206 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



DEC. 27, IS 



ANn HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



Edited by Joseph Brccb.. 



Boston, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 1843. 



NATIVE AND FOREIGN BREEDS OF CATTLE 



FOR BEEF. 

 To the Editor of ihe New England Farmer: 



The drovers in tliis vicinity who buy caille Tor Brigh- 

 ton market, disc-ird the English bleeds for beeves. They 

 Bay that you ni:iy take two beeves, one of native, the 

 other Toreign, size and flesh equal, and the native will 

 out-sell by the hundred, and weigh from fifty to seventy- 

 five pounds more than the latter. Now if tliis is the 

 fact, where is the policy of farmers buying English 

 breeds at e.\lravagant prices, to improve their common 

 stock, especially tho.se who raise cattle for the shambles.' 



Tliere are those near you, 1 presume, who know all 

 about it, and would freely give their opinion to the pub- 

 lic, if requested. Q. C. RICH. 



Shoreham, Vt., Dec. Alh, 1843. 



113= We do not question the truth of Mr Rich's state- 

 ment, that the drovers prefer the native cattle and re- 

 ject the foreign breeds ; but this does not prove that the 

 improved breeds are not the most profitable to (he far- 

 mer. The reason why they are preferred by the drover 



is, because he can make more money out of them. Take I s^amycoat'oVp-'or' grass producing"" very" l' 

 a rawboned, ngly shaped animal, and .f there i, »ny ap- ,,,^^ ^^^__|^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^j. ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ 

 pearance of fat upon them, they will open much better 

 than they look ; but a fine, square-built animal speaks 

 for itself, and there is but little chance of speculation by 

 the knowing drover. The farmer has the benefit of all 

 he puts into the improved breed, while the same quan- 

 tity fed to an inferior animal, does not show itself, and 

 he loses and the drover gains. 



So far as our observation goes, the Durham Short 

 Horned cattle are vastly superior for the shambles ; 

 they require less food, and take on flesh faster than the 

 great majority of what are called our native cattle, and 

 we have only to consult those who have had the e.vpe- 

 rience, to be assured that it is so. It is very difficult to 

 convince those who have never tried the improved 

 breeds of cattle, that they are the best. We do not 

 think much of their opinion in the matter; — it is fz 

 par/e /—their evidence is only on one side. But let tis 

 consult those who have had experience with the im- 

 proved and native breeds : they can speak advisedly ; — 

 their testimony is full and conclusive. 



The finest fat cattle we have ever seen, were of the 

 Durham Short Horn breed. 3Iany of our readers will 

 remember the famous Durham ox Olympus, that was 

 exhibited near Faneuil Hall, in 1837. This noble ani- 

 mal was at that lime five years old, and weighed 3500 

 pounds. His symmetry was perfect. He was afterwards 

 taken to England, and if we mistake not, he reached 

 the weight of 4400. He was known there ^under the 

 name of Brother Jonathan. 



CORREC riO.N. 



We are requested bv Dr. Dana to remind the readers 

 of his Prize Essay on Manure?, that in the stalpinenl of 

 the composition of sheep urine, page '.20, '".18, water, 12. 

 salts," should be 96. water, 1.20 sails. 



We int 'nd to commence the public.ntion of the Essay 

 as soon as we shall have disposed of one or two lengthy 

 matters that wc have nn hand. We make this state- 

 ment in answer to some inquiries as to when the Essay 

 would be presented to our readers. 



FISH MANURE. 



In a previous number, in answer to inquiries of a 

 correspondent, we gave some account of the value of 

 fish manure, mode of applying, &c. We left the article 

 unfinished, expecting to meet a gentleman in a few 

 days, who had used this Uiml of manure extensively, 

 and from his practicul knowledge, supposed we might 

 give some furiher instruction for the benefit of our cor- 

 respondent and others. 



We have had the pleasure of an interview with the 

 gentleman refirred to, but liis engagements would not 

 allow him then to give us many particulars of his prac- 

 tice ; but as he has invited us to visit his place in the 

 spring, and as we have accepted his invitation, we shfill 

 be enabled, after the visit, to write more understanding- 

 ly upon tile subject. 



The idea expressed by IMr Johnson, in iiis work on 

 Manures, that the effect of fish manure is perceptible on 

 one crop only, this gentleman says is far from the truth, 

 in hid experience. Ho says, the good effects, upon an 

 old pasture, which was dressed with fish manure nine 

 years since, are visible to the present day, and the land 

 may be distinguished at a dist.'ince, from a piece by its 

 side which has not been manured. He applies 15 tons 

 of fish to the acre, when spread upon the grass or plowed 

 under for a crop. Tfie effect upon his pastures was 

 most astonishing. In the summer of 1842, he gave a 

 liberal dressing to a pasture which had the appearance 

 of being run out, covered with moss, and a meagre, 



ittle feed, 

 came in 

 the last season, and grew most luxuriantly, affording 

 more feed than his cattle could eat, and nearly a ton of 

 hay per acre was cut in addition. The cattle eat the 

 grass very greedily, and will even turn over the decay- 

 ing fish with their noses, to get at it. 



The odor from the fish when first spread upon the 

 grass, is unpleasant to a stranger, but the farmer soon 

 gets accustomed to it, and thinks but little about it. The 

 gases arising from decomposing animal matter, this gen- 

 tleman thinks, are not so injurious to health as is gener- 

 ally supposed. He remarked, that butchers, who of all 

 men were ino.^t exposed to the disagreeable effiuvia 

 from decaying animal matter, are, as a class, us he.'tlthy 

 as those uf any other trade or profession. However this 

 may he, and there may be some truth in the remark, we 

 would not advocate sucli intolerable nuisances as some 

 of our butcheries are, nor encourage the use of fish to 

 lay upon the surface and putrefy, to the great annoyance 

 of the traveller and neighbor. It must be admitted, also, 

 that it is a wasteful practice, to say nothing about the 

 oftensiveness of tliis mode of using fish. The most eco- 

 nomical w,iy, no doubt, is to make fish into a compost. 

 We were informed by this gentleman, that one load of 

 fish was sufficient to mix with five loads of peat, mead- 

 ow, or salt mud, and that he applied 30 loads of this 

 compost to the acre, producing important results. 



If may be, that in some situations, where the materi- 

 als for making a compost are not easily obtained, and 

 fish can be taken near the land which they are to fer- 

 tilize, that the expense of making them into a compost 

 will greatly exceed the waste of applying them in a 

 crude state. Of this we have no means of judging, and 

 for the present must let ihe whole subject " lie upon the 

 table,'' to be called up at some future time. 



inrWe acknowledge Ihe receipt of the 1st an 

 volumes of the Transactions of the New York State 

 ricultural Sociely, for the years 1841 and "42, from 

 ther Tucker, Esq., Secretary of the Society. 



These volumes do much credit to the Society, 

 contain each 400 pages octavo, handsomely bon 

 cloth, and embrace a large amount of interesting d 

 from the reports of various County Societies, and 

 municalions from individuals, and must bo the me* 

 difl'using much valuable piactical agricultural infi 

 tion, and stimulating the different sections of the 

 to vie with each other in improving and beaulifyir 

 country, increasing its comforts, and developing ai 

 creasing its vast agiicultural resources. We are g 

 see the Empire State thus awake, and hope her e 

 pie may have the effect to indues her sister Stat 

 redouble their exertions, lest they be left in the r( 

 their enterjtrising neighbor. 



Rid Flannel. — The Maine Farmer says that th 

 oring matter in common English red flannel, is of 

 sonous nature, and that it should be thoroughly vv 

 before it is worn. 



For the information of (he farmer and others 

 may be misled by this statement, we will state tb.ii 

 is nothing in the red coloring matter which will | 

 one person in a thousand, but on the contrary it i 

 sidered a partial remedy for chronic diseases. Wi 

 knowledge of some instances where persons were 

 ed when first attempting to wear red flannel, and 

 seen like effect caused by white flannel. The co 

 matter is a corapfiund of acids, tin, Lac, or Coc 

 Tarter, and sometimes a little bark, all of v\ hich, ii 

 diluted state, are perfectly harmless. Red flanne 

 from necessity, thorougfily washed when taken 

 the dye kettle. Those who are affected by w 

 them at first, should use cotton or linen next the 

 for a time, and they will afterward suffer no int 

 nience. — Brunswicker. 



There is much truth in the following maxim by one of 

 the ancient sages :— " A small neglect often breeds a 

 great mischief ;— fur want of a nail, the shoe is lost — 

 for want of a shoe, the horse is lost— for want of a 

 horse, the rider is tost." 



Prices of Poultry. — A correspondent says, th 

 one, he should like to have us publish the slate ■ 

 poultry market, as well as of other articles of pr 

 which we usually notice in the Farmer. We fii 

 prices vary so much from week to week, accord 

 the state of the weather, that it is difF/cult to gii 

 price at one time which will correspond with wh; 

 price would be the next week. I'he prices have i 

 during tlie last month, for tiirkies, from 8 to ?2 ) 

 per pound ; chickens from G to 10— and geese f 

 to 9. On Monday before Thanksgiving, wliich 

 mild morning, and the prospect of warm weaiher; 

 the sales commenced very low : we could bny 

 turkies for 8 cents per lb , but before noon, a ehai 

 the weather raised the spirits of the market m( 

 the prices of poultry, and at noon 10 cents was a 

 the weather continued to increase in severity in 

 teroon, and at night, holders were as bold as it 

 Taunton people were formerly, when alewives 

 plenty — and 12 1-2 cents for the best turkies was 

 and it was a matter of indiflerenco with the 1; 

 whether you purchased or not at this price. Sucf 

 titles arrived the next day, that inferior lots were i 

 at less price — from 8 to 10 cents — wliile the | 

 which was well fatted, picked without scaldin: 

 brought in with care, sold readily at U to 12 1.2 

 We shiill have a word to soy occasionally up 

 subject of the prices of poultry, quality, &c. 



O"' Piiy the Printer." — Before we wish our i 

 " a happy New Year," we would remind those in 

 to us that tliiir dues would be very acceptable. ' N< 



