JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 2, 1881. ] 
451 
bull. These animals were of greater size and earlier maturity 
than the dam, and still having a constitution that was able to 
withstand the rigours of the Scottish climate ; at present, how¬ 
ever, the Irish importations prevail. It is customary for dairy 
farmers for milk or cheese to select from them heifers for their 
dairy, but the steers go into the eastern counties for feeding and 
fattening. These heifers are generally good milkers, and when 
dry or barren feed well for beef, and are much esteemed for the 
quantity of lean flesh as well as fat which they afford. There is 
a second point, however, to he considered whilst these cows con¬ 
tinue in breeding—that is, the calf, and its value for disposal as a 
suckler, for feeding as veal, or for rearing as stores. Some farmers 
take but little care, so long as the cows continue to breed, as to the 
male animal selected for use, because the calves are sold when a 
week or ten days old. If, however, a well-bred Short-horn or 
Hereford bull be employed the calves are more readily sold, and 
instead of 20s. or 25s., 35s. or 40s. will be realised for each one. 
When heifer calves are reared from the best milking cows for the 
future purpose of maintaining the numbers of the animals in the 
dairy it is easy to see the importance of having a really good bull, 
and one if possible reared from a good milking stock. We recom¬ 
mend the home farmer and dairy farmer to depend on themselves 
more than they have done by raising all the stock they require 
for keeping up the numbers of their herd, and to carefully rear 
and breed from such animals as suit their soil and climate in pre¬ 
ference to purchasing from a distance. • 
The question of cross-bred stock for butter-making dairies must 
now be referred to. Although we prefer to keep a certain number 
of good milking short-horned cows and a few Channel Island 
cows, say in the proportion of five of the former to two of the 
latter, the necessity of so doing to the exclusion of cross-bred 
cattle is not insisted upon. Here again arise two points in the 
cross-breeding, for it is important that the main point of milk and 
butter should be kept steadily in view, and it must not be for¬ 
gotten that the value of cows when dry or barren is important 
also. In crossing, therefore, we still recommend mating a Guernsey 
bull with the short-horned cows, because we always like to breed 
from larger females, as not only is richer milk obtained through 
the influence of the male in this case, but the cow influences 
favourably the milking capacity of the offspring. The best cows 
we have ever possessed were of a Short-horn and Guernsey cross, 
yielding an abundance of rich milk, and becoming large shapely 
animals when dry or barren. In crossing Short-horn and Jersey, 
especially when the male used is of the former breed and the cow 
of the latter, we have not seen satisfactory results. Even when a 
pedigree or well-bred bull has been used, the stock has commonly 
been small and delicate animals and unsatisfactory milkers as 
compared with the first-named mode of pairing. 
In discussing cross-breeding for early maturity and baby beef, and 
also for exhibition, the fact deserves notice that Mr. Colman, M.P. ; 
besides obtaining other prizes for a younger animal, achieved a 
great triumph in the four-year-old steer class, where his white and 
blue roan steer—three years and seven months old, bred between a 
short-horned bull and an Aberdeenshire cow—carried everything 
before it, winning also the champion plate for the best beast in 
the Show. On some other occasions, too, we have noticed in 
former years that cross-bred stock has surpassed the pure pedigree 
animals in the same manner. This is great encouragement for 
cross-breeders to persevere by judicious selections to rear animals 
of the most profitable description for ordinary feeding as well as 
for exhibition. In the west of England, the home of the white 
faces, cross-bred cattle are commonly met with at most of the 
fairs, as many of the small farmers who keep two or three cows 
only send them to a pure-bred bull of the district. In this way a 
cross between the native or Welsh breeds and the Hereford make 
good fleshy cattle, much sought after by the butcher when fat, 
being liked better than the pure white-faced Hereford, particu¬ 
larly when they happen to have a mottled or smoky face. The 
Devon breeders have done less than any others in crossing their 
cattle, which are admirably adapted for the soil and climate of 
their district, besides being much sought after for working pur¬ 
poses. Still by a cross with the Hereford or Sussex they would 
be much improved in weight and size—a matter of great import¬ 
ance in working animals, as it gives them more power in 
labour. Most of the cross-bred cattle we meet with at present 
partake more of the character of the Short-horn than anything 
else, so that to this breed belongs the credit of having done most 
towards supplying animals valuable for early maturity. No 
matter of what sort or amalgamation of sorts the cow may be, a 
cross with a pure short-horned bull seldom fails to make an 
improvement in size, quality, and fattening properties, if not 
always in the milking capacity of the produce. 
Many persons think that cross-breeding has been carried to too 
great an extent, and fear that at no distant date our breeds will 
be so mixed that it will be difficult to distinguish one from the 
other. There is, however, an important counterpoise in the fact 
that so many wealthy gentlemen and agriculturists pride them¬ 
selves upon the pureness of their breeds of cattle, and that it is 
their pleasure to preserve them ; an instance of which is stated 
that at the Duke of Bedford’s at Woburn Abbey—where some 
years ago a herd of from thirty to forty pure Herefords was kept, 
also that a large quantity of milk and butter was required—the 
farm steward found it impossible to improve the herd in milking 
and fattening or flesh-producing qualities at the same time, and 
had often to sacrifice a very fine cow because she gave no milk ; 
or others that were good milkers, but unfit to breed an ox fit for 
exhibition. Finding also that it was almost impossible to unite 
the truth of form and aptitude to fatten, according to the required 
standard in connection with a profitable herd of dairy cattle, it 
was thought desirable to keep two herds—one for breeding pur¬ 
poses (the dams only rearing their own calves), and the other for 
dairy purposes. Still it was also eventually decided to try an 
experiment and keep some twenty polled Norfolk cows, which arc 
notoriously good milkers, and mate them with a Hereford bull. 
The produce proved much larger animals than the pure Herefords 
of the same age, and made some really good butchers’ bullocks. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—Horses are still employed in preparing the land for 
sowing the root crops, because although in the northern and north- 
midland districts both Mangold and Swede seeds have by this date 
been drilled before this time for the most part, yet in the southern 
and south-eastern parts of the kingdom the best time for sowing 
Swede seed is during the first and second week in June. If, how¬ 
ever, the crop is required to remain in the land during the winter 
months to be fed off on the land in the spring, those may be sown 
until the 20th of June, or even later ; for, being after a catch crop on 
very light gravel or sandy land, they often take very well in this 
way if the seed is drilled the same day as the land is ploughed. This 
is now the best time to set Cabbage plants, as they will now be 
strong enough for planting out, even though the seed was sown in 
March. The method of planting is of great importance. If the land 
should be moist and fine the plants may be set with the usual plant¬ 
ing stick. If, however, the weather should be very dry and rhe land 
very fine, whether on the stetch or on the flat, they are best set with 
the spade. If hand labour is short and the plants strong they may 
be laid along the furrow and ploughed in. In this way plants buried 
too deeply require to be released, and covered with the hand hoe 
where too much exposed. The mowing machines will now be at 
work in the early districts, in cutting the forward grass, such as Hop 
Clover and Ryegrass ; and in a few days the Saintfoin will, together 
with other Clovers, be quite fit for mowing. Last week we took 
occasion to say that field hay may be made with advantage upon the 
same system of tedding, &c., as park or pasture hay ; and this is no 
random idea, but one which we have carried out in practice with 
great success for many years. It is not now, as it used to be, a ques¬ 
tion of much hand labour, for the tedding machine, the horse rake, 
and the elevator in stacking the hay not only do the work efficiently 
but in less time—a matter of extreme importance. 
Hand labour.— Before the busy time of haymaking commences all 
those pastures or parklands where Buttercups abound should be 
