12 
DEVON CATTLE. 
weight was 1,200 pounds, hide and rough tallow 
included; the latter was over 100 pounds. 
Mr. William Garbutt of Wheatland, Monroe Co., 
N. Y., had a dry, thorough-bred cow, nine or ten 
years old, turned out to grass in the spring, where 
she run all summer, and fed only about two weeks 
before her death. She died in the pasture with 
murrain. Had 160 lbs. rough and kidney tallow. 
None of the meat was tried. 
Mr. Henry Thompson of Baltimore, had a thor¬ 
ough-bred cow which ceased to breed. She was 
pastured on grass through the summer, without 
extra feed, and slaughtered, weight as follows:— 
Carcase 
Tallow 
Hide 
Head and tongue 
715 lbs. 
156 “ 
74 “ 
31 “ 
Profitable weight, 976 lbs. 
In 1838,1 had a fine Devon cow twelve or four¬ 
teen years old, which met with an accident, dis¬ 
abling her from further breeding. She was turn¬ 
ed out to a fair grass pasture in the spring; was 
fed on nothing else, and slaughtered in the fall. 
She was a most beautiful creature in shape, and 
the fattest grass-fed animal I ever knew. Her 
net weight was a trifle over 800 lbs. 
From registers of cattle in Smithfield market, 
published in the British Farmers’ Magazine, I ex¬ 
tract the following weights of steers, slaughtered, 
there:— 
One 5 years 11 months old, dead net weight 
1,593 lbs. One 3 years 7 months old, dead net 
weight 1,316 lbs.; rough tallow 160 lbs. One 3 
years 10 months old, dead net weight 904 lbs.; 
rough tallow 128 lbs. 
Count De Gourcy, an intelligent French farm¬ 
er, who lately made an agricultural tour in Eng¬ 
land, remarks that the late Earl of Leicester’s 
Devon steers, kept on his Holkham estate, at four 
years old, when slaughtered, weigh 1,000 to 1,200, 
and even 1,400 lbs.; and that the Duke of Norfolk’s 
(near Bury in Suffolk) Devon steers, weigh full- 
grown, 90*0 to 1,000 lbs. It may here be remem¬ 
bered, that by the improved breeding, the Devons 
are matured for the shambles one to two years 
earlier than formerly. From four to five years of 
age are now considered fit periods for slaughter. 
It thus appears that the Devons are earlier 
grown, and show a greater average weight than 
the common cattle of our country ; and, from their 
compact forms, fine handling, and light offal, that 
they will take on flesh with greater rapidity and 
less food, there can be no questioning. The qual¬ 
ity of Devon beef is highly superior. I have had 
slaughtered from my own stock three animals of 
Devon blood mainly, grass-fed only, and in a 
house-keeping experience of some fifteen years, I 
never had so good beef, either fresh or salt. 
Third, as milking cows.—On this very impor¬ 
tant item of excellence, I regret exceedingly that 
my information is so meager. The thorough-bred 
Devons in America are comparatively so few, and 
so little pains have been taken to test their milking 
qualities, that I have been unable to gain little ex¬ 
act intelligence on the subject—what I have, 
however, is submitted. 
Mr. Thompson’s imported cow “Sukey,” (oi 
Flora,) of Baltimore, gave 22 quarts, beer measure, 
(about 25 quarts wine measure,) of milk per day, 
in the months of June and July, 1831, on grass 
only. This milk was of the richest quality, and 
produced superior yellow butter. 
Mr. E. P. Beck of Sheldon, before mentioned, 
exhibited at the late State cattle-show, at Roches¬ 
ter, two fine thorough-bred Devon cows in milk. 
They, with another not exhibited, 4 months after 
calving, on quite ordinary pasture, in a dry time, 
a few days before driving to the show, yielded as 
follows:— 
No. 1, 18 quarts per day, beer measure; 
No. 2, 20 ditto ditto; 
No. 3, 22 ditto ditto; equal to 
about 69 quarts wine-measure. This milk was all 
of rich quality, and made excellent butler. 
George Patterson, Esq., of Maryland, an observ¬ 
ing and scientific breeder, who owns decidedly the 
largest and finest herd of pure Devons in Amer¬ 
ica, some 60 or 70 in number, remarked to me, 
that his cows were better milkers, and yielded 
more butter on the average, than any others he 
ever kept. His stock is descended from some of 
the best animals of Mr. Bloomfield, in England, 
the principal breeder of the superior herd of the 
Earl of Leicester, on the Holkham estate. Mr. B. 
once publicly challenged all England to milk 20 
cows of any breed against his herd. The chal¬ 
lenge Avas not accepted. This is no proof, hoAvev- 
er, that his cows could not be beaten, which they 
undoubtedly could, as the Short-Horns are ac¬ 
knowledged, out-and-out the best milkers in Eng¬ 
land. 
Count De Gourcy states, that Mr. Bloomfield’s 
cows averaged each 4 pounds of butter per week, 
the year round, which is equal to 208 pounds a 
year; a large yield. The Count also mentions, 
that another tenant of the Earl of Leicester prefers 
Devon to Ayrshire cows. They yielded him more 
milk and butter. I merely state this last fact as 
written, meaning no disparagement to the Ayr- 
shires, believing them valuable milkers. 
Added to all this, the Devon coav has in Eng¬ 
land long held a distinguished place as a dairy an¬ 
imal of high order, by the best farmers, and main¬ 
tains a rank in many localities, second to none 
others whatever. 
In conclusion, I give you a letter of William 
Garbutt, a man of facts, and of close observation, 
Avho obtained his fine Devon cattle many years 
since from the herd of the late Hon. Rufus King 
of Long Island, sent him direct, by the late Eari 
of Leicester, then Mr. Coke 
Wheatland , Nov. 6, 1843. 
L. F. Allen, Esq.,—My Dear Sir: I fear that 
I can not give you the information wished for, so 
particularly as you desire, in relation to the Devon 
cattle. Owing to the hardness and dryness of my 
home-farm, I found it very inconvenient to raise 
stock to any amount, and in 1835 I purchased and 
stocked the Sheldon farm; since then I have paid 
very little attention to neat stock. I have, by ex¬ 
perience, become sufficiently satisfied relative to 
the value of the Devons for agricultural purposes, 
r »' 1 "~'ted to this section, say western New York 
