1879 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
>79 
A Eat Shorthorn Heifer. 
One. of the most remarkable animals of the Short¬ 
horn breed, and one that deserves to be remember¬ 
ed in history along with the famous “ox that 
travelled,” nearly a century ago, is the heifer 
“ Icicle,” bred by Mr. E. Stratton, an English 
breeder. This animal, of which we give a 
life-like portrait, from a photograph taken 
some time ago for the “Agricultural 
Gazette ” (London), met with extraordi¬ 
nary success as a prize-taker. She finish¬ 
ed her career in this direction at a tat cat¬ 
tle exhibition, held by the Smithfieid Cat¬ 
tle Club, which is really a show of butchers' 
beeves. A glance at the portrait given 
will serve to show that this heifer was a 
most exemplary representative at an ex¬ 
hibition of the best beef-producing race 
of animals we possess. At the exhibition 
referred to, this heifer swept all the prizes 
—as the best Shorthorn heifer; the best 
Shorthorn female; the $525 prize as the 
best of any breed; another §525 prize as 
the best animal, aud a $525 prize offered 
by a noted feeding-cake manufacturing 
firm, for the best animal. The latter prize 
is a curious instance of reciprocal benefit, 
for doubtless in the feeding of this animal 
during her career as a prize winner, the 
quantity of feeding-cake consumed by her 
must have created quite a demand upon 
the resources of this firm. The wonder¬ 
ful breadth of loin, and width and depth 
of front of this heifer arc well shown in 
this engraving, and a make up of this 
character is not often surpassed even by 
an ox. The example may serve to show 
of what the Shorthorn is capable in the 
hands of a skillful feeder, and (t is 
only when such an animal is offered 
for public exhibition that ait opportunity is 
given to leant this ; for it is rarely that a good 
Shorthorn is fed for the butcher, the best being re 
served for breeding, which is much more profitable. 
Last month we gave a portrait of a Shorthorn dairy 
cow. Opinions differ as to whether or uot it is 
possible to find in one breed, animals that may be 
made profitable both in the dairy and as Beef. It is 
possible that had “ Icicle ” been bred irom (she 
was fatted as a non-breeder), she might not have 
made a profitable dairy cow. There are poor cows 
in even the best of dairy breeds. It is not long 
since the public was aston¬ 
ished to hear, from the 
best authority, that it was 
very easy to pick up a 
•carload of “ worthless 
brutes” among the Herd 
Register Jerseys; and it 
may easily happen that 
among the Shorthorn 
cows, there may be many 
that will run to meat in¬ 
stead of to milk But either 
way, the animal brings a 
handsome profit to her 
owner, and this qualifica¬ 
tion is what mainly gives 
a Shorthorn a surpassing 
value over other breeds. 
Cattle Diseases. —The 
reports of the condition 
of live stock, periodically 
published by the Agri¬ 
cultural Department, at 
Washington, have never 
been free from serious 
objection, on account of 
the loose manner of 
naming diseases. Such 
general terms as “ mur¬ 
rain,” “ foot disease,” 
and meaningless names, 
pondents, who unfortunately use the local and 
popular terms, which are published just as they 
.are received. Heretofore no harm lias resulted, ex¬ 
cepting to still further popularize wrong and un¬ 
meaning terms, because intelligent readers under¬ 
stood the facts of the case. But now very serious 
harm is done. These reports are eagerly seized 
upon in Europe, and distorted and twisted so as to 
spread an impression abroad that our cattle are 
suffering from the worst of contagious diseases. 
THE SHORTHORN HEIFER “ ICICLE.” 
Thus an English paper declares our commonly- 
used word “ murrain,” to mean Foot and Mouth 
Disease, or Epizootic Aphtha, an alarming and 
destructive infectious disease, of which not one 
suspicious, much less authenticated case, has been 
known, or exists in America. So, our common 
Foot Rot of sheep, which is not the malignant type, 
but a disease that is easily cured, is declared also 
to be the dreaded Foot and Mouth Disease among 
the sheep. The English Privy Council then orders 
the slaughter of imported American cattle and 
sheep, and thus the looseness and stupidity of our 
XT— 
A SUFFOLK PIG. 
and other indefinite 
are taken from c.orres- 
Agrieultuial Department work to the injury of 
American larmers, and have no doubt caused them 
in the past year, a greater loss than can be offset 
by any good the Department has done during all 
the combined years of it\ superfluous existence. 
Suffolk Swine. 
The most profitable pig is that which will make 
what is known as the “ market pig.” This is a 
small animal, which weighs 100 pounds, or some¬ 
what over, at the age of 4 or 5 months. We have 
at least three kinds of swine that will make good 
market pigs: the Berkshire, the Essex, 
and the Suffolk. The first and second are 
black; the last is white—a thin-skinned, 
fine-haired, small-boned, well-formed ani¬ 
mal, with little offal, easily fattened, and 
producing meat well mixed with fat and 
lean. A four or five months old Suffolk 
pig can not be surpassed for excellence of 
meat and profitableness of feeding by any 
other breed, although the Berkshire will 
at least equal it, but it is black, and al¬ 
though handsome in its figure, and ex¬ 
cellent in its meat, yet its color is not 
popular with many. The form of the 
Suffolk is well shown in the illustration 
given herewith ; it is a compactly built 
animal, upon a foundation of fine, small 
bone, and no other pig will make more 
meat in the first few months of its life, 
from the same amount of food. July pigs, 
fed upon milk, with ground corn and oats, 
or with barley meal and boiled potatoes, 
may easily be made to dress 120 pounds 
at Christmas, and at that season there is 
always a brisk demand for such pork— 
indeed, there is no season of the year at 
which such pigs are not in demand, and 
the fact that the Suffolk is a quick and 
certain breeder, and will raise two litters in 
a year, is an additional point in its favor. 
Just now, when farmers have to consider 
very closely how they cau turn their busi¬ 
ness to the best account, and especially 
how they can best dispose of surplus milk, 
which meets but a very poor sale, it may be well to 
figure up the profit of producing market pigs, 
either for sale as fresh pork or for light bacon. An 
average of one gallon of skimmed milk and 3 
pounds of meal, fed daily to a young Suffolk pig 
for 120 days, will make 120 pounds of pork. If the 
pork is worth only 5 cents a pound, there is profit 
in it, but a better price than this can usually be 
obtained, and generally the better supply of such 
meat as this, the better sale there is for it. When 
a desirable thing is not offered in the market, there 
are no inquiries for it, and, as a rule, the largest 
consumption has grown 
out of an abundant sup¬ 
ply. The supply frequent¬ 
ly creates the demand, 
and always in the ease of 
choice articles of food, of 
which the consumption is 
generally a little in ad¬ 
vance of the offerings, 
and grows through the 
facility of procuring the 
6upply. The few farmers 
who cater to the needs 
of the public in special 
articles, find the business 
profitable; there is room 
for more farmers of this 
kind, and, among such 
articles, there is none 
that meets a readier sale 
than milk - fed, sweet, 
wholesome, young pork. 
There is perhaps no arti- 
tiele of animal food about 
which people are more 
careful than pork; intel¬ 
ligent persons object, and 
justly to “ promiscuous 
pig,” knowing the possi¬ 
bility of danger from such 
food. In every large place are persons fond of 
what the market reports call “ hog products,” and 
who, could they be assured that the pig had been 
properly fed and kept before it became pork, 
would pay a high price to be able to enjoy it. 
