AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Jteiprir ta xmgra^e \\t farmer, tije flaitter, anfr t |t (Sartrnr, 
AGRICULTURE 13 TEE MOST HEALTHY, THE MOST USEFUL, AMD THE MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN. — Washington. 
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PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ALLEH & 00,, 189 WATER ST. 
VOL. XII.—NO. 24.] 
g^FOR PROSPECTUS, TERMS, 4rc. f 
SEE LAST PAGE. 
FAkM AND STOCK OF MB. JONATHAN 
THORNE. 
This farm is in the town of Washington, Dutch¬ 
ess county, N. Y., 14 miles back from Pough¬ 
keepsie, and about 80 miles in a direct line 
north of the city of New-York. Altogether Mr. 
Thorne possesses over 600 acres; of which the 
homestead known under the appropriate name 
of Thornedale, contains 360 acres. This lies in 
the form of a parallelogram, whose surface is 
beautifully diversified by large smooth rolling 
hills, with a rich valley between. Through this 
meanders a clear rivulet, spreading out into a 
pretty lake in front of the mansion, then leap¬ 
ing by a little fall into the broad green meadows 
below, it steals off quietly into the thick-matted 
grass. 
The soil of this farm is fertile throughout, and 
well adapted to grazing, to which purpose it is 
at present more particularly devoted. Mr. T. 
inherited this property from his father, the 
estate having been first purchased by his 
great grandfather. It has been under his im¬ 
mediate supervision only a few years, however, 
during which time he has made great improve¬ 
ments. Of these we shall speak hereafter. 
The most attractive feature here, is the im¬ 
proved stock, which Mr. Thorne has imported 
from time to time from England, more particu¬ 
larly the past year, and at a cost hitherto un¬ 
paralleled in this country. Some have made 
rather invidious remarks upon this great out¬ 
lay ; but it strikes us they do not take that broad 
and comprehensive view of the enterprise which 
it merits. Mr. T. is in the possession of ample 
means; he has great taste for fine stock; he 
wants something to interest and occupy him¬ 
self and sons in their retirement on the farm; 
why should he not, then, devote a part of his at¬ 
tention to breeding and rearing choice animals ? 
If he derives no immediate pecuniary profit 
from it himself, he will have the gratification of 
having done his country a great benefit by his 
outlays; and the farmers of the United States 
will reap a rich reward for his exertions, even if 
he does not. Recollect, then, what a stimulus the 
high prices he has paid has given both at home 
and abroad to improved stock breeding. This, 
alone, is a vast benefit to Great Britain and 
America—worth to either country a hundred 
times the amount Mr. Thorne has expended. The 
fame of these transactions has spread through¬ 
out the United States and over half Europe ; and 
we will venture to say,has done more to call atten¬ 
tion to improvements in domestic animals, than 
ny thing which has occurred in Great Britain 
NEW-YORK, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1851 
for a long time. Besides, to take a more narrow 
view of the question, how much better for society 
to spend money in this way than in sumptuous 
feasts and dresses, costly equipage and furniture, 
and a thousand other things in which the wealthy 
indulge without a thought of regret? Away, 
then, with the sordid idea that a gentleman of 
abundant means may not employ a small por¬ 
tion of them in the improvement of his land, 
and above all that of the domestic associates sur¬ 
rounding him—for associates his animals really 
are to every humane man. Many of the most 
refined and highly-educated gentleman of Europe 
devote their particular attention to the improve¬ 
ment of their estates and domestic animals, and 
are honored in so doing. Why should not this 
be the same in America, where the land¬ 
holders and those employed on it, and their fam¬ 
ilies, embrace perhaps three-fourths of the 
wealth and population of the country ? But 
enough on this subject. 
SnoRT horn Cattle. —Of these Mr. Thorne 
has a large herd. He began their importation 
several years since. The most renowned of 
these, however, were selected for him last sum¬ 
mer, by Mr. F. M. Rotch, of Otsego, who went 
out to England, with a son of Mr. T., for this 
express purpose. Mr. R. was well-prepared to 
execute the commission before starting, by a pre¬ 
vious careful study of animal anatomy and 
physiology, and considerable practical know¬ 
ledge at the same time, of breeding. 
Of the animals selected by Mr. Rotch, Grand 
Duke (10,284,) stands at the head of the list. 
His color is a deep, rich red, interspersed with a 
few small spots of white in the lower part of 
his body. He was calved February, 1848, and 
bred by the late Mr. Thomas Bates, of York¬ 
shire, England. He is by 2d Cleveland Lad 
(3,408,) dam Duchess 55th, by 4th Duke of 
Northumberland (3,649.) With the exception 
of Duke of Northumberland (1,940,) whom we 
saw in Mr. Bate’s yard in 1841, he strikes us as 
being the best Short-horn bull within our re¬ 
collection ; and we do not know but taking him 
all in all, he is fully his equal. It is impossible 
for us to say at this distance of time, and with¬ 
out being able to compare the two together. 
His head, and the set of it, eyes, horns, neck, 
shoulders and arms, are particularly fine; the 
fore-ribs and crop as well rounded and full as 
the best of Devons; he is level on the back, 
has good width of loin, long quarters, deep, full 
twist, small tail, fine legs, soft furry hair, rich 
cream-colored skin, and mellow handling. He 
is of large size, imposing presence, and majestic 
carriage. What more one can desire in a bull, 
we are at a loss to imagine, and shall not ex¬ 
haust a dictionary of adjectives—American 
fashion—in undertaking to define. 
[NEW SERIES.—NO. 50 
The price paid for Grand Duke in England 
was 1000 guineas—$5,000. To this, add the 
risk and expense of getting him to the United 
States, and then every ounce of his blood will 
have cost a round sum. 
Of the females, Lallah Rookh in her present 
form is, upon the whole, perhaps the most per¬ 
fect in Mr. Thorne’s herd; although she does 
not quite equal Duchess 64th in the width of 
her brisket and manner of standing on her 
fore legs, nor is she hardly so full in her quar¬ 
ter; but then we must recollect she is not so 
old as the Duchess, and may yet equal her in 
these points. The reader, however, must not 
misunderstand such criticisms; for it is like 
trying to point out a flaw in the statues of a 
Power, or a Crawford. Lallah Rookh is as near 
perfection as an animal probably ever attained. 
VVe need not particularize her fine head, eyes, 
horns, &c. 
She was calved December, 1851, Her color 
is aiich red. Bred by Mr. Towneley, of Towne- 
ley Park, and is by the Squire (12,217,) dam 
Lavinia by Prince Ernest (4,818.) She cost 400 
guineas—$2,000. 
Frederika wa3 calved January, 1851. She is 
the same color, and nearly as perfect as Lallah 
Rookh. She was also bred by Mr. Towneley; and 
is by Upstart (9,760,) dam Feathers, by the Duke 
of Cornwall (5,947.) She cost 300 guineas— 
$1,500. 
These two heifers were the best animals of 
their age in Mr. Towneley’s herd. 
Duchess 64 th was bred by Mr. Bates. She 
is that deep rich red, so characteristic of this 
family, and which we so much admire. She was 
calved in August, 1849, and is by 2d Duke of 
Oxford (9,046,) dam Duchess 55th, by 4th Duke 
of Northumberland (3,649.) She has the clear 
waxy color of the horn at the base, which Mr. 
Bates so much liked, and which was a peculiar 
trait in the old Duchess tribe, as bred by Sir 
Hugh Smithson, afterwards Duke of Northum¬ 
berland, and subsequently by Mr. Charles Coll¬ 
ing, She is of medium size, and not quite so 
fine in the head as Lallah Rookh ; but on account 
of her breeding,—to say nothing of herself 
alone,—we would give more for her than any 
other cow Mr. Thorne has. She was purchased 
at the late Earl Ducie’s sale, who bought her at 
that of the executors of Mr. Bates. She cost 
600 guineas—$3,000. 
Duchess 59th, is a clear rich roan. She was 
also bred by Mr. Bates, and purchased of Earl 
Ducie. She was calved November, 1817, and is 
by 2d Duke of Oxford (9,046,) dam Duchess 
56th, by 2d Duke of Northumberland (3,646.) 
She is large size, stylish, and fine. She cost 
-350 guineas—$1,750. 
Darling is a deep red, and much like Duchess 
