July 12, 1883 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
41 
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quity and purity of their herd; but eventually, as the results of 
their careful and judicious breeding and selection became more 
and better appreciated by breeders generally, and their great 
opportunities enabled them to furnish full pai ticulars of pedigree, 
they decided to go with the stream, and for the past thirteen 
years their contributions to the Herd Book have been most 
marked and valuable, not only to themselves as breeders, but 
to all those who desired to possess the choicest animals of tbe 
Sussex stock, and whose history and pure breeding could be 
traced for the longest period in the traditions of the breed. 
We, however, cannot forget the Messrs. Heasman by their 
steady and persistent work in the establishment of the Sussex 
Herd Book, for which much credit is due to them, and also 
in consequence of their endeavours to improve the Sussex cattle 
separate prizes were given first at the Leeds meeting. Pre¬ 
viously they had been classed with “other established breeds;” 
but at the Canterbury Show in 18G0, where‘Messrs. Heasman 
took the first Royal prizes, it was seen that this breed was 
worthy of distinct classification, and since the Bedford meeting 
in 1874 it has always been granted. 
This breed is found good for crossing with other breeds, 
generally improving them, especially when the Sussex male 
animal is used, as they are celebrated for imparting substance, 
compactness of form, and firmness of flesh; and through tbe 
influence of the male, as usual, the colour of the offspring is 
generally red, and of a very deep or dark shade. The Sussex 
stock are of themselves a very hardy race, and are noted for 
surpassing all other cattle in well doing on the poorest pastures 
of their native county. Their form has been levelled up to 
fair and comely proportion, so that the uninitiated observer 
may take them for Devons; and we do the latter no injustice 
by giving it as our opinion that they may be used for improving 
them, for the show Devons at present may be considered, 
when compared with other breeds, like the South Downs in the 
sheep classes are estimated by tenant farmers in general—as 
fancy stock, but which by crossing may be improved as rent¬ 
paying animals. 
The Sussex cows are not, as a rule, good milkers, although 
producing sufFcient to rear and fatten their own calves, but 
the worst milkers are often those with the heaviest calves. The 
most profitable way of breeding this stock is probably for them 
to calve in October and November, letting them suckle their 
own calves through the winter months, wean them in the spring, 
put another calf to the cow, and rear them for veal or stock as 
may be required. When managed on this plan each cow rears 
two calves, and the number of barren cows will, therefore, be 
greatly diminished, which is one of the greatest evils attending 
the fact of cows dropping their calves all the year round. It is, 
however, specially important in connection with the management 
of a herd of Sussex cattle, or any other breed prone to lay on 
fat internally and yield but little milk, which is quite peculiar 
to the Sussex stock. Some attempts have been made to use 
Sussex cattle for the dairy, but it has failed in their own native 
districts, and if dairying is attempted persons should use Short¬ 
horn cows; and if good early beef-making steer calves are re¬ 
quired use the Sussex bull, and these cross-bred stock will pro¬ 
bably excel all others in raising baby beef. 
In various other respects there is hope of further improve¬ 
ment in the Sussex cattle, for the attempt to raise them from 
good working animals on the land and make good butchers’ 
bullocks afterwards, does not date back much more than twenty 
years. This circumstance leads us to expect that there are 
still latent capacities in the breed which will enable their 
advocates to raise them yet higher in the scale of excellence. 
Again, when we look to the fact that our other principal breeds 
are now past improvement—that is to say, the value and im¬ 
portance of the Shorthorns, the Herefords, the Scotch polled, 
and the Devons have not for a considerable period made any 
improvement as regards the leading herds of the kingdom. 
Indeed, it is a question if it be not possible to produce better 
animals, as a rule, than those which have graced the leading 
cattle shows during the past twenty years. Having been close 
observers we cannot see any improvement or advance in any 
direction except in numbers during that period, and we name 
one animal as an illustration of our meaning; for since the 
notorious bull Alaster Butterfly, bred by Colonel Townely, was 
exhibited at the Royal Agricultural Society’s meeting at 
Chelmsford, if we recollect rightly, we have seen no such 
animal of the Shorthorned type, nor do we ever expect to see 
it matched in the future. In the other breeds we have named 
animals equally illustrative of our opinions may be selected. 
We, therefore, believe that the Sussex stock may be assumed 
as having in store for us in the future rare specimens, which 
shall add further merit and importance to this already valuable 
breed. 
We will notice for the information and guidance of intending 
breeders some of the most noted strains of blood introduced 
since the commencement of the Sussex Herd Book, taking first 
stock of the late Mr. Wm. Botting, at Westmeston Place, Hurst- 
pierpoint, and Mr. Dennett’s, of Woodmancote. We must also 
refer to the Messrs. Stanford’s famous prize bull Dorchester 
(325), calved in 1871, by Volunteer (a home-bred bull of their 
father’s old sort, of dark colour and iron constitution), intro¬ 
duced through his dam May Fern (1189). The strain of Mr. W. 
Martin of Ewhurst, in conjunction with that of Mr. Wm. Botting. 
Dorchester has an almost interminable prize list appended to his 
entry in the Herd Book. Besides several class prizes at the 
leading shows, including the “ Royal,” the Southern Counties, 
(Bath and West of England), and the Tunbridge Wells shows, 
he won the cup at the latter three years in succession ; Messrs. 
Stanford’s entries (a different animal each year from their 
splendid agricultural stud) winning also, three years in suc¬ 
cession, the champion cup. These successes of Messrs. Stan¬ 
ford in the exhibition of their own bred animals should be 
remembered by all future breeders of cattle, and one of the 
great examples of the advantages of rearing cattle possessing 
an ancient pedigree which have by careful and judicious selection 
obtained for them a reputation which can be obtained in no 
other way or by any other means. Another noted bull, Tun¬ 
bridge (374) by Dorchester, was bred at Eaton’s in 1875, and in 
the following year Paris (357), who took some English prizes 
(including “ Royal ” honours), and the second prize and silver 
medal at the French International Show in 1878. In this bull 
the blood of Bedford is combined with that of Dorchester. 
Southampton (408), an own brother of Paris, won extensively at 
the leading shows 1878-9-80, and in 1881. Goldsmith (391) not 
previously exhibited, is the show bull of the herd; at Derby 
he took the first honours of the Royal A. S. E. He was bred 
by the late Mr. Geo. Smith, of Paddockhurst, and is the son of 
Young Hartley (444), the “Royal” prize bull at Kilburn, and 
second in the champion bull competition, but used afterwards 
by Mr. Alfred Agate. The dam of Goldsmith (391)—Young 
Golding by Lion—brings in a strain of blood which a veteran 
authority, who well remembers the cattle, describes as one of 
“ the best that ever was in Sussex.” The Sussex bulls, however, 
are not usually handsome. The oxen are grand and the cows 
stately; but the bulls, as a rule, look common or plain. But 
Messrs. Stanford’s “Goldsmith” is an exception. His sirloin 
and steaks might make Devon breeders jealous, for as he 
appeared at the Reading meeting of the Royal, where he took 
first as a five-year-old bull, he was as good-looking as one could 
wish to see. Although he is this season one year older, we were 
present at the opening day of the Royal Counties Association’s 
meeting at Winchester on the 26th June last, where “Gold¬ 
smith ” was exhibited in all his grand outline, which we surveyed 
in detail as he appeared side by side with other magnificent 
animals during the time of the Judges’ decision as they paraded 
in the cattle ring. And the judgment passed upon him was, 
that he not only obtained the first prize in the Sussex classes, 
but also the champion prize as the best bull of the show, in 
contest with the Shorthorns and the Devons then and there 
exhibited. This victory must have been highly satisfactory to 
the Messrs. Stanford, who certainly possess the stock which 
will enable them to maintain one of the foremost positions 
among the Sussex cattle breeders we may expect for years in 
the future. We have yet to notice the Sussex cattle belonging 
to other eminent breeders. 
(To be continued). 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—Horses are still employed in preparing the land for 
common Turnips, as the fallows in many cases were very foul with 
couch, in some instances owiDg to the land having been farmed on the 
four-course rotation of Wheat, roots, Lent Corn, and Clover. Now, as the 
Wheat in this rotation is sown out of lea, during the seasons for the 
past few years which have been unusually rainy and adverse to cleaning 
the land, it has been almost impossible to insure a clean fallow. Thus, 
especially in the hands of some tenants who neglect the various 
opportunities for forking out the couch, and attempt by horse labour 
alone to clean the land, they have been unsuccessful, for tillage by 
horse labour can only be accomplished with success in fine dry seasons. 
It is to this circumstance we wish to call the attention of the home 
farmer and'others, but especially those who frequently say there js not 
couch enough to injure the next crop, and allow it to increase in the 
land, and then resort to the expensive process of a fallow carried out 
by costly horse labour. As compared with hand labour this is not 
economy in farming, for it must be remembered that forking out couch 
when there is but little is the cheapest method of keeping the land 
