SOME AMERICAN RREEDERS. 255 



his son grew up in that business, working in all the details till January, 1864. 

 At that time Mr. L. A. Downer purchased the place known as Prewett's Knob, 

 and commenced the cultivation of fruit, which proved fairly remunerative. 

 Having from boyhood a fondness for cattle, on changing from the nursery to 

 the orchard business he commenced devoting a portion of his time to the 

 improvement of the cattle found among the people. His first effort in this 

 direction was the purchase of the best Durham bull that could be found, and 

 commenced grading up. 



It was not satisfactory, however, and a pair of pure Devons was obtained, 

 which proved far from being what was desired. The next effort was a trial of 

 the Jersey breed pure-breds and grades with no better results. Mr. Downer 

 now began to doubt his ability to make any success with cattle, but disliked to 

 surrender. He had read much about the new breeds, and his attention was 

 especially attracted to the Holstein-Friesians by their size, quick growth and 

 wonderful performances at the pail and churn. In May, 1894, a purchase was 

 made of four calves three females and a bull which were watched with great 

 solicitude. 



One heifer died after a few weeks, and another after a few years; but the 

 heifer that survived, named Duchess of Beemster, when she came in milk Mr. 

 Downer found that he had not expected too much. When she reached five 

 years Mr. Downer had never seen anything to compare with her, her yield 

 being as high as 100 Ibs. of milk in a day in midwinter. 



This heifer's milk was tested by three impartial men, with the result that it 

 made 24 Ibs. 15 oz. of merchantable butter in seven days. The first heifer calf 

 from Duchess of Beemster was Lady Ollie Artis, sired by Artis Jr. 



When fresh for the fourth time Lady Ollie Artis gave in eight and one-half 

 months 14,842i Ibs. of milk, and made 29 Ibs. i oz. of merchantable butter in 

 seven days, to the great surprise of her breeder, and proved an education to tne 

 neighbors, many of whom came to see her. While this yield is surpassed by 

 many others in other sections, it demonstrates what this breed will do under 

 the care of an ordinary handler unversed in the ways of feeding and caring for 

 a dairy cow. Mr. Downer states that this breed has given him entire satisfac- 

 tion for beef, and he easily makes a good calf weigh 1,000 pounds as a yearling. 

 The grades also have given satisfaction as milkers and feeders in this section. 



MR. SOLOMON Du Bois of New Paltz, N. Y., was born in New Paltz in 1839, 

 and is a descendant of Louis Du Bois, a French Huguenot who was driven from 

 his own country by bitter persecution and fled to America in 1660 and settled 

 in Kingston, N. Y. In 1677, he, with eleven others of his countrymen obtained 

 a grant of a tract of 36,000 acres of land on the west side of the Hudson, com- 

 prising the present town of Loyd, a great part of Esopus, New Paltz, Rosendale 

 and Gardiner in Ulster county, N. Y. 



Solomon Du Bois is the sixth in descent from Louis. His ancestors since 

 the first settlement at New Paltz have all been farmers, and his place, known as 

 " Fruit and Dairyland Farm," has been in the Du Bois family over two hundred 

 years. About thirty years ago Mr. Du Bois embarked quite extensively in fruit 

 growing, then in its infancy in Ulster county. This business he conducted 

 and has continued to the present time with success. 



In 1883 he commenced the breeding of Holstein-Friesian cattle, and later 

 became a member of the Holstein-Friesian Association of America. Making his 

 selections with greatest care from the very best strains, by skilful breeding and 

 weeding, his herd at present ranks among the first in the state. At the head 

 of the herd is Sir Keyes Mechthilde, bred by Henry Stevens & Sons, and in the 

 herd are many fine representatives and descendants of the Aaggie, Netherland, 

 Echo and Pietertje families. The milk produced is sold to the Borden Con- 

 densed Milk Company at Wallkill, which is evidence of its fine quality. 



The farm is located two and one-half miles from New Paltz, on Wallkill 

 Valley railroad. It lies on the east side of the Wallkill river, and from the 

 lowland there is a gentle rise to the east. This western slope is occupied by 

 vineyards and orchards and from the tableland above, on which is the residence, 

 magnificient views are obtained of the surrounding valley, and the Catskill and 

 Shawangunk Mountains, Lake Mohonk and Minnewaska, the famous summer 

 resorts, being about four miles distant. 



