1884. J 
AMEEIOA^J AGEIOXJLTUEIST, 
101 
British Shorthorns. 
“Lady Pamela,” the grand heifer whose portrait 
we give herewith, is one of a family which has 
been winning for Mr. T. H. Hutchinson a number 
of the most coveted prizes. She is roan and white, 
by the Booth bull, British Knight ( 33 , 230 ,} from 
Lady Pateley, a cow tracing to the same stock 
from which others of Mr. Hutchinson’s prize win¬ 
ners have sprung. This, it seems, is the “com¬ 
mon” unrecorded stock of the 0000117, no doubt 
admirably selected and really well-bred Short¬ 
horns, though until recently without pedigrees 
which could be recorded in the Herd-book. Booth 
bulls have been used to bring up this “Hutchin¬ 
son family” to its present high standard of excel¬ 
lence, and though their pedigrees are very short 
they are exceedingly choice. This heifer won first 
as a yearling at the “ Royal ” show at Reading in 
1881 , and last year was awarded the proud distinc¬ 
tion of “champion” of all Shorthorn females. 
We are fond of long pedigrees in this country, 
and if the breeding has been long continued in 
America, we are 
critical even to over 
niceness, and much 
of the talk about 
“seventeens” and 
“American Woods” 
condemns some 
stock which is prob¬ 
ably just as good 
and much better 
bred than that from 
which these now 
famous “ Hutchin- 
sons” sprung. The 
use we have for 
Shorthorns in this 
country is primarily, 
as beef producers. 
While their milking 
qualities are of small 
account compared 
with other breeds, 
these may be cul¬ 
tivated, hence we 
often find some very 
respectable milkers 
among Shorthorns. 
So it would seem 
to be the policy of 
American breeders to select their crosses, as Mr. 
Hutchinson has done so successfuUy, from the 
highest type of beef families — like the Booths. 
We have some grand representatives of this 
blood in this country, and they are making 
their mark in a very favorable way among a 
number of prominent Western Shorthorn herds, i 
Lady Pamela is described as withouc any air of | 
high breeding or special beauty, but as possessed 
of extraordinary good beef points, grand constitu¬ 
tion and great depth of flesh. This is exactly 
what we want. It is what Shorthorns are bred 
for, and is really the chief use the country has 
for them. This loads our railway trains and freight 
steamers with first-class bullocks ; it gives us our 
finest market beef ; it makes reputation abroad for 
our “ prime family mess,” and enables us to ship 
buttocks or “ beef hams” going only three or four 
instead of six or seven pieces to the tierce. 
Try the Savoy Cabbage. 
The cauliflower, the most delicious of all varie¬ 
ties of the cabbage, is of too much uncertainty to 
be recommended for the farm garden. The Savoy 
cabbages are almost as tender as the cauliflower, 
have a distinct flavor, and a marrowy consistence 
of their own, which some prefer to cauliflower. 
These being as easily raised as the common cab¬ 
bage, are within the reach of all. Those who have 
cultivated Savoy cabbages need no advice ; to those 
who have not, we say, by all means try the Savoys. 
The English authors of works on gardening re¬ 
gard them as so different that they class them by 
themselves, under Savoys, and not among the cab¬ 
bages. When we first knew them there was but one 
kind, “ the Savoy,” now there are a dozen or more 
Savoys, including early and late kinds. Perhaps 
the “Improved American Savoy ” will be best for 
those who try Savoys for the first time. After¬ 
wards they will be glad to test the early and late 
kinds. The seeds are to be sown and the plants 
treated exactly as those of the ordinary cabbages. 
Planting Out Cuttings. 
Those who already have grape vines, currant 
and gooseberry bushes, or quince trees, may read¬ 
ily increase them from cuttings, and the same may 
be done with many ornamental shrubs. If the 
grapevines, currants, etc., were not pruned last 
fall and cuttings saved, do it at once, before 
growth starts. These prunings, removed for the 
good of the plant, and its future fruitfulness, af¬ 
ford the means of greatly increasing the stock. 
The cuttings of some grapes, like the Delaware, 
and other hard-wooded varieties, do not readily 
form roots and grow in the open ground, but the 
Concord and many others take root very readily. 
Make cuttings of the grape wood two or three 
buds in length, cutting just below the lower bud, 
and half an inch or so above the upper bud. Cut¬ 
tings of currant and gooseberry may be about six 
inches long, of the growth of the previous year. 
Quince cuttings may be made of last years’ growth, 
or of older wood, a foot long. If the pinning has 
been delayed until this spring it should be done as 
soon as possible after severe weather is over, and 
the cuttings made from the prunings. As the soil 
will not be ready for setting them out for some 
weeks, they should be kept in a cool place and pre¬ 
vented from drying by covering them with earth, 
sand, sawdust or moss. When the soil is dry and 
in working condition, the cuttings may be set out. 
Stretch a line, and with the spade form a trench 
with one slightly sloping but nearly perpendicular, 
and of a depth proportioned to the length of the 
cuttings. These should have the upper bud just 
at the surface of the soil. Having prepared the 
trench, lay the cuttings against the straight side of 
it, three or four inches apart, using a little earth, 
if need be, to hold them in place, and taking care 
to have the upper bud just above the surface. 
Then draw in more soil, to well cover the ends of 
the cuttings, and, using the end of a piece of board, 
press or pound the soil firmly against the base of 
the cuttings; finally fill the trench with soil and 
press it down firmly with the foot. Recollect that 
success in growing these plants from cuttings 
largely depends upon having the soil in close con¬ 
tact with the lower end of the cuttings. Mulching 
the surface of the cutting bed with leaves, straw, 
or marsh hay, will be useful in dry weather. 
Buy a Grape Vine. 
If there is one thing that we have these many 
years endeavored to secure, it is that the family of 
every farmer shall have an abundance of fruit. 
Not fruit now and then, as a luxury, but fruit as a 
matter of course. Enough for old and young, as 
much as the children wish at each of the three 
meals, and a plenty between meals, with some to 
give to the less provident neighbors. There is 
nothing in this endeavor that may riot be accom¬ 
plished if we can have the help of those most in¬ 
terested, the farmers themselves. The land can be 
spared—indeed, it can be devoted to no better use ; 
the labor, after the first planting, can be easily 
done by the boys, and the girls also may well take 
a share of it; it only remains to make a begin¬ 
ning. There are few prosperous farmers who can 
not afford to send an order to a nursery for plants, 
to start an ample fruit garden at once, but we are 
well aware that few will do so, as they have had 
little or no experience in fruit culture and are not 
convinced of its utility or the ease with which re¬ 
sults may be se¬ 
cured. Those who- 
hesitate to make a 
considerable outlay, 
should begin in a 
small way. It is 
very easy to have 
an abundance of 
grapes, and they 
could be had by 
bushels in three 
years if a hundred 
vines were planted, 
this spring. As few 
have sufficient faith 
to start with a hun¬ 
dred vines, we saj 
“ buy a single grape¬ 
vine.” This will be 
a beginning, and in 
time will grow into- 
many vines. We are 
sure that seeing the 
success with this, 
one, the fruit that, 
just one vine will 
produce, its owner 
wiU not wait until he 
can make many vines 
from this one,but will need no persuasion to procure 
more vines and of different kinds. If a grape vine 
is once planted we are sure that it will prove an 
entering wedge, and open the way to many vines. 
To begin with, send to a nursery for a Concord 
vine. Twenty-five cents should insure a good vine,, 
well packed and post-paid by mail. Our plan does 
not preclude more than one, but we wish to make 
sure of one. Of course many grape fanciers will 
ridicule our choice of the Concord. We want 
grapes, and plenty of them, and whoever has a. 
Concord vine will be quite sure of these. Concord 
grapes are vastly better than no grapes. While we 
cultivate fifty or more better kinds we still believe 
that the Concord is the best grape for the begin¬ 
ner. When the vine comes to hand it is to be^ 
planted. It is well to have it near the house, and 
if there is a suitable place for it by the veranda or 
“ stoop,” set it there. Good, fair, garden soil will 
answer, and no manure is to be used in planting. 
The vine will, of course, have a stem and roots. 
H the stem has more than three buds cut it awaj 
at about an inch from the third bud, counting from, 
the lower one. If the roots are over two feetlong, 
cut them back to that length ; if less than two feet, 
cut off two or three inches of the end, at any rate. 
To plant the vine make a circular hole, of sufficient, 
diameter to contain the roots when extended with 
the vine in the center. The bottom of the hole- 
should be convex, or rounding, say five or six 
inches below the surface at the center, and eight or 
ten at the edges. Set a stake in the center of the- 
hole, place the stem of the vine against it, and 
spread out the roots in all directions towards the 
outer edge. If the roots are matted and tangled, 
carefully separate them ; when the roots are prop- 
