352 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September, 
other. Very few persons appreciate the great 
amount of study, and care, and money, 
which have been employed in improving the 
various breeds of our domestic animals. 
The process is a slow one, and many meet 
with moderate success. These men study the 
qualities of both parents, and their ancestors, 
and always have what seems to them good 
reasons for every step they take in breeding. 
In the same manner we need large numbers 
of skilled experimenters to improve our 
cereals. Principles underlie the breeding of 
plants as well as the breeding of animals. 
The results are much more rapidly obtained ; 
the larger increase gives us a much greater 
chance for selecting the best. How shall the 
cereals be improved ? Many of the processes 
have been again and again stated. Study 
the writings of a Stuxtevant, or a Blount, or 
a Hallett. Repeat what they have done, add 
thought to the work, and make additional 
experiments. Let an enthusiastic student, 
with practical tact, plant a piece of corn, or 
wheat, or other crop, on good soil, near his 
house, where he can easily watch it every 
day. Let him carefully observe the differ¬ 
ences to be found in the same plot from the 
seed from the same ear. Select parents 
which suit, see that they are crossed, and 
select the seed for future use. Do not neglect 
the soil and cultivation. Here is a grand 
field for experiment—one but little worked, 
and one ready to reward skill and patience 
with a bountiful harvest. 
At a recent meeting of Professors of Agri¬ 
culture and Horticulture, held at Michigan 
Agricultural College, the subject of co¬ 
operation in experiments was discussed. 
They agreed to begin, among others, some 
experiments looking to the improvement of 
our cereals. 
The Jersey Bull “Polonius” (2513). 
Among the descendants of the Jersey cow 
“Alphea” (171), of which a portrait and de¬ 
scription were given in the American Agri¬ 
culturist, 1880, p. 183, the bull “Polonius” 
(2513), is worthy of notice as having been 
sold at auction, in May last, for $4,500—the 
highest known price ever paid for a Jersey. 
As our readers are interested in knowing 
something of the real merits of an animal 
that could command such an extraordinary 
price, and of the influence he would be likely 
to exert, under favorable conditions, in de¬ 
veloping and improving the best characters 
of a breed that stands pre-eminent for its 
blood as the most promising element for the 
improvement of their herds in their most 
valued characters. In the diagram herewith 
his pedigree is given in a convenient form 
for reference, and one in which the relation¬ 
ship of his ancestors can be readily traced. 
The history of the importation of “Saturn” 
(94), and “Rhea” (166), has already been given 
in the description of “ Alphea,” and we need 
only refer to the care taken in the selection 
and “ Leda” (799), the sire and dam of “ Po¬ 
lonius ” who are both out of “ Europa,” and 
therefore half brother and sister. But their 
relationship is still closer, as “ Sarpedon ’* 
was got by “ Mercury,” the full brother of 
his dam “Europa,” and “Leda” was got by 
“ Jupiter,” the sire of both “ Mercury ” and 
“Europa.”. “Leda” is a cow of good sym¬ 
metry and strong constitution, and has been 
a good and persistent milker. Like her dam 
THE FAMOUS JERSEY BULL “POLONIUS.” 
butter making qualities, we present a por¬ 
trait of this noted bull. The principal points 
in its ancestral history that are looked upon 
by breeders as indications of his prospective 
value as a stock getter, are also given. The 
fact that “Polonius,” and his grandsire “Mer¬ 
cury ” (432), now nearly twelve years old (see 
American Agriculturist, 1880, p. 465), are the 
only strictly pure “Alphea” bulls now liv¬ 
ing, undoubtedly had its influence in increas¬ 
ing the spirited competition of prominent 
breeders who were seeking the “Alphea” 
of these animals as an important element in 
determining the practical value of the popu¬ 
lar family descended from them. In the 
next generation, it will be seen, by reference 
to the diagram, that “Jupiter” (93), is full 
brother to “ Alphea,” who became celebrated 
not only for her individual excellence as a 
butter cow, her record being at a rate of over 
24 lbs. of butter a week, but as the progenitor 
of what is known as the “Alphea family,” 
which probably includes more noted perform¬ 
ers than any other on record. That her 
brother “Jupiter” has been equally success¬ 
ful in transmitting their common characters 
is shown in the number of his daughters, and 
grand-daughters, that have records of over 16 
lbs. of butter a week. “Mercury,” and “ Eu¬ 
ropa ” (176), a son and daughter of “ Alphea” 
and “ Jupiter,” appear in the next generation 
of the pedigree, and like their parents are 
full brother and sister. “ Mercury ” is a re¬ 
markably fine animal, of strong constitution, 
and now heads the herd of Mr. Wm. Simp¬ 
son, where he is doing good service. He is 
the sire of many valuable 
animals, and one of his 
daughters, “Alphea Prin¬ 
cess ” (11158), recently 
sold at auction, at the 
age of eight months, for 
$2,225. “ Europa ” (176), 
is the dam of the famous 
cow “Eurotas” (2454), 
figured and described by us in 1880, p. 305, 
who made 778 lbs. of butter in eleven 
months and six days, and dropped a calf 
within the year. 
It is worthy of notice that “Europa” has 
had nine calves, and that her last one, got by 
“ Mercury,” was dropped last May, when she 
was over fifteen years old—so that her in 
breeding has not apparently impaired her 
fecundity, as it has not evidently her consti¬ 
tution. Turning again to the diagram, we 
find in the next generation “ Sarpedon ” (930), 
“Europa,” she has been a good breeder, 
dropping her first calf at the age of three 
years, in 1872, she has with a single excep¬ 
tion (1879), had a calf every year since, and 
all but one are now living. At the age of 
over 12 years, “Leda” was sold at auction in 
May last, for $3,000, the highest known price 
for a Jersey cow. Aside from her dam 
“Europa,” who, as we have seen, is still 
breeding, “ Leda,” and her descendants, are 
the only strictly pure “Alphea” cows living. 
The in-and-in breeding of “Polonius” has 
therefore been continued for several gener¬ 
ations, and as he does not appear to be de¬ 
ficient in the desirable characteristics of form 
and constitution, he should transmit to his 
offspring with great certainty and uniform¬ 
ity, the invaluable qualities of the “ Alphea 
blood,” which he has inherited from some of 
the best members of the family. 
Teach Trees in East Tennessee.— 
E. Henry writes from Greenville, Tenn.,that 
there is at least one place where the peach 
still flourishes as it did in the older States 
half a century ago. Curl, yellows, and other 
modem peach troubles have not invaded 
those mountain localities where peach trees 
give no more trouble than do the trees of the 
forest. Our correspondent states that numer¬ 
ous orchards have been in bearing for twenty- 
five years, and some that are fifty years old, 
and still yield crops of large and delicious 
fruit. In Tennessee the peach orchards 
planted upon the tops of the hills, rarely fail 
to give a crop, while those in the valleys are 
often injured by late spring frosts. Mr. H. 
states that a note we published some years 
ago on the healthfulness of Tennessee peach 
trees, has directed the attention of some of 
the more enterprising nurserymen to the 
locality, and that these now procure their 
seed for raising stocks from these. It is al¬ 
ways best to select fresh seed pits for plant¬ 
ing from the most healthful localities possible.. 
