 

 skill to follow out all the operations required to do 

 this ; and hence the most of their cider becomes 

 hard, by the next summer after it is made. 



We have been informed that the addition of 

 Sa!t Petre, in the proportion of one quarter of a 

 pound to a barrel, would not only prevent the cider 

 from becoming hard or sour, but even if added after 

 it had changed, would restore it to a pleasant state 

 again. 



We cannot voncli for the truth of this from any 

 experience which we had onrself with it, but can 

 see no good reason wliy it should not succeed; nor 

 can we discover any harm wliich it could do by any of 

 the combinations which it would make with the ci- 

 der, to which it may be added. — Maine Farmer. 



The harvest. — It s feared the corn crop will 

 not be so good, unless rain should come to its aid 

 in a few days. In this section of country corn is 

 now suffering very much from tlie long continued 

 dry, hot, weather ; and we notice the same is said 

 in other parts. 



In Kentucky tlie crop is said to be very abun^ 

 dant, and it is thought wheat will be down to 50 

 cents per bushel. 



The oats and grass crop will be more abundant 

 than usual. 



Our exchange papers from all quarters concur in 

 saying that the harvest which has just been gath- 

 ei^ed is one of the best that our country has been 

 blessed with for several years. Aflcr two weeks 

 arduous toil in the hottest weather we liave iiad for 

 a number of years, the rich and waving mantles that 

 a few days ago covered the fields of our farmers 

 have been taken off by the sinewy arm of the reap- 

 er, but not without costing him much " sweat of 

 tlie brow" and many palpitations of the heart. The 

 prospects every where are of the most cheering 

 kind. In Virginia, where the failures of crops have 



been truly discouraging for several seasons in suc- 

 cession, the scene is described as quite sliock-'wg, 

 and tlie most sanguine hopes of the faimcr will be 

 realized in his wheat cmp. A contemporary says, 

 " seldom have we seen before, so many sheafy mon- 

 uments to the Author of all our " good and perfect 

 gifts." Unlike several previous years, the " shocks" 

 are not now like angels visits, few and far between, 

 but stand in thick and profusf clusters, — blessings 

 scattered all around. — ZancsvUle (O.) Gazette. 



Indian wheat or Tartarian buckwheat. — 

 This is from Tnrtary or Siberia, via Germany. It 

 is proposed where our buckwheat is killed by frost 

 or heat, to substitute thi.s. It is cultured in Penn- 

 sylvania, Vermont, and Western New York. It is 

 heavier in the grain and more palatable than com- 

 mon buckwheat, and if properly milled, will give 

 thirtyfive pounds of flour to the bushel. It does 

 well on the poorest soil, and is not affected by the 

 cold — does not require so much seed per acre, as 

 it branches low and spreads much. It produces 

 30 or 40 bushels to the acre on ordinary land, and 

 on good land is said to produce from 75 to 100. 

 From 12 to 16 quarts of seed are sown to an acre, 

 tiiough many sow more, and the usual time of sow- 

 ing is about the middle of .lune. The land should 

 not be rich, and poor sandy soils that are not worth 

 cultivating for other crops, are said to produce fair 

 crops of this grain. It is used for various kinds of 

 breadstuffs, as well as for feeding hogs, horses, 

 cows, &c. It makes good bread when new, whether 

 eaten warm or cold, having this advantage over 

 common buckwheat, and it mixes well with other 

 grains — J^eiv York Star. 



No avocation in life is more respectable and use- 

 ful than that of tlie farmer. The time has gone by 

 when " oontempt is cast upon the husbandman." 

 Agriculture, as a science, is becoming more im- 

 portant, and more honorable. It is the noblest for 

 it is " the natural employment of man." The in- 

 telligent and independent farmer is ever respected ; 

 he holds an important and responsible place in so- 

 ciety. Upon him devolve tmny duties : upon him 

 rest many obligations. In him we look for exam- 

 ples in patiiotism., virtue and intelligence. Living, 

 not in the " hum of human cities," where he would 

 be continually in the whirlpool ofpoliti'cal and other 

 excitement, he can examine questions of a moral, 

 religious and political nature, with a cool head, a 

 calm mind, and an unbiassed judgment. To him 

 we look for correct opinion, and in him we should 

 ever find a safe counsellor, and a correct adviser. 



Our farmers should cultivate their minds and 

 their hearts, as well as their fields. They can gain 

 as rich rewards in the mental, as they can reap 

 profitable harvests in tJie- natural world. Witliout 

 learning, a man cannot be a first rate farmer With- 

 out intelligence he cannot discharge in proper man- 

 ner, the duiifis of a citizen. Agriculture is a sci- 

 ence that requires experience and study. Men 

 must be educated to be farmers, as well as to be 

 lawyers, or doctors. And there are thousands of 

 younff men who are in stores and offices, who should 

 go into agricultural piu-suits. It would be better 

 for tliem, better for the country. And who would 

 not rather be an independent farmer, than a small 

 sliop keeper, or a fourth rate lawyer or doctor .' 

 Who would not rather be first in a useful employ- 

 ment, than to be tituian in one which the world 

 calls honorable ? Let young men seek for land, 

 rather than for situations, " in the cotton trade and 

 sugar-line." — Buclccye Ploughhoy. 



