186 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



UKC. 1,', 184 



For the New England Farmer. 



"OUR OWN BREEDS OF CATTLE" 

 An article under this head, signed " JVtw Hump- 

 shin " originally pnhlished in the '■ Farmer's Moalh- 

 \y Visitor," was copied into a late No. of the 

 '• Massachusetts Ploughman," and also into the 

 " New England Farmer." 



'I'tie writer of that article assumes that it is 

 more " advantageous" to breed from "animals long 

 domeslicntcd ('?) rather than from the choice speci- 

 mens recently brouglit from Europe." 



I shall not attempt to notice all the arrogant 

 bigotry displayed in the piece under consideration, 

 but will advert only to a few of his assertions. The 

 article itself would not have been worth this no- 

 tice, had It not been for the notoriety given it by 

 the republication. 



1. He says, "Some of our best niillters, and all 

 our finest beef cattle, hiive known no relationship 

 to these Durhams or Devuns, or other bloods." 

 Now here is an ambiguity of language which ren- 

 ders the meaning of the writer obscure. If lie 

 means as he says, that our cattlt " have known no 

 relalionship" to the breeds he mentions, he may be 

 correct; for I am willing to admit that the caltle 

 are as ignorant on the subject of their " relation- 

 ship," as this writer himself appears to be. If, how- 

 ever, he means to say, that "some of our best milk- 

 ers, and all our finest beef cattle," have tio known 

 relationship to any improved breed or breeds, it is 

 an assertion unsupported by the least evidence. 



2. He then goes on to speak of the high prices 

 paid for the Merino sheep on their introduction to 

 this country, and brings in another of his anoma- 

 lous and peculiar sentences, as follows: "That 

 the Merino produces wool of superior excellence, 

 nvathd hj the South Down, is, without doubt, true ; 

 but they are not generally more valued than our 

 own slock that was here before them." 



What perfect nonsense is here ! The Merino 

 wool 13 " rivalled by the South Down," but neither 

 of these breeds of sheep are any more "valued" 

 than the stock which was here before tliem I What 

 does he mean ? Why, first, that the wool of the 

 South Down is equal to the Merino ! and second, 

 that neither of these breeds are any better, or 

 "ony more valued" (?) ar valunhk, than the old 

 stock which was in the country before they were 

 imported ! 



He then winds up his senseless balderdash about 

 sheep, by the dogmatical declaration that " the 

 mutton of our country, as well as our beef, is finer 

 grained and better flavored than the English." 



3. He says, " What has been proved ('7!) in rela- 

 tion to our horses and cattle and sheep, is true al- 

 so, in relation to our swine. Over aad over again, 

 in almost every part of our country where the im- 

 ported breeds have been kept with our own, the 

 latter have proved superior." 



Jlere is a string of the most absurd assertions, 

 got up apparently tn gratify the self-conceit of the 

 author, and operate on the prejudices of the vulgar 

 and ignorant. 



If the assumptions of this writer can be support- 

 ed by fads, why not furnish the public with some 

 evidence on the subjects to which he refers ? Why 

 not give us the details of the practical eiperieme, 

 (backed up by his proper name,) by which he has 

 derived such important knowledge.' Does he 

 know from actual e.vperience and taste tliat " the 

 mutlon and beef of our country is finer grained and 

 better flavored than the English".' Or that the 



improved breeds are no better in this respect than 

 the stock we had in the country before these were 

 imported ? 



But the object of the writer is obvious. It is to 

 make those who by ignorance and prejudice are 

 rendered fit subjects of such imposition, believe 

 that tne races of animals which have been longest 

 in the country, are the best in the world, and Uial 

 hence they should not breed from races of later in- 

 troduction, or send abroad for any others ! 



And again, the " New Hampshire" writer, mourn- 

 ing over the speculations which took place several 

 years ago, in Merino sheep, seems to suppose that 

 no benefit has accrued to the country from their in- 

 troduction, because the golden prospects which 

 " flitted across the visions of our fathers," have 

 not been realized by us, and because the Merinos 

 " are not now any more valued than the old stock 

 winch was here before them." 



'I'he whole number of pounds of wool produced 

 in the United States in the year 1839, according to 

 the statistical returns, was 35,80i,l]4. Of this 

 quantity, ],2liO,2.J5 pounds is set down for the 

 State of New Hampshire, and 3,699,235 pounds 

 for Vermont. The aggregate value of woollen 

 manufactured articles in the United States, is set 

 down at 620,096,999. That of New Hampshire 

 IS $795,7SJ, and Vermont $l,:33I,9r)3. 



Much the largest portion of this wool is Merino, 

 and according to this writer, the production of this 

 kind of wool is of no consequence — it would have 

 been just as well to have produced our wool from 

 the old stock that was here before" the Merinos 

 were introduced! liut suppose we were to take 

 from the fafmers of New Hampshire and Vermont, 

 the Merino wool— (full blood and grade)— what 

 would they say to supplying its place with wool 

 from " the old stock .'" Would they realize as 

 great an amount of money from that article as they 

 now do .' Who among that writer's brother Yan- 

 kees would support such a " notion" .' 



In what is said about swine, it would have been 

 well if the writer had been a little more e.vplicit. 

 What does he mean by the " imported breeds," and 

 v/Ua.1 hy "our own"? Is there not an indefinite, 

 ness about this language which could have arisen 

 only from either ignorance or dishonesty.' Are 

 not all our breeds of swine imported .' ' And where 

 does he draw the line between the old ones which 

 he would recommend, and the new ones which should 

 be rejected ? 



The "New Hampshire" writer winds up his ar- 

 ticle by asserting, in his usual dogmatical manner, 

 that our domestic animals " as well as their own- 

 ers," have improved " since they were brought to 

 Ihe new world, and are now superior to the°stock 

 they sprang from." 



This reminds me of an anecdote of some kin- 

 dred soul to tins writer, who, to prove that every 

 generation grew wiser and wiser, said he kiteiv it 

 was so, because he was wiser than his father, and 

 his father was wiser than his grandfather. 



In Ihe absence of any argument, we are left to 

 draw the most obvious inference as to the modus 

 operandi by which ho arrives at his conclusion, and 

 from the superabundance of ignorance and self- 

 conceit evinced in the article, a clue is furnished to 

 understanding the principal influence by which he 

 was guided. 



But I protest against the tenor and spirit of the 

 article I have betn considering. I would not en- 

 courage the adoption of unprofitable breeds of ani- 

 mals, or any unprofitable scheme. I deprecate the 



rash excitements to which the public mind is sor 

 times raised ; but while I would guard acai 

 these, I desire to see men act reasonably, and 

 reject a good thing, merely because some have 

 come enthusiastic about it. A blind and obstin 

 adherence to old customs, niay be even more p 

 judicial to our interests, than an enthusiastic sp 

 of innovation. 



Respecting the subject of the breeds of dom 

 tic animals, and their improvement, I wish to sei 

 better understood. 1 wish farmers to understi 

 the characteristics of the various races, the n 

 by which they should be judged, and the means 

 which all may be improved. I wish to see 

 whole subject so well understood, that the fan 

 in making his selections, may adopt the breed ti 

 adapted to his section and purposes. 



One or two of the agricultural papers of 

 country have sometimes taken a. course on this s 

 ject which I cannot think is calculated to ben 

 the public. An effort seems to be made to prt 

 dice people against the "imported"' breeds, as tl 

 are called, not by pointing out any particular 

 lects which they are supposed to possess, but 

 appealing in general terms to " our own superii 

 ty." and endeavoring in this manner to excue lo 

 prejudices and selfish pride. No objection, to 

 sure, can be made to improving the common sto 

 but why do not those papers, instead of being : 

 isfied with wholesale denunciations o( the " imp 

 ed" breeds, point out a mode of improving the ci 

 mon ones .' Why do they not tell us the rule. 

 be adopted — the points to be aimed at in select 

 and breeding ? Why do they not tell us w 

 form and qualities are the essential requisites o, 

 good animal ? Why, it is asked, if they seei 

 benefit the public, do they not do this .' Unt 

 clear idea is entertained on this subject, how i 

 possible that the farmer can be really benefit! 

 How any benefit can accrue from endeavorin< 

 make farmers believe that the more ignorant tl 

 are on the subject of the blood of their stock, 

 better it is, it must be admitted is past comproh 

 sion ! SANFORD HOWARD 



Zanesville, Ohio, Dec. 1843. 



Heaves. — Do you know any effectual cure 

 heaves in horses.' If not, perhaps you may c 

 eider what follows as worth noticing. I hav 

 valuable horse, one of a pair, which threatet 

 more than a year ago, to become utterly useless 

 consequence of this complaint. At theexpirall 

 of the last grass season, I was induced to try ( 

 stalks of corn instead of hay, and the result h 

 been that the animal is entirely relieved. Peiil 

 me to add, that I have for years been in the pi (. 

 tice of giving my horses each an ounce of fine . 

 every other day, and have good reason for beli 

 ing that their health is greatly promoted by it 

 ^ilb. Cult. 



In nine hundred and ninetynine cases out o 

 thousand, the troubles of men may be traced to 

 desire to surpass others. 



Griefs grow and so do potatoes ; but the for 

 take the deepest root. 



He that shows his passion, tells his enemy wl; ■ 

 to hit him. 



At his birth, man is short of stature in .. 



youth, sliort of prudence, and in his old age, shoiBl 

 hair. 



