34 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
convinced that they will make as good hay as 
Timothy, under any circumstances. 
Ray Grass has been successfully cultivated 
in this country for pasture, as far North as 
Connecticut, and as far South as North Caro¬ 
lina. 
But the earliest grass in the spring and the 
latest in autumn, is the Orchard grass. It 
grows larger and yields more abundantly than 
any other of the cultivated grasses. It is also 
hardy, and we have seen it flourishing well 
almost to the 44th degree of North latitude. For 
hay it is inferior to Timothy, and about equal to 
Ray grass. We have seen it grow thickly over 
a large field, to the average^hight of four and a 
half feet—much of it was over five feet high. 
The yield was judged to be at least three and a 
half to four tons per acre. It rarely yields less 
than two tons per acre at the first cutting, and 
half as much more at the second. In this cli¬ 
mate it is ready for cutting early in June, and 
in very favorable seasons we have known it to 
give three cuttings. 
It requires a rich, dry soil, and deep tilth, and 
should be sown in the spring with no other grass 
seed with it, otherwise it comes up in uneven 
tufts, and soon runs out. Sow at least one and 
a half to two bushels of seed per acre, harrow it 
in well, and then roll the ground smooth. The 
present New-York price of choice seed, is $2 50 
per bushel. Inferior seed can be had for less. 
We shall be happy to assist our friends in ob¬ 
taining and experimenting upon this grass, and 
will see that any orders entrusted to our care 
are supplied with the best seed to be obtained. 
Below is the letter alluded to. 
Having read a great deal in the Albany Cul¬ 
tivator about the Italian Rye Grass , and the 
extraordinary growth which it attains in Eu¬ 
rope, I write for the purpose of ascertaining 
whether it is for sale in New-York; or if not, 
whether it can be procured in this country. If 
you can procure it for me, be so kind as to let 
me have the earliest information. Please also 
to state the price per bushel, as I think there 
are several in this vicinity who will avail them¬ 
selves of the opportunity of procuring it if it is to 
be had. I feel satisfied that it will with proper 
culture prove equally beneficial in this country; 
and when once introduced and fairly tested, will 
be universally cultivated by those who depend 
much upon grazing and feeding sheep, to which 
this part of the State is particularly adapted. 
Bridgeport , Vt. J. R. 
IMPORTATION OF EUROPEAN CATTLE. 
Under this head the Genesee Farmer for 
March, publishes the following: 
England imports cattle from Continental Eu¬ 
rope, particularly from Holland and Belgium. 
A correspondent of the St. Louis Evening News 
says: 
“Thus it is. England imports fine cattle 
from the continent of Europe, and the United 
States import fine cattle from England. Yet 
there is no great inconsistency in this. English 
stock growers get cattle from abroad to cross 
with their fine breeds, knowing that in this way 
alone the superiority of stock may be preserved. 
But we import all the time from England, and 
cross with the inferior stock of this country. 
After a while we will get our native stock ele¬ 
vated ; but it will have an English sameness 
about it. Why should not the next importa¬ 
tions be from France, Holland, and Belgium? 
Having a good supply of the best English breeds, 
if we obtain also the best continental stock, we 
shall no longer be dependent on England for im¬ 
proved crosses. The best milkers in the world 
are found in France—and an importation from 
Flanders or Limousin we ihink would be the 
best modern speculation in fine stock.” 
We are informed that the suggestions ad¬ 
vanced above are about to be carried into prac¬ 
tical effect on an extensive scale in Missouri. 
One of the most extensive growers of stock in 
the neighborhood of St. Louis, (Charles L. Hunt, 
the Belgian Consul there,) some time since 
opened a correspondence with parties in Europe 
for such information on the subject as was de¬ 
sired by persons desirous of importing here. 
The Belgian government he has also been wri¬ 
ting to. Agriculture there is under the special 
supervision of the official authorities. The gov¬ 
ernment directly interests itself in the improve¬ 
ment of breeds of horses, cattle, swine, and 
whatever else concerns the agricultural welfare. 
Fine stallions, bulls, &c., are procured by im¬ 
portation or otherwise, and stationed in the va¬ 
rious Provinces for the farmers generally to 
breed from. There is a separate bureau of their 
public affairs, to overlook and improve the agri¬ 
cultural and stock-raising interests of the king¬ 
dom. Tn reply to Mr. Hunt’s letters soliciting 
information as to the quality and price of horses, 
cattle, &c., the Belgian Minister said that in¬ 
structions had been sent out to all the Provinces, 
and that as soon as returns could be had the re¬ 
sult would be communicated to him. He was 
at the same time assured that the Belgian gov¬ 
ernment felt gratified with the friendly purpose 
manifested, and that every facility would be 
afforded by that government to the people of 
Missouri in the purchase and importation of 
Belgian stock. The information desired by Mr. 
Hunt .vas carefully collected, and after collation 
so as to get the average price of the animals 
specified, and the aggregate of quality, the re¬ 
sult was communicated to him in the following 
brief and perspicuous document: 
“Bruxelles, Dec. 15, 1853. 
“ Monseiur le Consul :—I have the honor of 
addressing you a notice on the cattle, horses, 
and sheep of Belgium. In this notice you will 
find answers to the last questions propounded 
in your letter of the 12th of September last, re¬ 
lating to the qualities, shape, and price of the 
above-named animals. 
“I am much obliged to you, M. le Consul, for 
the good intentions which caused you to ask me 
these questions; and I renew the assurance of 
my distinguished consideration. 
“ The Minister of Foreign Affairs. 
“(Signed,) H. De Brokere. 
“To M. C. L. Hunt, Consul de Belgique, St. 
Louis.” 
Mr. Hunt is organizing an association, with a 
large capital, for the express purpose of im¬ 
porting stock from Belgium and Germany. By 
the middle of April, the commission, it is ex¬ 
pected, will be ready to start to Europe to make 
the purchases. The prices of cattle named vary 
from $50 to $300 a head in Belgium. 
We are very much surprised to find the above 
article copied by our excellent contemporary, 
and with an air that seems to sanction the en¬ 
terprise. Now, we can assure the people of St. 
Louis in particular, and of Missouri in general, 
that they could not well do a more foolish thing 
than to import Dutch, French, and Belgium 
cattle. It would be in fact w r orse than throwing 
the money away; for the animals on arrival at 
St. Louis, would not be w'orth the cost of their 
freight, to say nothing of other expenses. The 
cattle of these countries are no better in any sin¬ 
gle point, than the good native cattle of the 
United States. They are not imported into 
England for the purpose of improving the Eng¬ 
lish breed, but for beef and other purposes. 
Yet English cattle are taken to the above coun¬ 
tries at high prices, for the express purpose of 
improving their native stocks. The very best o 1 
continental stock are not equal to the third best 
breed of England. 
We have often imported the best Dutch, 
Flemish, French, and Spanish cows into Amer¬ 
ica ; and they can now be found pure bred, or 
nearly so, from the Canadas to Louisiana. Yet 
ask any good judge of stock whether they are 
any improvement to our native breed, of which 
they are in a measure the foundation? The 
answer will be an emphatic—No. 
The Dutch cows of certain breeds give a large 
quantity, but a poor quality of milk; so does 
the English Yorkshire, and thousands of native 
American cows. But when the Dutch have 
done milking, it costs nearly as much to fatten 
them as they are worth. Not so with a good 
Short-horn or Devon. When properly bred, 
they will give large messes of rich milk, and 
when dried off to fatten, they take on flesh very 
rapidly, and pay the feeder a good profit. 
Certain French and Flemish, or Belgian cows 
give rich milk, but no richer than the Devon or 
even some Short-horns. Where is there a cow 
of either of the former breeds that will yield a 
pound of well-w'orked, sweet, rich butter, from 
four to six quarts of milk, as the Devon have 
repeatedly done ? Where is there a cow of 
these breeds which will produce such oxen and 
beef as the Devon? Nowhere. We challenge 
the world to beat the Devon ox. 
Where is the continental breed that will pro¬ 
duce a fatted steer at four j^ears old, equal to a 
Short-horn steer at two years old? Or a fatted 
ox at six or even seven year old, equal to a 
Short-horn at four years old ? The latter at the 
same time not costing over half the price of the 
former to rear and feed. We do believe, sin¬ 
cerely, that there is scarce a continental breed 
unimproved by a cross with the English, that 
can be made to produce beef at two to four years 
old, at twice w'hat it would cost to do it with a 
fine well-bred Short-horn or Devon. If this 
were not so, why do we find thq, continental na¬ 
tions, France, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Prussia, 
and even Russia, importing English cattle and 
horses in large numbers, for the purpose of im¬ 
proving their own? And w'hy is it that these 
animals and their progeny take all the prizes at 
a general stock show'? We have repeatedly 
looked over the prize lists of agricultural show's 
of France and Prussia, and find that the English 
cattle almost invariably took precedence. In 
addition to this, we have conversed with many 
intelligent stock breeders of these nations, and 
they almost invariably admit the superiority ol 
English cattle. 
We want nothing of the stock kind from the 
continent now, except the Rambouillet and the 
Saxony sheep; and we even find many highly 
intelligent American flock-masters, who will not 
admit that these are an improvement, except in 
size, and consequent weight of fleece. 
An attempt has recently been made to import 
the French Norman horse, with a view of im¬ 
proving our own breed. The Norman horse has 
been bred in Canada for more than two centu¬ 
ries already; and a highly useful and hardy 
horse he is too ; and often a swift trotter. We, 
however, prefer a stout compact English thor¬ 
ough-bred, from fifteen and a half to sixteen 
hands high, to improve our horses. Such a 
horse was imported Messenger; and it w'ould be 
impossible to produce a superior stock to that 
