206 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



against its longevity. For years of her prime 

 I&oxilla gave 32 quarts of milk per day for 

 months after calving, and fell off but little 

 comparatively afterwards — never going dry 

 between times of giving birth to her calves ; 

 and her thirteen calves will compare well with 

 those of any other cow." 



We knew another Short Horn cow some 

 years ago, belonging to Mr. Stevens, of 

 Batavia, N. Y., which in her prime, gave 39 

 quarts in a day, for several days in succession, 

 on grass only. Our informants were John S. 

 Ganson and Pardon 0. Sherman, now residents 

 of Buffalo, then living in Batavia, who saw 

 her milked. The two sisters of this cow, at 

 the same time gave — one 28 and the other 

 32.} quarts; and a daughter of one of them, 

 two years old, with her first calf, gave 22 

 quarts; and the daughter of. the other, three 

 years old, gave over 26 quarts. This was in 

 June, 1841. The above old cow was Prin- 

 cess IV, (recorded page 216 of the first 

 volume of the American Herd Book,) got by 

 Monk (1249,) E. H. B. We saw her a few 

 ^ears afterward, at the age of nineteen years, 

 then a large, vigorous, healthy cow, heavy in 

 calf — which was her last one. She died or 

 was fed and slaughtered, at the age of 20 years. 



In June, 1844, we saw a fine, large Short 

 Horn cow, also called Princess, on the farm 

 of Messrs. W ells and Paoli Lathrop, at South 

 Hadley Fails, Mass., which was then nineteen 

 years old. The preceding October she drop- 

 ped a fine, large calf, which, with its dam, was 

 doing remarkably well Will any one show 

 US three native cows equal to the above for 

 age, breeding and milking ? 



SALT IN FEEDING CATTLE. 

 From some flight and inconclusive experi- 

 ments of our own, as well as from physiologi- 

 cal considerations, we have had our doubts 

 whether it was good economy to allow animals, 

 feeding for tiw butcher, the free use of salt. — 

 Salt is doubtless conducive to health, favoring 

 the formation of bile, and aiding in carrying 

 off offensive matter froom the system ; but there 

 is no reason to suppose that it favors the ac- 

 cumulation of fat. Liebig, indeed, asserts 

 that il the absence of common salt is favorable 

 to the formation of fat," and that the " fatten- 

 ing of an animal is rendered impossible when 

 we add to its food an excess of salt, although 

 short of the quantity required to produce a 

 purgative effect." Recently, however, in al- 

 lusion to experiments made since the publica- 

 tion of the work in which the above sentence soc- 

 cer, Liebig says : " Salt does not act as a 

 producer of flesh ; but it neutralizes the inju- 



rious actions of the conditions which must be 

 united in the unnatural state of animals fed or 

 fattened in order to produce flesh ; and the ad- 

 vantages attaining its use can hardly be esti- 

 mated too highly." 



The experiments of Boussingault have often 

 been alluded to, as indicating that salt by 

 no means exercises a beneficial influence upon 

 the growth of cattle, and upon the development 

 of flesh, to the extent usually ascribed to it. — 

 His more recent experiments, however, result 

 in favor of salt. Thus, two lots of steers, of 

 three each, were fed on hay for 13 months, 

 one lot being allowed salt, the other not. 



The average weight per head of the salted 

 lot, at the commencement of the experiment, 

 was 655 pounds; at the end of 13 months, 

 2,090 lbs. Increase 1,135 lbs. They con- 

 sumed per head 15,972 lbs. of hay. One ton 

 of Lay, therefore, produced 143 lbs. of in- 

 crease of animal. 



• The second lot, which received no salt, av- 

 eraged at the commencement of the experiment 

 896 lbs ; at the end of 13 months. 1,890. In- 

 crease 9§4 lbs. They consumed per head 

 14,553 lbs. of hay. Or one ton of hay pro- 

 duced 137 lbs. of increase of animal. 



The steers receiving salt produced 6 lbs. 

 more increase for each ton of hay consumed 

 than those which were not allowed salt. This 

 may be considered only a slight advantage, 

 and in France did not pay for the cost of salt : 

 in this country, however, where it is much 

 cheaper, its use will doubtless, be profitable. — 

 Boussingault remarks H the salt exercises no 

 considerable influence on the growth, yet it ap- 

 pears to exert a beneficial effect on the appear- 

 ance and condition of the animal." Up to 

 the first fourteen days, no perceptible difference 

 was observed between the two lots ; but in the 

 course of the month following, the difference 

 was visible even to the unpracticed eye. In 

 the beasts of both lots, the skin to the touch 

 was fine and sound, but the hair in the steers 

 having salt " was smooth and shining; that of 

 the others dull and erect." As the experiment 

 progressed, these signs became still more pro- 

 minent. " In the animals of the second lot, 

 after they had had no salt for a year, the hair 

 was matted, and the skin here and there de- 

 void of hair. Those of the first lot on the 

 contrary, retained the look of stall kept beasts. 

 Their liveliness and frequent indications of 

 the tendency to leap, contrasted strikingly with 

 the heavy gait and cold temperament obser- 

 ved in those of the second lot. " There can 

 be no doubt," Boussingault adds, ''that a higher 

 price would have been obtained in the market 

 for the oxen reared under the influence of salt.". 



