1880 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
465 
The Jersey Bull “Mercury” (432). 
“Mercury ” is the only living son of “Jupiter” 
'^93), and “ Alphea ” (171), he was dropped Octo¬ 
ber 7, 1869, and was bred by Col. R. M. Hoe, of 
Morrisania. His sire and dam were own brother 
and sister, the progeny of “Saturn ” and “ Rhea,” 
who are famous only for having been the progeni- 
ttors of these two animals, and especially of “ Al- 
equal either his dam or her famous grand daughter, 
but there are no inferior cows among them, 
that we know of. Many of the second generation 
are exceedingly fine animals. Among the bulls the 
most famous is “Polonius” (2531), by “Sarpedon” 
(930), out of “Leda” (799), owned by Mr. John D. 
Wing, and so far as we know the only other “pure 
Alphea” bull except his sire. What is meant by a 
“pure Alphea” pedigree, is one which traces on 
Seeding to Grass in the Fall 
The common practice of farmers in the North is 
to seed in the spring, in connection with spring 
wheat, barley, or oats. We recently visited a far¬ 
mer who has practised seeding in the fall for many 
years. He followed spring seeding, and found that 
the grass seed made a small, poor growth under 
the oats, and the roots did not get strong enough 
JERSEY BULL MERCURY (432).— The Property of William Simpson, Esq., of West Farms, N. Y. 
phea.” “Mercury” is a handsome, solid colored 
animal, as indeed are most of “Alphea’s ” proge¬ 
ny, and Col. Hoe retained him for his own use, 
when he sold most of his herd. He subsequently 
parted with him to his nephew, Mr. Herbert Mead, 
by whom he has long been used, though repeatedly 
offered for sale at absurdly low prices. Ten years 
of service have given him many sons and daugh¬ 
ters, and though now eleven years old, he is healthy 
and vigorous. He was bought last spring by Mr. 
Wm. Simpson, of West Farms, a near neighbor of 
Col. Hoe’s, at a large price, and now heads his 
famous and beautiful herd at New Hudson, Alle¬ 
ghany Co., N. Y. His dam, and so many of her 
descendants have proved extraordinary butter pro¬ 
ducers, that it gives great value to his blood. 
About the same time that he bought “Mercury,” 
Mr. Simpson bought his full sister “Europa” (179), 
the dam of “Eurotas” (2454), an account of which 
famous cow was given in the American Agriculturist 
for August, page 305. To the record of her butter 
yield, given at that time, we may here add, that 
within ten months after calving, that is up to Sep¬ 
tember 10th, she yielded the unprecedented amount 
of 752 pounds of butter, and is still producing, 
October 1st, over a pound of butter a day. Among 
“Mercury’s” immediate get there are no cows which 
all lines to “Jupiter” and “Alphea” whose blood 
was identical. So long, therefore, as we have 
“Europa” and other “pure Alphea” cows, the line 
of “Alphea’s” descendants may he continued with¬ 
out alloy. Mr. Simpson claims for his herd the 
distinction of having more of the blood of “ Al¬ 
phea” than exists in any other. He is breeding for 
butter, making all other qualities subservient to 
this, and has several remarkable young cows of en¬ 
tirely different strains upon which to prove the 
effect of the “ Alphea” cross. 
Breeders of Jersies have too often followed the 
lead of the breeders on the Island of Jersey, who use, 
with hardly an exception, only yearling bulls, fat¬ 
tening and killing, or selling their bulls, even the 
best of them, soon after they are two years old. 
Thus they never know what the quality of a bull’s 
get is, until after his death. Certainly not a wise 
system. Here we have not done much better, for 
hulls are generally killed about the time the oldest 
heifers of their get come to the pail. Old “ Mer¬ 
cury’s” long life of usefulness and his present 
vigorous old age, his gentle manners, and the 
health, good size, and good quality of his latest 
calves, is a sufficient argument against “turning 
off” a good hull when just in his prime. “ Mer 
cury ” has years of usefulness yet to come. 
in the growth after the oats were removed, to carry 
them well through the winter. He now seeds with 
rye, using about a hundred bushels of ashes to the 
acre where he lays down for meadow. His rotation 
is somewhat peculiar, and prepares the way for the 
remarkable success of his meadows, which last 
eight years, giving good crops of grass. In a ten- 
acre meadow under this treatment in its second 
year in grass, there were at least two tons of hay to 
the acre. He begins with the com crop, applying 
to it all the manure upon the farm. Corn occupies 
the ground for one or two years, according to the 
condition of the land. If rich, mellow, and clean 
enough to suit his standard, the corn is followed 
by oats without manure. These are usually very 
heavy, both in straw and seed. Rye is the third 
crop in the rotation, taking all the ashes; they 
are procured from Oswego, and come by canal boat 
from that city without change to his wharf, three 
miles from the farm. At the cost of twenty cents 
a bushel at the wharf, he finds these the best fer¬ 
tilizer for his soil he has ever used. They last for 
eight years, giving good crops of grass without 
plowing, and the effects are seen for six years 
longer in the subsequent rotation. With the ma¬ 
nuring practised upon his farm, we have no doubt 
fall has an advantage over spring seeding. W. C. 
