124 
SUPERIORITY OF SHORTHORN CATTLE. 
the great object of the journey, was found at a | 
place called Logrosan, in the heart of Estrama- 
dura, but so far removed from the coast as to 
leave small hope of its being possible to export 
it profitably. However, the doctor was allowed 
to dig and carry away any quantity he liked. 
He obtained four mule loads, of 200 lbs. each, 
which he brought to England, and tried care¬ 
fully-conducted experiments with it in compari¬ 
son with several other kinds of manure (twelve 
kinds in all). The results of his experiment 
may be found in the London Agricultural Ga¬ 
zette, of April 4th, 1846, in which it will be | 
seen that a given quantity of the phosphorite 
grew nearly as large crops as the same amount 
of bone manure; and Dr. D. now says, as “ the 
Spanish phosphorite, which appears to act so ben¬ 
eficially, and is wholly destitute of organic mat¬ 
ter, it seems to follow that the more valuable 
portion, at least of what is applied to the land, 
when bones are scattered over it, is the phos¬ 
phate of lime, and not, as some have supposed, 
the oil, or gelatine.” 
Some three years ago, Professor Nesbit, of the 
Agricultural and Scientific School, Kennington, 
England, was visiting at the highly-cultivated 
and fertile farm of J. M. Paine, Esq., at Farn- 
ham. While rambling over the estate in com¬ 
pany with Mr. P., he had pointed out to him 
many varieties of soils and marls, with which 
that part of the country abounds. One in par¬ 
ticular, a “ green marl,” was mentioned by Mr. 
Paine, as being of a singular character. When¬ 
ever it came to the surface, the hops and wheat 
grew luxuriantly, almost without manure, and 
whenever the other lands were marked with it 
their fertility was remarkably increased. The 
professor took samples of it, and after submit¬ 
ting it to a series of most rigid and careful ex¬ 
periments in his laboratory, demonstrated the ex¬ 
istence of phosphoric acid equivalent to from 
4 to 5 per cent, of bone earth; and says the 
professor, “ an extraordinary amount, and I be¬ 
lieve almost unparalleled in the natural or che¬ 
mical history of soils” And he adds that 
“ bones contain about 50 per cent, of bone earth; 
so that 10 tons of the dried marl would, in its 
fertilising effect which is due to the phosphates, 
be equal to one ton of bones.” 
I shall experiment with the New-Jersey min¬ 
eral the coming season, on different soils and 
crops, and perhaps, if you wish, may favor you 
with the results. [Favor us with them by all 
means—we can never be too well supplied 
with facts.— Eds.] Levi Bartlett. 
Warner, N. H-, Feb., 1851. 
SUPERIORITY OF SHORTHORN CATTLE. 
It is well known to most of our readers, that 
an annual show of fat stock, of all kinds, is 
held in the month of December, at the Smith- 
field Market, London, England, which is by far 
the largest and best of anything of the kind in 
Europe. That for last December was superior, 
probably, to any one preceding it. To exhibit 
in class 8th, the following requisites were nec¬ 
essary :— 
“ Fattened cows of five years old, and up¬ 
wards, without restriction as to feeding; yet, 
the kind, or kinds of food must be certified. 
Freemartins and spayed heifers are not quali¬ 
fied. 1st prize of £20, (about $100,) and silver 
medal to the breeder, and gold medal, as the 
best cow or heifer in the 7th, 8th, and 9th 
classes,” 
The above prize and medals were won by 
Mr. Gooch, of Norfolk, on a shorthorn cow five 
years and three months old. She was fed on 
linseed cake, (oil cake,) linseed and barley meal, 
mangold wurtzel, turnips, and hay. This is a 
kind of feed which does not equal our Indian 
meal; but as corn is not raised in England, it 
is too high priced to be fed to cattle, at a profit. 
Mr. Moreton, one of the best practical farmers 
and most able writers on agriculture, in Eng¬ 
land, and now editor of the Agricultural Gazette, 
thus speaks of the above cow, in his remarks 
in his paper, on the stock at the Smithfield 
show; and let it be observed, that he has been 
an attendant on these shows, and a critical ob¬ 
server for 20 years. 
“ In class 8th, the prize silver and gold medal 
for cows went to a shorthorn animal, which 
eclipses, in our opinion, every beast of the kind 
in the show, and of any other show of our recol¬ 
lection. The color was, of all others, the most 
fashionable in a strawberry roan; the head, 
eyes, ears, and horns, faultless beyond compar¬ 
ison, and the carcass level, compact, and cylin¬ 
drical, without any approach to equality in any 
animal of the exhibition. No specimen of a 
cow ever struck us so forcibly as a prominent 
type of the necessary character. The touch 
was soft but not silky, and fleshy without being 
! placed in lumps. Our pleasure is truly sincere 
1 in giving this opinion of the animal. The sec¬ 
ond prize went to a shorthorn cow, of very good 
■ points, but completely shaded by the fore-men¬ 
tioned animal.” 
1 When will the farmers of the United States 
1 awake to the superiority of this unequalled 
1 breed of cattle, and more generally rear them, 
or the beautiful Devons, instead of the misera¬ 
ble animals that now pervade the country 1 If 
