184 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
not have looked as well. I consider this bull an extra¬ 
ordinary hardy and thrifty animal. It is not the way, 
however, that Durhams ought to be kept, nor do I think 
many would bear it; but knowing how good the pro¬ 
genitors of Leonidas were, and as it was never intend¬ 
ed to sell him, and size and show, therefore, were not 
particularly cared for in him, the experiment of thus 
wintering was begun and watched as it continued, to 
see that he did not suffer, for the purpose of satisfying 
ourselves that short horns may be bred hardily. This 
past winter, when he had attained five years age, we 
were engaged in drawing out very heavy white oak tim¬ 
ber for ship plank, and had twelve of the most power¬ 
ful yoke of cattle that we could find for this business. 
Leonidas was put into the team, his step was as quick 
as the freest, and some of the oxen girthed over seven 
feet, not one was a match for him at a pull. His girth 
is about 6j> feet. He is of moderate height and very 
compact, and when turned out at his ease taking on 
flesh like a China pig. I will add, that he did the same 
duty and on the same fare as the other cattle, and came 
out in the best condition. 
“ Mr. Rotch, of Otsego county, where the thermome¬ 
ter not unfrequently falls to 30 deg. below zero, tells me 
that his short horns will bear any intensity of frost .— 
As the winter season approaches, a short thick under 
coat of hair resembling fur comes out on them, which 
is shed as warm weather sets in; he thinks, however, 
that his stock does not stand the heat quite as well as 
the native breeds. Still there is no doubt in my mind 
that these same animals taken to Kentucky would do 
well, with the advantage of shade trees to shelter them 
from, the rays of the sun during the hottest part of the 
summer clays. It is well known that animals will ac¬ 
commodate themselves to climate. I have a short hair¬ 
ed New-Foundland dog, and as active an animal in sum 
mer as any I know, he sheds and grows his under coat 
of hairy fur as the seasons warm and cool. 
“The editorial remarks on the feed and treatment of 
Durham cattle that appeared in No. 39, vol. 2, p. 309, 
of the Franklin Farmer, as a general rule are admira¬ 
bly just, so far as my experience goes. Does any one 
suppose for a minute, that a superb short horn can at¬ 
tain its present size and condition, turned out to the 
blasts of a rude Canadian winter, with a half a ton of 
hay and what browse it can pick up for its only suste¬ 
nance during seven months, or that they can support 
themselves on arid lands that would starve an ass, or 
among rocks so thick that a peaked nose sheep can hard¬ 
ly get his teeth to the grass ? What the breeders of im¬ 
ported animals contend for is, not that they will sup¬ 
port life and keep fat on a less amount of food than ano¬ 
ther, (China hogs excepted,) but that they will give a 
greater combination of meat and milk, and these of a 
better quality, and arrive sooner at maturity. It is thus 
for the interest of the breeder to feed generously, and if 
he is not prepared with rich pastures and cool groves in 
summer, and comfortable stables in winter, with plenty 
of good hay and some meal or ror.ts, he had better let 
Durhams alone, or nideed any large improved animals. 
For one, I have no idea of blinking the stock question, 
and to conclude, I will say, dont pamper and stuff, but 
feed well and regularly, and make your animals com¬ 
fortable in all weathers, as you would like to be your¬ 
self, or high prices, with the expectation to grow and 
sell high again, will have been paid in vain. 
“ Your remarks have unexpectedly led me into so many 
observations upon stock, that I shall now await some 
abler pen before touching paper again on this subject, 
for I fear I may already have exhausted the patience of 
your readers. Be so good as to make our compliments 
to western importers, and say that we should he greatly 
obliged when subsequent herds are brought this way, 
that they would send the names and pedigrees of the 
animals with them. From the first importation of the 
Ohio Company, to this last by your neighbors that pass¬ 
ed here a week ago, we have scarce got a name or pedi¬ 
gree with this stock. This would have been a great 
satisfaction to many here, for then, in hearing of their 
sales, produce and doings hereafter, we should know 
what it was. We presume that no one engaged in these 
importations thought of this, or we should have been 
obligingly favored by a full sight of all these matters. 
If the young bull of this lot has net size enough to suit 
Kentucky, I shall pray for the resurrection of a Masto¬ 
don from the Big Bone Lick in shape of a Short Horn 
for you._ A. B. A LLEN. 
Notices of Improved Farm Stock —No. 2. 
Before leaving Otsego, I beg to be indulged in a few 
remarks that may be applicable to the southern tier of 
counties of Western New-York. Although the winters 
of this region may be considered long and somewhat 
severe; still I think it a country admirably adapted to 
the growing ofmiddle sized stock. The pastures through¬ 
out the sum mer are sweet, nutritious, and enduring, and 
springs and rivulets abound in every field. These with the 
fresh, grateful air among the hills, even during the hot¬ 
test part of the season, makes it peculiarly favorable 
for stock ; and all animals during the pleasant weather, 
thrive well. I saw here several very promising fields of 
ruta baga, .and was told by the cultivators, that they 
considered it a very certain and great crop with them. 
When clay does not too much abound in the soil, I 
should think this must be so; the stone keeping the 
ground moist and cold, which, with a proper friability, 
renders it just the land for turnips. Here, then, is am¬ 
ple nutriment for the winter to keep stock up to the 
work, placing the higher altitudes nearly on a par with 
the lower and more ameniable regions. I could not learn 
that the sugar beet was cultivated at all on my route. 1 
presume, howevei-, some must have tried it, and I should 
be pleased to know how they have succeeded. Those 
with whom I conversed, seemed to think it would not 
do at all; hut why, I am yet to learn. I have cultiva¬ 
ted it with great success on a hard clay soil, and in a 
climate little inferior in rigor, to that of the hill coun¬ 
try, and I must say, I think it the most valuable 
root crop that can possibly be raised, and am of opinion 
that it wilt yet be the great crop of the Northern 
states. To say nothing of the prospect of its value for 
sugar, I think it, upon the whole, the very best root we 
have for general stock. My pigs would last winter leave 
warm cooked swill, and run to raw beets thrown to them 
on the frozen ground. I shall however, speak of this 
root and its comparative value, more fully after har¬ 
vesting my present crop, and in the meanwhile, hope 
that with the introduction of good animals, will come 
that of well tilled fields of roots for their sustenance; 
hay alone, being hardly sufficient to keep them up to 
that full condition so agreable to behold. 
But to proceed. The sun had but little the advan¬ 
tage of us, in climbing up the high hills from Cherry 
Valley, so that we had a pretty fair meeting upon their 
burnished tops, and such a glorious view of the wide 
valley of the Mohawk, seen spread out before us, as 
would amply remunerate a sluggard for a whole year of 
early rising. The waters were shrouded in a misty 
wreath as far as the eye could reach; beyond, rose hill 
upon hill, and between on either side, waved such fields 
of golden wheat, tall corn and green meadows, as would 
gladden the heart of any one to behold. It is an ex¬ 
ceedingly rich valley, the Mohawk, possessing great ca¬ 
pabilities, and well may it challenge the admiration of 
the traveller, not only for its fertility of soil, but ever 
varied roll of hill and dale, and gentle flowing streams. 
We found some very good Leicester sheep, at Mr. 
John Wilkinson’s of Esperance, and the prices he men¬ 
tioned for them, I thought low—they seemed to be bred 
with care, and the manner in which they were handled 
in pasture, by a well trained shepherd dog of the Scotch 
breed, was quite gratifying. At the farm of Mr. Dunn, 
at Dunnsville, we saw Liecesters also, of the largest 
size. One buck among them, the farmer assured me, 
weighed 334 lbs. To the amateurs of large animals, 
and to every one desirous of increasing their sizes, I 
recommend these sheep, but will frankly add, that they 
are not to my fancy at all, and I would much sooner 
choose a breed of half their size, even if I were desirous 
of raising the greatest given quantity of mutton from 
the same number of acres, and same amount of food. 
These large animals are no workers in pasture, and 
must stand up to their knees in grass and clover during 
summer, and be highly fed on roots in the winter, or it 
is quite impossible to keep them up to the work—so 
says every intelligent breeder that I have conversed 
with upon the subject. Mr. Dunn, residing in Albany, 
I had not the pleasure of seeing, to learn his opinion, 
which, for ought I know, may be the antipodes to the 
above. He also has a superb herd of dairy cows of Mr. 
Bullock’s breed of Short Horns. They are deep and 
rich milkers, and on good pastures, I should consider 
them very valuable and productive animals. 
Leaving the turnpike about two miles this side of 
Albany, we moved round a beautiful park composed 
mostly of evergreens, at the gate of the Three Hills 
farm, belonging to Mr. C. N. Bement. This place is 
greatly improved since coming into his possession ; a 
charming house with a nicely arranged and well stock¬ 
ed garden in front, neat fences, and young trees planted 
out and flourishing in rows, where before it was all bar¬ 
ren and desolate, and other rural embellishments are in 
progress, that will soon make his home, as indeed it is 
now, a very agreeable one to occupy. 
The crops here, were better than I expected to find 
them on so light a soil, the oats, if any thing were too 
rank in growth, the rye good and the mangel wurtzel the 
best I have seen this year. The ruta baga also, was 
very promising, though m common with other crops, 
where I had visited, the cold heavy rains had some¬ 
what put them back. I much liked his yard, barn, 
and stable arrangements, and in building for myself 
should copy the piggery, merely doubling the width, and 
making two rows of pens with accompanying yards on 
each side of the gangway. I found here a very cheap 
and simple apparatus for raising water, in successful 
operation. A smail stream runs through the farm, 
across which a dam is thrown that gives a fall of 3 k feet. 
An overshot wheel of 2 feet 8 inches in diameter, is 
here placed with a pump 14 inches bore, and 10 inches 
long, forces up from 12 to 1400 gallons per day to the 
height of 55 feet, and 42 rods distance to the mansion 
house, from whence it is carried, in lead pipes down to 
the stock yards, piggery and barns. The water works 
are protected by cheap covering, from the frosts of 
winter, and the supply during the most intense frosts, is 
always kept up, making a comfort and convenience in 
obtaining this necessary fluid, that highly commends it¬ 
self to the attention of all who are desirous of bringing 
water to their houses and stock-yards. 
Mr. B.’s Durhams, like every other breeder I have 
called upon, have become pretty well thinned in point 
of numbers ; he has however, a few still for sale. Among 
these I would particularly notice his yearling bull Asto 
ria. as being of good size, and of very perfect symmetry 
of form. I also took quite a fancy to a large three 
year old heifer, the name of which I do not recollect. 
But Durhams as I have before hinted, I do not think 
the proper stock on light soils, either at the North or 
South. There are exceptions, but as a grand rule, they 
must have a luxuriant pasture that produces a good 
thick bite in summer, with generous feed throughout 
the winter, or it is idle to think that they can be kept 
up to good flesh and great size. I believe Mr. B. for 
one, is becoming convinced of this, and has accordingly 
procured some Devons, an Ayreshire heifer, with more 
expected soon to arrive from abroad, and also a few good 
native cows. One of these last of handsome colour, 
limb and shape, unites extraordinary milking qualities. 
From the 19th of December to the 18th of January, she 
made 56 lbs. of well worked butter, which is nearly 2 
lbs. per day, a great yield for the dead of winter. She 
is what I think Col. Jaques would class among his ce¬ 
lebrated “ cream pot” breed, without hesitation. I have 
ever been a great advocate for the improvement of our 
native breeds of all description of stock, and I am glad 
to see Mr. B. enter upon the subject so spiritedly. Mas¬ 
sachusetts’ able Agricultural Commissioner, Mr. Col- 
man, has shown by his reports, that we are not defi¬ 
cient in first rate dairy cows. These have only to be 
carefully selected and crossed with Durham bulls of fine 
points, middling size, and of deep milking families, to 
soon ensure as valuable a breed of dairy cows, as could 
be imported at ten times their expense from abroad. In 
this way, the Ayresliires have been made, that have be¬ 
come second, now only to the Durhams. Could the at¬ 
tention of stock breeders be better employed than turn¬ 
ing to this subject ? It really seems to me the only way 
that our country can ever be filled up with good milk¬ 
ing and fattening animals. A few years of such breed¬ 
ing, would assuredly do more for us than a century of 
importations. 
I here saw a pair of young Herefords, imported in 
May—I am not much conversant with this breed, but if 
these be fair specimens, as I am assured they are, when 
full grown, they must be very large and noble animals. 
They have not the fineness of head or great angle from 
the hip bone back, and thickness of loin of the Short 
Horn; they have latterly however, generally beat them 
in weight, at 4 years old and above; and at the Smith- 
field cattle show last year, I am informed, took five out 
of the seven prizes. Under 4 years the Short Horns at¬ 
tain greater size and better flesh, maturing soonest, and 
are far before them as milkers. The Herefords are a 
dark red with a white or brockled face, white breast 
and .bellies, and occasionally line backed. They are long 
bodied, straight limbed, and heavy in the most valuable 
points, thrifty, and of good constitutions. For power in 
the yoke, they probably excel all other breeds, and for 
fine and at the same time, heavy beef, I should think 
they would obtain great favor with the western grazier. 
Mr. B. is making several experiments of crossing with 
all these breeds, not only on the native stock, but some¬ 
what with each other, and will doubtless take pleasure 
in giving the public full particulars of the result. 
The stock of sheep is highly bred, and is of sufficient 
variety—Merino, South Down and Leicester. Of the 
pigs, I need say but little, inasmuch as they have a very 
numerous representation abroad, that are able to speak 
pretty well for themselves. A new boar, from Col. 
Williams’ late importation, has been added within a 
short time to the piggery. He has good points, and 
promises when full grown, to be of great size. His co¬ 
lor, however, and some other characteristics are diffe¬ 
rent from the old stock. It was merely accidental Mr. 
Hawes bringing over animals with so much black in 
them, as those who have long resided in Berkshire Co. 
England, tell me that the original color of this race 
abounded quite as much in white as black spots. There 
are other points besides color, to distinguish this superb 
breed of hogs, for instance, their great thickness of 
ham and shoulder; long straight round barrel, their hair 
and pointed ears, these make them recognized at once 
to those who are at all conversable with Berkshire blood. 
A. B. ALLEN. 
China Tree Corn. 
Albany, Oct. 31, 1839. 
Mr. J. Buel —Dear Sir—You will confer a particular 
favor by inserting the enclosed communication of Mr. 
Roberts, in the next number of the Cultivator. If ever 
in my power, I will be happy to reciprocate the favor. 
Yours very respectfully, 
W. THORBURN. 
[From the Baltimore American Farmer of October 9.] 
China Tree Corn. —There are few subjects on which 
such opposite opinions have been formedand expressed, 
as there have been in regard to this corn. Whilst in 
some places it is denounced as a humbug and a cheat, in 
others it is declared to be a valuable and prolific varie¬ 
ty, and is considered worthy the attention of the farmer. 
We have heretofore published communications highly 
favorable to it from Mr. Sangston and Dr. Muse, and we 
present a second one this week from the pen of Ed. P. 
Roberts, Esq. who has felt it due to Mr. Thorburn to 
give this second testimony in his favor. We frequently 
hear of disappointments in the result of planting seeds, 
which in many cases are produced no doubt from unsui¬ 
table location, or other similar circumstances, but there 
is as little doubt, are as often from the want of genuine¬ 
ness in the seed. As we are anxious to do justice to 
every one, we most cheerfully give place to the commu¬ 
nication of Mr. R. 
THE CHINESE TREE CORN. 
J. S. Skinner, Esq .—Dear Sir—In publishing my note 
on the subject of the Chinese Tree Corn, of the 31st of 
July last, you appended a note from a correspondent of 
Fairfax county Virginia, who remarks, that he had 
“planted two ears of the Chinese Tree Corn upon land 
