CUTTING- HAT. 
195 
to leave your studies now, if you please, turn 
working-men for a short lime at least, and come 
down in to the cattle-yard; there is the place we 
want to meet you, with sleeves up, and line in hand. 
We challenge you to the trial. Now be so obli¬ 
ging as to extend yourselves a trifle, and we shall 
be highly gratified. It can be satisfactorily proved, 
that many of those cows which are put down in 
reports in Massachusetts as such famous “native” 
milkers, are crosses of the Durhams ! No one is 
more ready to admit the value of our native ani¬ 
mals than ourselves; at the same time, we are 
not going to stand by and see improved stocks de¬ 
preciated, more especially when their own off¬ 
spring are brought out (though, we will grant, 
probably unwittingly by the persons doing so) as 
the means of making these unfair and unjust com¬ 
parisons. Those who boast so much about the na¬ 
tive animals, are bound to show, when they bring 
them forward, that they have not a drop of im¬ 
proved blood in them; and to this proof, for one, 
we are determined to push them. We will ac¬ 
cept of no guessing, no mere assertion, on so im¬ 
portant a point. But to resume our subject. 
If Princess is so large, we must confess we in¬ 
cline to such animals in the Messrs. L.’s herd as 
Louisa, Ruby, Lucilla, Adelina, &c.—of a fine me¬ 
dium size. They are the most profitable, and, to 
our eye, the most pleasing. In June 1842, then 
only 4 years old, Lucilla gave from 56 to 59| lbs. 
of milk per day, which made 14^ lbs. of well- 
worked butter per week ; in October following, 
she averaged 33 lbs. of milk per day, making 9 lbs. 
14 ozs. of butter per week. This year she is do¬ 
ing still better, making rather over 15 lbs. of but¬ 
ter per week, on grass pasture alone, be it remem¬ 
bered ; several other cows of this herd are doing 
nearly as well. Need we add more to convince 
those who have good pastures, and are deter¬ 
mined to keep them so, that Durhams are their 
best stock? To those possessing lighter pastures, 
we say, emphatically, take Devons; but all good 
soils in New England, well cultivated, will easily 
carry Short Horns. The grade steers bred from 
these Durhams make first-rate working oxen, as 
can be shown by Mr. Lamb, and several others, 
neighbors to the Messrs. Lathrop, and there is 
this great advantage further in regard to them— 
they mature at least two years earlier than the 
natives. We were shown animals here of 4 years 
old, which had been hard worked from the age of 
2 years, and yet they were as large as common 6 
year olds. They had received no more care in 
their rearing than any good farmer would naturally 
bestow on his animals. 
The stock bull at present in use here, is North 
America, out of Mr. D. C. Collins’s, of Hartford, 
Ct., superior cow Narcissus, by Mr. Copes’s, of 
Chester, Pa., imported bull Yorkshireman, from 
the celebrated herd of Mr. Bates, of England. 
North America is 3 years old, and a very good an¬ 
imal; indeed, one of the best we know in the 
United States. He is a decided improvement on 
the old stock, and we can say the same of his get, 
of which we saw several quite likely yearlings 
and calves. 
The South Downs were procured of Messrs. 
Prentice and MTntyre, of Albany, N. Y. One of 
the ewes was imported by the former gentleman. 
They are pretty stock, and are kept for mutton, 
this being a more valuable product here than wool. 
Sxvine .—Of these the Messrs. Lathrop think 
they have the pure Mackay, if there is any such 
thing as this breed being left pure in the country. 
The history of these animals, and their pedigree, 
they have at length, and to any one curious on 
this subject, we recommend addressing themselves 
to South Hadley. As to these hogs, they much 
resemble the English and Irish Graziers. They 
are of fine forms, good size, and of a pure white 
color. They are thrifty, hardy, and mature early. 
Their color suits a Yankee’s prejudice, and, upon 
the whole, they may be called an excellent farm 
hog. 
Mr. Alonzo Lamb has an excellent farm ad¬ 
joining that of the Messrs. Lathrop. It is under 
a high state of cultivation, with handsome build¬ 
ings upon it, and a fine stock, principally of high 
grade Durhams. A noble cow, which he pur¬ 
chased of Mr. Wells’ stock, of Boston, is one of the 
most massive animals we ever looked at, strongly 
reminding us, in this particular, of Mr. Bates’ of 
England, Oxford cow, though not quite so fine and 
high bred. We should like to speak of Mr. Lamb’s 
farm at greater length, but are already at the bot¬ 
tom of our sheet; yet will add, he has a 4 year old 
steer, one of the most superb creatures we have 
lately seen; with splendid, horns, spread wide 
enough to carry a castle upon their tips. If this 
animal, well fatted, does not make a show a 
couple of years hence, we shall be greatly mista¬ 
ken. We will go a hundred miles then to see 
him,any day. 
CUTTING HAY. 
In the neighborhood of towns and cities, hay is 
unquestionably the most important crop of the far¬ 
mer ; it is a matter of no small consideration to 
him, therefore, that his grass be cut at a proper 
time, and be secured in the best manner. We 
gave so full directions on this subject in our July 
Nos. of both Yols. I. and II., that we now barely 
subjoin an additional hint or two. 
We think it important when the sun shines 
out clear, and the thermometer is at a range of 
nearly 80°, to have the grass only slightly spread, 
unless very heavy and thick on the ground, and 
cured as much in the winrow and cock as conve¬ 
nient. Made in this manner, the hay retains a 
brighter green color, and is sweeter and more nu¬ 
tritious, By being retained a day or so in the 
cock, it undergoes a partial sweating process, 
which makes it much less likely to ferment, fire, 
or injure in the stack or barn. If the grass be 
very long in drying, it changes much of its starch 
into woody fibre, which greatly injures it; but in 
ordinary weather, there is no such danger in this 
country as exists in the cooler and moister climate 
of Great Britain and Ireland. 
With respect to the application of salt to hay as 
it is put up in stack or in the mow, 4 quarts to the 
ton has been our usual allowance; but if, from un¬ 
controllable circumstances, it was not as well 
