20 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 3. 



9 Iba. each per week on grass feud olone. He has a 

 number of cowtj ibot hove made ]0J ibs. per week, 

 and rue that he haa made JIJ Iba. from. Afler ihe 

 1st of December he makes no buuer, but eells his 

 milk during the winter, the account of which haa been 

 mislaid. His calves euck till they are 7 weeks old, 

 then they are mostly slaughtered. The cowa are dry 

 from 2 to 3 months previously to cnlving. In the 

 season of 1840, the butler made from 10 cows was 

 19G5 lbs. Amount sold, 1831 lbs. Amount used in 

 the family, TJl lbs. Mr. G. had not footed the ac- 

 count for the present seoson, (1841,) but he said it 

 ■would not probably vary much from the two previous 

 yeara. The cows arc all native. You may rely upon 

 the above being correct." 



65. From 3U cows in Cheshire, Berkshire coun- 

 ty, all native cows, an average of iii Iba. of new 

 milk cbeeee has been produced to each cow, and 10 

 lbs. butter, or 300 lbs. in the whole in a aeason. 



66. Two dairies in Cheshire ; one of 21 cows, pro- 

 duced 626 Ibs. of new milk cheese, and 1700 Iba. of 

 pork were made on the same farm, half of which was 

 to be credited to the cowa ; one of t8 cows, prodnced 

 Co'2J lbs. of new milk cheese in a season, ami 1000 

 lbs. ot pork were made the same aeaann on the same 

 farm. Two quarts of rye meal were given to each 

 cow two months the first of the season, and one quart 

 for one month during the last of the season. Most of 

 tlie time they had Iheir whey to rich. 



I might greatly enlarge this list by a mention of 

 other native cows as remarkable aa those to which I 

 have referred ; but here 1 shall submit ihe caae. — 

 The beauty of the Improved Durham Short-Horna 

 and their perfection of form are admirable. They 

 come with goud keeping early to maturi'y. They 

 have a tendency to keep thcmfclvca in good condition : 

 and with extraordinary feeding and cure, they arrive 

 at a large size, and some individuals, all points con- 

 sidered, have surpassed any thing within my knowl- 

 edge. The Claremont ox, a half-blood Durham, whoac 

 pedigree is not known, which was sent from this 

 country to England for e.thibilion three years since, 

 ■was pronounced by competent judges the lincet ani- 

 mal of the kind ever seen there. Hia live weight 

 was reported aa not far from 3700 lbs. The Green- 

 land ox was nearly as heavy, and singulaily beauti- 

 ful. A native ox e.'shibited in Boston, in 1840, did 

 not differ much from these in size, fulness, and 

 weight ; but compured with them in appearance, he 

 was misshopen and deformed. The Durham cows, 

 in general, especially the selected ones, which have 

 been imported on account of these qualities, are large 

 niilkera ; but their milk seema generally inferior as to 

 richness or butyraceous properties. The milking pro- 

 perties of Mr. Whitney's stock at New HaveiT, are 

 very remarkable. The Durham cowa are large ani- 

 mals, and should be expected to secrete largely of 

 milk ; but niimy of them, however, are inferior as 

 millters ; and, upon as calm and impartial a view of 

 the subject as 1 can take from my own personal obaer- 

 vation, 1 cannot piononnce them, as u race distinguish- 

 ed and preferable to all othere for ther dairy qualities. 

 I have come to this concluaion ivith \»ry strong pre- 

 judices in their favor ; and as I measure my words in 

 this case, 1 wish to be judged only by what I say. — 

 Whenever a Short-Horn cow proves an inferior milk- 

 er, the enthusiastic advocates of the race are pleosed 

 to tell us that it is because she hie no pedigree, and ia 

 not aherdbook animal ; but admitting that her aene- 

 nlogy is aomewhat mixed, it is singular that the vir- 

 tuee of the blood should not ahow themselves to n de- 

 gree, and that the impurity or defect should always 

 predominate. It is certain, however, that many mixed 

 bloods have in eveiy respect excelled many of the pure 

 bloods. 



In regard to what we call our native stock, in which 

 various bloods and breeds are intermingled, many of 

 them are indeed miserable in appearance, in ehape, in 

 condition, and every other quality. This comes in 

 general from neglect and indill'erence, because we 

 kill or sell to the butcher our best cnlvee, and com- 

 monly leave what we do attempt to raiae, " to shift 

 for themselvea." Yet at the aame time, without pre- 

 sumption I think. New England may challenge the 

 world to produce finer teama of oxen, by fil'ties and 

 hundreds of pairs, than are to be found at our catlle- 

 Ehowa. Let any intelligent judge uf stock go into 

 Worcester county, Mass., into New Haven and Hart- 

 ord counties, in Connecticut ; or especially to Sac- 

 carappa, in Maine, where ox teams are constantly em- 

 ployed in carting lumber to Portland, and if he will 

 find ony superior oxen for labor and condition than are 

 to be found there, he would do a signal favor to the 

 agricultural public in letting us know where we moy 

 ook for them. 1 have ecen none. I believe we 

 g :ouM search the world over in vain to find any. 



Our native cows are of every variety, but there are 

 several parts of the State where, though it cannot be 

 said that any scientific or systematic improvement has 

 been undertaken, yet by a long-continued selection 

 from the best, whole families or breeds are to be found 

 distinguished for their excellent properties as dairy 

 stock. The list of native cows, which I have given, 

 shows conclusively that we have those which, for the 

 quantity of milk they give, are scarcely inferior to 

 any ; and for the amount of butter and cheese which 

 they produce are surpassed by none. The numbers 

 referred to prove that they are not rare. 



Whether any thing would be gained by substitu- 

 ting the Improved Short-Horns for our present stock, 

 is, to soy the least, questionable. The Short-Horns 

 are great consumers. Though animals do not alwoys 

 consume in proportion to their size, yet this must be 

 considered as a genertd rule. . They require most.par- 

 ticular attention and liberal feeding to bring them to 

 maturity, though we admit that they arrive at maturi- 

 ty early. Many of the Shoit-Horned premium young 

 animals which hove been exhibited at our cattle-ehows 

 have had the benefit of two wct-nuri^es lor ei.i months. 

 Most of our native calves are pat off with two leata, 

 and at eight or ten weeks old are turned adrift into 

 the pasture to live or die as they pieose. Our own 

 stock has never had fair play , and it treated in the 

 same manner as the best Short-Horn stock they would 

 not perhaps fall so for behind them as might be sup- 

 posed. Our pastures are in general short and our 

 winters long. A small race of cattle, therefore, and 

 n more hardy Block would seem better adapted to our 

 condition. 



The London milk eelablishinenta are mainly sup- 

 plied with the Short-Horns, becati.sc, it ia aaid, they 

 give more iiulk, and after becoming dry, take on flesh 

 sooner than other races, and ore therefore more easily 

 disposed cf to the butcher. The size ot these animals 

 would naturally indicate a larger yield of milk, and, 

 at the same time, a greater consumption of food. — 

 But the yield of milk is put down at an average of nine 

 quarts daily. These are presumed to be wine quarts, 

 and deducting one filth, it does not much exceed the 

 yield of some milk eslablishmenta among us. Besides, 

 in the London dairies, coivs are not suffered to be- 

 come wiib calf". 



One of the moat extraordinary Short-Horn cows 

 known in England, it is said, produced 373 pounds of 

 butter in 32 weeks ; 17 pounds being the largeat 

 quantity made in any one week. This is quoted as 

 quite remarkable ; but tbia, as far as it goes, does not 

 equal the Oakea, the Nourse, the Adama, or the 

 Springfield cow. One of the best-informed arid moat 

 ardent advocates for the Sbort-ISorns, the late Henry 

 Berry, remarks: — "That their milk docs not con- 

 tain the same proportionate quantity of butter as that 

 from the Long-Horns, the Scotch cattle, or the De- 

 vons, is probably true ; but we have reason to believe 

 that the dill'erenee has been much exaggerated, and is 

 more than compensated by the additiojial quantity of 

 milk." Whether this additional quantity of milk car. 

 be procured without an additional quantity of food, is 

 aqueeliun which naturally arises, but which I have no 

 mennsof answering with confidence. 



The quantity of cbeeac made in a year from a eow 

 in the celebrotcd cheese district of Wiltshire, Eng. is 

 thus Etoted. "The quantity of cheese that is made 

 from each cow in this district is greater than is com- 

 mon in any other cheese-making country, sometimes 

 as much as 4J cwi., or '> cwt. per cow, seldom lower 

 than 3 cwt. Ferhapa 3i cwt. is a fair average in a 

 good cheese-making year on every cow that calves in 

 proper time." In the fomoos district of Cheshire in 

 England, the average amount of cheese to a cow, is 

 slated atSjcwt. The old breed oflrish cattle, much 

 valued for the dairy, will produce from 84 to l\2 Iba. 

 of butter per year ; a very good cow will yield 1 J cwt. 

 ihati5l68lb8.net. Of the Ayrshire cowa, kept in 

 the highest condition for giving milk, it is stated that 

 the yearly average in milk may be 6r>0 gallons or 

 '2600 quarts, (wine measure 1 presume is intended) 

 and 90 gallonswill make241bs, of butter, or loquarts 

 ( wine measure) to a pound. In another case it is 

 said " thata well fed cow of a good breed, will pro- 

 duce on nn average 180 Iba. of butter in the season ; 

 though the common calculation ia 1.50 lbs. In the 

 EiJping district, where there is an indiscriminate mix- 

 ture of Devon, Suflblk, Leicester, Holderness and 

 Scotch, the calculation in a well managed dairy 

 amounts 'o 219 lbs, per year to a < ow. In one case in 

 Sussex, upon an actual trial, the cows produced only 

 106 lbs. per season." 



As tar then aa we can depend on these accounts 

 our ovsn native catile for dairy stock will not suffer 

 by comparison with the best English stock of ony of 

 those rnccs most distinguished for their milking iiro- 



perties. Our own Cheshire cheese dairies certainly 

 yield the palm to none. 



The cross of the Durham Short-Horns with the De- 

 von has produced in many cases an excellent stock, 

 But ifof no other value to the country, their introdno- 

 tion will prove an immense benefit by showing our far- 

 mers what can be done in improving the size, form, 

 and condition of their own stock, by a most careful 

 selection from the very best, by persevering attempts 

 to amend defects and engraft good properties in the 

 animal constitution, and by constant care and good 

 keeping. 



It cannot be denied that a vast proportion ol our 

 cowa are wretched in their form, health, and condi- 

 tion. There in no reason on the other hand to doubt 

 that by breeding only frotn the best on bothaidea, and 

 by a liberal mode of keeping, we may produce a doiry 

 stock, and a stock for labor, aa well adopted to our 

 postures, climate, and husbandry aa can be found. — < 

 Perhapa I ehould be authorized to add for beef also, 

 that is, producing aa many pounda according to the 

 expense of their keep. The average weight of but- 

 locks slaughtered at Smithfield, the great cattle mark- 

 et of England, is 656 lbs. At Brighton in this coun- 

 ty, the average weight of oxen is 87.") lbs., and of 

 steers OtiO Ibs. each. The lost is thought by some 

 persona to be overrated. The weight used at Brigh- 

 ton ia net weight ; one hundred weight being nov» 

 reckoned at 100 Iba. avoirdupois. 



Sale of Cream Pot Stock, 



At the Viinn of S, Jaques^ Charlcstown^ Mass.f 

 January 11th, 1843. 



We annex a list of the animals sold, as n'umber. 

 ed in the catalogue, ■with their ages and prices, 

 which they brought. The result created almost 

 universal disappointment. It was not in our pow- 

 er to attend the sale ; but it is cause of much re- 

 gret that, after tlie pains which Mr. Jaques has 

 taken to rear a race of animals whose richness of 

 milk peculiarly fitted them for dairy stock in New 

 England, there should so little reward have been 

 fonnd for his exertions and so poor encouragement 

 presented to future eflbrts. That a bull of admi- 

 rable character and points, for which, as wc liavo 

 understood, 700 dollars have been more than once 

 offered, should he knocked off under the hammer, 

 for 64 dollars, is a sad disappointment. 



The time of year for the sale was unfavorable. 

 The high price of hay was against success ; the 

 scarcity of money still more against it. A forced 

 sale, as this was understood to be, is always unfa- 

 vorable. How far the animals presented could be 

 warranted secure of the excellent properties of 

 their ancestors, ■we are not able to say ; and have 

 learned that some doubts on this point operated ec- 

 sentially against them ; but the extraordinary ex- 

 cellence, ■we mean especially the richness of the 

 milk, of the best among thera, there can be no ques- 

 tion whatever. The fortunate owners of the best 

 animals will, we hope, do them full justice. We 

 only wish that Mr. Jaques could have found a more 

 essential reward for his exertions than the satisfac- 

 tion of having led the way ; and we believe with 

 much success, in endeavoring, on enlightened prin- 

 ciples of breeding, to form out of the materials 

 which we have at hand, a stock adapted to the 

 purposes of the dairy and to the climate and pas- 

 tures of New England. 



BULL?. 

 ATo, on Catalogue. Name. 



13. Clyto, 



7. Medium, 

 16. Globe, 



5. Orange, 



8. Curvet, 

 3. Don, 



10. Count, 



12. Silver, 



[4. Leo, 



HEIFERS. 

 26. Topaz, 



2S. Nymph, 



30. Ghent, 



