148 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



WOV. 8, 1S4». 



MANAGEMENT OF CATTLE. 



Havini; made some remarks in the August num- 

 ber of the Agriculturist, in reference to the diffe- 

 rent breeds of cattle, we call the reader's attention 

 this month, to selections fur particular purposes 

 and general management. 



For milkers, select as large cows as can be 

 found posses.sing symmetry and neatness of liead 

 and limbs. The hair should be soft and silky to 

 the touch, and skin loose. It is a matter of more 

 moment than is generally supposed, that milch 

 cows have a pleasant temper. An ill-natured 

 beast will not give so much milk, and even what is 

 obtained will be got with difficulty, and without 

 great cautiousness she will " dry up" sooner than 

 one of moderate docility. 



In the selection of a male, great shs is objec- 

 tionable. Tliere is not a greater error with far- 

 mers, ihan the supposition that a Inrge male crossed 

 upon small cow3, will improve the breed fastest 

 There are many objections to a very large bull. 

 They are usually coarse, and difficult to keep hi, 

 and their ofl'spring from small cows are generally 

 more ill-shapen than themselves, and are uniformly 

 meagre, raw-boned, uncomely creatures. There 

 are substantial reasons for this result. The pro- 

 duce of externally large animals, while in vitro, 

 (in the womb,) are not fully nourished by small 

 cows ; there is frequent difficulty in cows being 

 delivered of very large calves ; then they always 

 come poor ; and, in the last place, they require 

 such a quantity of nourishment, that few small 

 dams supply their vvan's. The most compactly 

 built, firmly muscled, flinty horses of the world, 

 have not been produced by large sires, but they 

 are the produce of the little Arab, upon dams of 

 larger size. 



In breeding, it is a rule from which there is per- 

 haps no variation, that " the male gives form, and 

 thejemale size." Hence the conduct of the most 

 scientific breeders of England. Their object is to 

 find a bull rather under than over size, with 

 full points and perfection of form ; and experience 

 teaches, that we can find at least twenty heifers of 

 suitable dimensions for breeders where we can 

 find one bull which should be selected. The in- 

 dispensables for a good breeder are, first, let the 

 animal be of the deepest milking stock ; second, 

 medium size ; third, small bona ; fourth, full 

 points; fifth, glossy hair; and sixth, soft loose 

 skin. 



In Durhams, select an animal without a black 

 hair or muzxle, and by all means, have him of good 

 disposition. 



The next consideration is, to manage matters 

 so that the calves shall be dropped about the Ist 

 of April. July is the proper month for the cows 

 to go to the bulls. 



Difficulty in Calving. — It is not at all iinfreqiient 

 that cows can not bring forth, and we have known 

 valuable animals, by neglect, to die in this condi- 

 tion. Sometimes the cow is loo feeble for the la- 

 borious exertion ; and again, the calf is extremely 

 large ; in either case, a liltle gentle assistance 

 will relieve both dam and oBspring. If the feet 

 have made their appearance, examine if the head 

 is between the fore legs. If it is, all will go on 

 well ; but if the head is turned, take otf your coat 

 like n gentleman and christian, roll up your sleeves 

 to your shoulder, and insert your hand, and turn 

 the calf, if necessary, or the head, forward. Then 

 take hold of the fore feet with both hands, and as 

 .the suffering dam exerts herself, pull gently, and 



in nine cases out often, the cow will be delivered 

 in less than ten minutes. 



Jl/irr Calving. — Let the calf suck all it will tho 

 first day, but at evening have the cow milked per- 

 fectly clean. When the calf is two or three days 

 old, separate the dam from it, but let them togeth- 

 er three times a day. By all means the calf 

 .should be kept fat, and when about two months 

 old, if properly managed, and taught to eat, it 

 should be weaned. But unless the calf receive 

 rich food at this age, it will decline, and become 

 so stinted In its growth as never to recover from it. 



In winter, calves should have a shelter, and be 

 fed carefully. The cheapest mode of rearing any 

 animal, is to keep it always in good condition ; and 

 in this no farmer can be successful without con- 

 stant perMiiai attention. Rules are too limited to 

 make a good manager of stock ; still they often- 

 times materially aid. Every husbandman should 

 be one of thought, diligence, and punctuality. 



JlUenlion to Milch Cows. — Any one who would 

 conclude his cows are so superior as to give an 

 abundance of rich milk without the requisite food 

 and attention, will be much mistaken, and his "ill 

 luck" he may ascribe to bad management. 



In winter, the first study should be, comfortable 

 quarters for milkers. A cow-house is indispensa- 

 ble to prosperous husbandry. Each cow should 

 have her stall, and be taught to go to it, and slay in 

 it for her meal. It is not so important to feed su- 

 perabundantly, as it is to give what is to be con- 

 sumed regularly. Man learns by experience that 

 his regular meals, of proper quality rather than 

 large amount, are essential to sound health — the 

 same holds good with all domestic animals. 



Green food is very important in winter for cows. 

 If this can not be obtained by the way of pastu- 

 rage, (as it cannot at tho North and East,) roots, 

 such aa potatoes, turnips, carrots, beets, &c., will 

 answer the purpose admirably. 



Cooked food is better for cows than uncooked, 

 and less will answer a better purpose. Currying 

 cows in winter, is essential to good health, and it 

 materially increases the quantity of milk. This 

 may be done, wiih very little labor, twice in the 

 day. Cows should have good hay or rough food 

 of some kind, at all times, and regular supplies of 

 water cannot be neglected with impunity, and daily 

 sailing is just as necessary to the cow as to her 

 master. 



Milking is not the most unimportant matter. 

 Women were not made to manage cows, and an 

 ill-natured man should not enter a cow. yard. Let 

 an active, quick-moving, attentive man, feed, milk 

 and manage the cows. The good old Yankee 

 plan is for the husband to make the Jire, bring the 

 water, and "pale the cow" — [an error, with respect 

 to the latter oper.-ition, which, in Yankee land, is 

 mo.st commonly the toomen^s task] — while the wife 

 sweeps the house and gets the breakfast — and 

 really we should like to see the system adopted in 

 the South-west. 



Milking should be performed briskly. A slow, 

 lazy person, tugging slowly at a cow's udder, putn 

 the kind creature so much out of patience that she 

 holds lip her milk and soon becomes dry. We 

 advise our friends to saw off the points of their 

 cows' horns, to prevent their hooking injuriously ; 

 by a little training of cattle while young, they will 

 become fond of their managers — and to get the 

 friendship of cows, especially, is an important de- 

 sideratum, as they will give their milk more freely 



to one whom they like than to one for whom the 

 have an antipathy. 



Last, but not least, in managing cattle, is (! 

 keep the stables clean. The cleaning should b 

 done once a day, where the cows stand up at nigh 

 and if they are are in the stalls through the daj 

 cleaning should be done morning and evcnini 

 Let each cow have a soft straw bed for lying dowi 



These, to some, may appear small matters, bi 

 if our readers who have not adopted this or a simi 

 lar course, will try it the coming winter, and ar 

 not amply remunerated for their extra attcntioni 

 wc will confess we have written to little purposi 

 Tenii. Jjgricidlurist. 



IMPROVEMENT OF CORN, WHEAT, &c. 



To the Eililor (^f the American Tarmer : 



I had the pleasure, a few days ago, of showini 

 you a couple of stalks of corn.ea<h contnininj 

 seven perfect ears. They were taken friiin a fiel 

 of twentyfive acres, on the farm of Gen. T. M 

 Forman, of Cecil county, Md., and were a fai 

 sample of the crop. General Forman informed m 

 that he had, many years ago, adopted the plan o 

 selecting his seed corn from the stalks that hay 

 tho greatest number of perfect cars; and that b 

 continuing this practice, he has brought his cor 

 In the high quality represented by the specimen 

 alluded to. This has been uniformly the resul 

 with all who have perseveringly practiced his plar 

 A word or two on the utility of attending t 

 such thin<;8 by our farmers. The wonder is ths 

 everybody does not do it, and the only reason 

 can suggest for its not being done, is, that the peo 

 pie are not generally aware, thatall kinds of plant 

 may be improved by careful attention to breeding 

 just as much as animals are. 



" Hut," I shall be asked, " hoiv are we to improvi 

 our corn, wheat, &c., by crew's breeding?" 



Wheat, rye, and oats may all be treated alike— 

 and the process given for one, will answer for all 

 Take severcl good kinds of wheat, baldheadei 

 and bearded, blue stem, purple stem, red am 

 white, five or six kinds in all ; mix them togethe 

 thoroughly, and sow the parcel in some good soil 

 at a considerable distance from any other whea 

 lot, and select the best heads, those that ar( 

 largest, best filled, and that contain the best grains 

 on the most robust stalks, and keep the seed fo 

 another year's sowing. The next year at harvest 

 make the same selection for seed. Continue thii 

 course for two or three years, and then you wil 

 find you will have a wonderfully improved variety 

 of wheat. But to keep the quality of this new 

 wheat up to its standard, and even to continue th« 

 improvement, you ought always to select a quanti. 

 ty for the succeeding year's sowing, in the same 

 way. This is not ns Iroublesomo us at first sight 

 it appears to be. A half bushel or a bushel ol 

 seed wheat may easily be selected in this way in 

 a few hours — hours that possibly might not have 

 been devoted to as profitable employment. 



The cross breeding of corn requires a little mor« 

 trouble. Vou have an CKcellent kind of corn, but 

 it is late in maturing, and has rather a large cob. 

 Select some other kind of corn that ripens as ear- 

 ly as you desire, and has the right sized cob. Plant 

 your late kind as early in the spring as you can, in 

 every alternate hill, leaving the other hills vacant: 

 At a later period, say 20 to 30 days later, (accord- 1 

 ing to the difl^erence between the two kinds,) plant 

 the vacant hills with the early corn. The placfi 



