THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
69 
taken out a copy-right for this translation, which 
therefore can only appear in its pages. 
We have not seen the number of the Farm- 
er’s Library, to which reference is made in the 
preceding quotation, and as we are not a subscri- 
ber, we may not see the forthcoming number, 
which is to contain the promised copy-right 
translation; but we have some reason to sup- 
pose that the “ discovery” alluded lo is nothing 
more nor less than a developement of what Col, 
Jaques of the Ten Hills in Somerville, has suc- 
cersfully practised for many years. That Col. 
Jaques can breed animals to order, is a fact well 
known to the farmers of this region, and he has 
never doemed it necessary to take out a copy- 
right for his theory. He was at the New York 
State Fair, at Albany, in 1343, and there spoke 
freely of his method of breeding animals, and 
described the process, which, with him, had al- 
ways been successful. In the New York He- 
rald ol October 4, 1842, is an article on this sub- 
ject, from which the following is an extract : 
" Breeding Animals to Order. — Coming down 
from Albany we hadtne pleasure of an interview 
with the celebrated Col. Jaques, of the Ten 
Hills Farm, near Boston. He was present at the 
fair, and was chairman of the committee on na- 
tive cattle. He is said to be the best judge of 
animals — animals of all kinds — from the mouse 
up to the horse — that there is in the country. 
He is the breeder of the famous Cream Pot 
Cows, four quarts of whose milk vyill make a 
pound of butte! — and the cream of which he 
guarantees publicly or privately to convert into 
butter within a minute’s time — he has done it 
before the members of the Jlassachusetts Legis- 
lature. Hejhas some curious notions, in which 
some people think him rather enthusiastic, par- 
ticularly in the matter of breeding animals to or- 
der. For example, he guarantees to breed 20 
cows tj order, either red, white, black, speckled, 
ring-streaked, or striped, with horns, either long 
or short, straight, or turned up or lopped — with 
large bags or small, and of any color— [he is now 
breeding a lot with yellow bags and mahogany 
colored teats] — with wide backs upon which you 
may lay a bushel of corn without its rolling off, 
or so narrow as not to hold a single kernel. In 
short, he will breed you animals to order, and is 
a perfect LL. D. in the matter of crossing breeds. 
He breeds all his Cream Pot Cows with a deep 
red body, white faces, yellow noses, yellow bags 
and mahogany colore I teats. He claims to be 
able to transfer the properties of any one cow, 
whatever they may be, to any other cow — and in 
the matter of color, to shade the animals to fan- 
cy. He goes strong for native breeds of cows; 
and m.any people think he will eventually ruin 
the foreign bloods, as the Durhams, the Here- 
fords, the Devonshires, &c &c.” 
Then follows anextractfrom the Report which 
Col. Jaques had prepared for the ensuing volume 
of the New York State Agricultural Society’s 
annual proceedings. 
In the New York Spirit of the Times, of Sep. 
23, 1839, is aletter from Col. Jaques to the edi- 
tor of the American Farmer, (J. S. Skinner, we 
believe — if not, his immediate successor as a 
conductor of that valuable paper,) in which is a 
detail of his operations to produce a “ h.irse to 
order,” and in which he succeeded beyond his 
expectations. A description of the horse (Bell- 
founder) is given, and the skill and intelligence 
of Col. Jaques are highly complimented by the 
editor. 
in February, 1843, at a meeting of Agricultu- 
rists at thi State House in Boston, Col. Jaques 
spoke at large upon his theory of breeding ani- 
mals, especially cows ; a report of his remarks 
was published in the New England Farmer of 
February 15, which we here give in full, as his 
remarks upon the qualities of these animals, and 
the signs which indicate their good qualities, 
will be generally interesting to agricultural read- 
ers : 
“ Upon the subject of selecting and breeding 
domestic animals generally, it has been my ob- 
ject to combine as much as possible all the most 
desirable properties adapted to the soil, climate, 
and habits of New England. I wish, however, 
it may be distinctly understood, that whatever 1 
may say upon this subjecq I do not desire to 
dictate to others, but hope those who are better 
informed may make known their practice and 
experience. 
“ My principles are, that the blood— the red flu- 
id, in every living creature, in whose body it 
flows, is, by the laws of nature, the sole agent 
and controlling power, in developing the gene- 
ralcharacter; and that by crossing and mixing 
the blood of the diflerent varieties of the same 
species, the strongest strains of blood will be 
found to predominate — and that health, or dis- 
ease — good or bad properties — are transmissible 
to the progeny and descent, both in the human 
and animal creation — even the color may be sha- 
ded to suit the fancy. 
“ From over fifty year’s practice and experience 
upon these principles, I consider the lollowing, 
among many points, important to be observed 
in neat cattle generally, but in bulls and cows 
particularly, viz: — Muzzle fine, with yellow 
nose; eyes brilliant ; head and horns light; ears 
thin, the inside yellow, not unlike as though 
sprinkled with yellow ; neck ot cows thin and 
clean, fore shoulders quite close, and well laid 
in, giving the fore hand a very light appearance, 
in proportion to the other parts of the cow; bulls’ 
necks may project from the breast a id shoulders 
stout, very muscular and strong, but tapering 
fine, so that the bulls’ and cows’ neck be joined 
to the head vei y neatly. Throats clean and tree 
from much dewlap. Bosom or breast, broadand 
full, projecting well forwurd ; legs straight, vdth 
fine bone, and well set apart ; the fore arms svell 
covered with muscle, tapering downwards fine ; 
shoulders smooth an.l well laid in; chine full; 
back straight and broad; ribs well roundi gout, 
the last rib projecting most, and not too far from 
the hips; broad in tiie loins and hips; hips full 
and globular — neither too close nor ragged, but 
placed on a level with the back ; rumps .ong and 
broad— very little, if any, sloping ; pelvis, broad 
and full; tails set on strong, and on a level with 
the back — tapering down to the end fine, where 
they should be well covered with long, silky and 
glossy hair ; and on opening the hair here, there | 
should be the same yello.v appearance on the I 
skin as is mentioned above on the inside of the 
ears. .Not too full in the twist, (which is, a full- 
ness between the hind bgs or thighs,) nor too 
thick in the thighs. Flanks quite deep. It is 
important that the wdiole skin should be yellow'. 
The color of the hair is pretty much fancy. A 
good coat of hair, even if it inednes to be long, 
is not unfavorable; but it should be very silky 
and glossy. The elastic handle, or touch of the 
flesh, w'ith the silky and glossy coats, are of the 
greatest importance, as these properties indicate 
their value as much, in comparison, as in broad- 
cloth of from two dollars to ten dollars per yard. 
The bag or udder of cows, should be capacious, 
projecting w’ell, bo*h fore and aft; hanging mod- 
erately deep, when full, but alter the milk is 
drawn, to be quite the reverse. It is very desir- 
able in a cow, that she should have teats, well 
spread apart and of medium size. Cow’s possess- 
ing most of the above mentioned points I have 
found generally to be deep and rich milkers— al- 
so, neat cattle generally I have found to be of 
good temper, good spirits, vigorous, active, 
good walkers, easily kept, taking on flesh readi- 
ly, and that too, on the most valuable parts ; and 
the bulls and cow'b well adapted for good breed- 
ers, for the dairy, the yoke and the shambles. 
We have no doubt that this theory of breed- 
ing is original with Col. Jaques. When he first 
spoke of it in public, some persons thought him 
a little too enthusiastic, and some thought that 
his enthusias.T. had impaired his judgment; but 
there are few intelligent breeders of cattle, now, 
w'ho do not acknowledge the soundness of his 
theory t.nd admire the success which has attend- 
ed his efforts. Col. Jaques boasts of nothing, 
we believe, which he is not able to perform. 
Since the development of his principles, we 
have understood that some persons have advoca- 
ted them, and claimed the credit of originating 
them. But to him alone belongs the credit of 
their conception, and the first efforts to prove 
their accuracy by their practical results. 
It is possible that Mr. Francis Guenon, or 
some other Frenchman, may have the same or a 
similar theory, without any knowledge of Col. 
Jaques and his operations. It may be that the 
French writer has made a new discovery of facts 
entirely different from those which form the ba- 
sis of Coi. Jaques’s theory. The forthcoming 
number of the Farmei’s Library will furnish the 
means of judging, whether it be original with 
th eauthor or a transcript of principles acted 
upon for forty or fifty years by the industiious 
and skillful proprietor of the Ten Hills Farm. 
Culture of Sumacli. 
In September, 1845, 1 sent you an article on 
the cultivation of sumach, which appeared in 
your number for October. I am pleased to in- 
form you, and the friends of American indus- 
try generally, that the quantity sent Irom the 
South for the past year, 1845, mostly from Vir- 
ginia, has been equal to about ten thousand 
bags, equivalent to seven hundred tons, being 
nearly one-twentieth ol the consumption of the 
country. 
I mentioned in my lormer essay, that the 
most astringent vegetables, or those containing 
the largest portion of gallic acid, are raised in 
warm climates. Now, although the sumach 
sent from Virginia has been used in place of 
Sicilian, yet that which can be raised in South 
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and more partic- 
ularly Florida, would be of decidedly better 
quality. 1 would therefore call the attention 
ot enterprising citizens of those Stales to the ar- 
ticle, and can promise them they can cultivate 
no product that will pay them better. 
I staled in my article of 1845, “that I had 
been informed sumach would not reproduce 
from the seed, it being a hybridous plant; but 
on consulting a Mr. Woodward, who sent the 
seed ol our sumach to England, he says it will 
repioduce, as much of the seed sent there pro- 
duces bountifully.” He states that it should be 
gathered as soon as rij e, and planted soon af- 
ter, so as not to become too old. This I con- 
sider an important fact, and one which our 
Southern planters should embrace ; for by 
planting the seed, and mowing down the shoots 
three times annually, they might obtain from 
three to five tons per acre, with much less ex- 
pense and trouble than by gathering and bring- 
ing home the natural growth scattered exten- 
sively over the country. The sumach is pe- 
rennial, and when once planted would last for 
ages, the crop when sown annually increasing 
until the ground became lull ol roots. 
Wm. Partridge. 
Benefit of Pressing the Earth. — A writer 
in the Michigan Farmer says: — “ A few years 
since, I was employed to make a garden. The 
soil was a gravelly loam. Among the beds 
made, was an onion bed, about 8 feet by 20. 
The earth for this bed was carefully spaded up 
to the depth ot 11 inches, and with a garden 
rake, made very mellow. The next day the 
seed was sown in drills, crosswise the bed, the 
drills being about 7 inches apart. Immediately 
after sowing the seed, one half of the bed was 
stamped down as hard as the weight ol a lad of 
15 years age, by pressing once or twice in a 
place, would make it. The other half was left 
light. Shortly after the onions were up, they 
were weeded and carefully thinned, so as to 
stand about three inches asunder in the drills all 
over the bed. The soil during their growth 
was not moved any more than was incident to 
the pulling up of the weeds. With regard to 
the result, suffice ii to say that the onions which 
grew on the part ol the bed which was stamped 
came up first, grew more thriftily, and weie 
more than double the size and quantity than 
those on the other half— being mlact, as good a 
yield as I ever saw.” 
Rhubarb or Pie Plant. — This is another 
highly esteemed esculent for early Spring use, 
and ol the easiest possible culture. The plants 
continue many years in lull bearing, and occu- 
py very little room — a small number being suf- 
ficient tor a family. The seeds may be sown 
any time in Spring, and will make good strong 
plants in one year ; when they should be trans- 
planted to a rich deep border, or any convenient 
spot — placing them three or four feet apart. — 
The stocks should not be cut until the plants are 
aileasttwoor three years old.— OAw? Cultivator. 
Planting trees in Great Britain, and through- 
out the continent, is now extensively prosecu- 
ted. In some instances thousands of acres are 
planted on a single estate. 
