THE STOCK OF CcrL. SHERWOOD. 
237 
few days after my first arrival in China, I met with 
a most curious dwarf Lycopodium , which I dug up 
and carried down to Messrs. Debt’s garden, where 
my other plants were at the time. “ Hai-yah,”said 
the old compradore, when he saw it, and was quite 
in raptures of delight. All the other coolies and 
servants gathered round the basket to admire this 
curious little plant. I had not seen them evince so 
much gratification since I showed them the “old 
man Cactus”.( Cereus senilis), which I took out from 
England, and presented to a Chinese nurseryman 
at Canton. On asking them why they prized the 
lycopodium so much, they replied, in Canton 
English, “ Oh, he too muchia handsome ; he grow 
duly a leete and a leete every year ; and suppose he he 
one hundred year oula, he only so high ,” holding up 
their hands an inch or two higher than the plant. 
This little plant is really very pretty, and often 
naturally takes the very form of a dwarf tree in 
miniature, which is doubtless the reason of its being 
such a favorite with the Chinese. 
The gardens of the Mandarins at Ning-po were ex¬ 
tremely gay, particularly during the early months of 
the year; and, what was of more importance to me, 
contained a number of new plants of great beauty 
and interest. On entering one of the gardens on a fine 
morning in May, I was struck with a mass of yel¬ 
low flowers which completely covered a distant part 
of the wall. The color was not a common yellow, 
but had something of buff in it, which gave the 
flowers a striking and uncommon appearance. I 
immediately ran up to the place, and, to my surprise 
and delight, found that it was a most beautiful new 
double yellow climbing rose. I have no doubt, from 
■what I afterwards learned, that this rose is from the 
more northern districts of the empire, and will prove 
perfectly hardy in Europe. Another rose, which 
the Chinese call the “ five-colored,” was also found 
in one of these gardens at this time. It belongs to 
the section commonly called China roses in this 
country, but grows in a very strange and beautiful 
manner. Sometimes it produces self-colored blooms 
—being either red or French white, and frequently 
having flowers of both on one plant at the same 
time—while at other times the flowers are striped 
with the two colors. This will also be as hardy 
as our common China rose. Glycine sinensis is of¬ 
ten grown on a flat trellis in front of the summer¬ 
house, or forms a kind of portico, which affords a 
leasing shade. Entwined with one of these trees, 
found another variety, having very long racemes 
of pure white flowers, which contrasted well with 
•he light blue of the other. 
THE STOCK OF COL. SHERWOOD. 
In June I took an excursion to Auburn, for the 
purpose of being present at the shearing of the 
Merino flock of Col. John M. Sherwood. I 
know of nothing that contributes more to a just 
appreciation of sheep than to witness their shear¬ 
ing, when properly done. As Col. Sherwood is 
ibout to have a large public sale, both of cattle and 
oheep, my object was double, to see not only the 
sheep, but the cattle also. I found there a large 
herd of cattle. The catalogue of those offered for 
sale, numbers forty-eight; forty-one of which are 
pure Short-Horns. Col. Sherwood has been breed¬ 
ing some years, and now having more stock than he 
I desires to keep offers them for sale. Your readers 
I will have noticed his advertisement in July and 
August Nos. His original stock were derived from 
the herds of Francis Rotch, Lewis F. Allen, Tho¬ 
mas Hollis, Thomas A. Newbold, and the late Ste¬ 
phen Van Ilensellaer. 
The originals of his herd are all now living, and 
are Stella (a frequent winner of prizes), bred by 
Mr. Rotch; Pansy, bred by Mr. Van Rensellaer, 
also a winner; Delight, from the herd of Mr. Allen ; 
Lilly, from the herd of Mr. Newbold. His bulls 
have been Archer bred by Mr. Rotch; Arrow, by 
Mr. Hollis; Symmetry, by Mr. Geo. Vail; and 
Pontousic, by himself. The first three named have 
all been winners at the State shows. Symmetry is 
descended directly from the herd of Mr. Bates in 
England, Mr. Vail who bred him having imported 
both his dam and sire from Mr. Bates. 
On looking over the cattle we were struck with 
the fact that all the cows that had calved some 
weeks or months since, were in moderate flesh and 
had large bags; while all the cows yet to calve, 
■were in high flesh, giving also good promise of 
milk. This is a good indication; showing that 
the herd combines both the milking and feeding 
property. The cow that will make flesh when 
dry, and grow thin in milk, will both feed and 
milk. This point Col. Sherwood seems steadily to 
have kept in view, and in his selections to have 
attained, and in his breeding, to have preserved it. 
Stella and her two daughters, Sylph and Sibyle, 
are all good milkers. 
Delight, and all her daughters, are good milkers, 
and one, Dahlia, very superior. Col. Sherwood 
offers a heifer, got by Mr. Vail’s very fine bull 
Meteor, out of Dahlia; she would be a desirable 
possession to any breeder. Norna (another strain), 
bred by Mr. H. S. Randall, is a plain cow but a 
great milker. 
The finest cow 7 in the catalogue, is doubtless Phi * 
lapena (daughter of Pansy), and by Archer. She 
is of high excellence in every particular, and a 
great milker. Her daughter, Potawatamie, with 
her first calf, is now giving twenty quarts per day. 
This strain is very superior in its milking property. 
Pansy, the original cow, is Col. Sherwood’s best 
milker. 
Pontousic, a young bull by Symmetry, out of 
Philapena, is characterized by high style and fine 
handling. He would, as he now promises, be a 
great acquisition to any herd, and especially in 
point of milking properly. 
The descendants of Lilly will make with herself 
a grand display at the sale. Lilly is the best cow 
in the herd; and v T ho, it might be asked, has a bet¬ 
ter? Her daughters are all distinguished by their 
fine style and superior milking character 
The calves of this year are all got by Symmetry, 
and are a superior lot. They exhibit the special 
characteristics of the Bates blood—deep, full bris¬ 
kets—in an eminent degree. 
Here is an opportunity to all who desire to obtain 
fine Short-Horns, to do so; and those who would 
procure animals of milking families, may be sure 
to find them in this herd. 
My visit was made at this particular period, to 
witness the shearing of Col. Sherwood’s flock of 
Merinos, as he will, at his sale, offer nearly 200. 
