1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
829 
THE LIVE STOCK SHOW. 
A DISCUSSION OF THE DIFFERENT BREEDS. 
The General-Purpose Cow Missing. 
It is doubtful whether such a large number of high 
quality animals of the leading breeds, were ever be¬ 
fore brought together in this cohntry, as at the Live 
Stock Show. The dairy and beef breeds of cattle 
were represented by selections from some of the most 
noted herds. The sheep exhibited were the more 
distinctively mutton breeds, the line wool Merinos 
being lacking. The swine were confined mostly to 
the Berkshires, black, Yorkshires, white, and Duroc- 
Jerseys, red, with a few Cheshires and Essex. The 
poultry comprised the ordinary business breeds, a few 
of the ornamental varieties, waterfowl and Bantams. 
It was not a horse show; the only ones shown were 
ponies, and some hunters and jumpers. The animals 
were all choice specimens. The work of the judges 
required an expert knowledge and keen judgment. 
Competition was sharp and keen, and prizes won here 
were considered of value. One exhibitor remarked 
that a fourth prize here was a greater honor than first 
in many shows. 
In cattle, it was difficult to say whether most in¬ 
terest centered in the dairy or in the beef breeds. 
The latter came mostly from the West—the former 
from the East. The beef business certainly is not 
killed, at least in the West, and from the appearance 
of the massive, blocky animals from the great corn 
States, is not even in a state of decline. Pitted against 
each other, were the sleek-haired, noble Short-horns, 
the curly-coated, white-footed, white-faced Ilere- 
fords, and the coal-black, smooth-headed Aberdeen- 
Angus. These were all shown singly and in herds, 
and there were some half breeds that seemed scarcely 
behind the purebred animals. It would puzzle an 
ordinary observer to say which of these breeds is best. 
Any of them would be a grand investment for the 
man who is trying to make money breeding scrub 
stock. The Herefords and the Short-horns are both 
English breeds, the latter apparently the more finely 
bred, and with shorter horns. The Herefords are 
rougher coated, and would appear to be hardier. 
They are said to be excellent working cattle. The 
Angus ought to suit those who like hornless cattle. 
They are a Scotch breed, and their meat is said to be 
the most finely marbled of any that goes to the Lon¬ 
don market. It is also claimed for them that they 
are superior milkers for a beef breed. Then all these 
good qualities are wrapped up in a tough hide covered 
with a heavy coat of hair that enables them to with¬ 
stand cold and exposure, and which makes the best of 
coats and robes when properly tanned. 
In the distinctively dairy breeds, the Guernseys 
were a long ways in the lead. There was the sharp¬ 
est competition in these that ever occurred in the 
show ring, the representatives of three of the most 
noted herds in the country sending their choicest 
animals. The claims of this breed have been well 
presented in the columns of The R. N.-Y. by their 
champions. The Jerseys came next in numbers, and 
were represented by animals of some of the best 
strains in the country. The larger part of the exhib¬ 
its were from the herds of two breeders. Another 
noted Scotch breed is the Ayrshire. They are good 
milkers, and have been called by some the milkman’s 
cow. While giving a good flow of milk of good qua¬ 
lity, the milk is said to carry better than that of the 
other breeds. They are larger and heavier than the 
Guernseys and Jerseys, and are considered hardier, 
and not so liable to disease. The Holstein-Friesians 
are also a healthy, hardy, strong breed, heavier than 
any of the dairy breeds, giving a large flow of milk 
not quite so high in butter fats as that of the Guern¬ 
seys and Jerseys. The animals of this breed shown, 
were from the herds of some of the best breeders in 
the country, among them several bred by the ex¬ 
hibitor of the prize herd at the Columbian Exposi¬ 
tion. The other breeds were the Normandys (or 
Norman) and the Dutch Belted. The former were 
described and illustrated in The R. N.-Y. of April 6. 
They are a French breed, strong, heavy animals, 
weighing 1,500 to 1,800 pounds, heavy milkers, and 
apparently well suited to fill the role of general-pur¬ 
pose cattle, if such are needed. There was but one 
exhibitor of Dutch Belted cattle. These are jet 
black, with a broad band of pure white about the 
center of the body, like a girdle, and present a very 
striking and attractive appearance. They are also 
considered very good dairy and beef animals. 
One objection to nearly all the animals exhibited 
was that they were too fat, judged from the stand¬ 
point of their usefulness as breeders. Many of these 
cattle, especially those of the beef breeds, were so 
fat that they appeared almost to be crippled when 
being led around the ring. The same was true of 
hogs and, to a less degree, of sheep. This is also true 
of all these show animals that are fitted up for exhi¬ 
bition purposes. In talking with one breeder and 
exhibitor about it, he acknowledged that it was a bad 
thing for breeding animals, but said that judges 
required animals so fitted, and that exhibitors were 
forced to comply with these requirements if they 
expected to win any prizes. Continued breeding from 
such fat animals can but result in deterioration. No 
entrance fee was required under the class “Fat 
Cattle ” and a large number of animals were entered 
here which were sold to slaughterers and clubs here, 
to be served up to special customers. The breeds of 
cattle entered under this head were the Short-horns, 
Herefords and Angus, with some crosses. 
In the grand sweepstakes for best animal in the 
show, the prize was taken by a Short-horn heifer, 
not yet three years old. The Short-horn herd also 
took first, Hereford second, and Angus third and 
fourth. 
In sheep, the breeds shown comprised the South 
Downs, Oxford Downs, Hampshire Downs, Shrop- 
shires, Cotswolds and Dorsets—all distinctively mut¬ 
ton breeds. A large number of these different breeds 
were represented under the class for fat sheep. The 
numbers were pretty evenly distributed among the 
different breeds, the Dorsets, perhaps, having a 
smaller number of entries. Some of the Lonk sheep 
were shown ; these are a new importation from Eng¬ 
land, having very heavy carcasses, and long, heavy, 
coarse wool. They have black faces. Sheep-shearing 
contests added to the interest in this department. 
Exhibitions of sheep driving and penning by dogs 
were given, the palm being carried off by a little, 
black, old-fashioned sheep dog, an importation from 
Wales. Some sheep were colored with ochre, and at¬ 
tracted more attention than any of the rest, showing 
that oddity serves to draw attention. 
The entries of swine were confined to very few 
breeds, and these from a few breeders. But fine ani¬ 
mals, in the pink of perfection, were shown. Small 
Yorkshires comprised the largest number of entries, 
but general interest seemed to be attracted more 
largely to the black Berkshires. In these, the herd 
taking a large number of prizes, consisted almost en¬ 
tirely of homebred animals, although the chief com¬ 
petitor exhibited mostly imported stock. 
Poultry was handicapped by the entrance fee, which 
was as high as for cattle, and twice as high as for 
swine or sheep, while the premiums were not so high 
on the average. They were shown in breeding pens, 
only, and among the different breeds was no distinc¬ 
tion of color—all being classed and judged together. 
The business hen, the Leghorn—in five colors and 
styles—took the lead. Following these, were Plymouth 
Rocks, Wyandottes, Langshans, Brahmas, Cochins and 
Hamburgs. Pekin ducks took the lead. White 
turkeys outnumbered the Bronze. Ornamental fowls— 
pheasants, pigeons, waterfowl, etc., showed the ten¬ 
dency of those who are breeding to catch the trade of 
the wealthy class. The dressed poultry exhibited was 
Kept in cold storage. 
To add variety, a horseless carriage was exhibited 
daily. A pair of elk—male and female—were driven 
to a carriage, and were well broken. A pair of white 
mules—something seldom seen—were also in the ring. 
The miniature Shetland ponies pleased, not only the 
children, but their parents. A considerable business 
is done in breeding these. The attendance was not 
large. The admission fee was too high. The second 
annual show will be held during Thanksgiving week 
next year. Exhibitors made many sales at good 
prices, so are pretty sure to come again. In no other 
place can they so well bring the attention of the 
wealthy class who breed stock as a fad, to their stock, 
as here. 
ANOTHER STATEMENT OF POTATO GROWING. 
As to the cost of growing potatoes, here is what it 
costs me : My five acres received 15 loads per acre 
of good stable manure, applied broadcast during win¬ 
ter and early spring. The ground was not plowed 
until planting time ; in fact, as soon as one land was 
plowed we began planting : 
COST OF GROWING FIVE ACRES OF POTATOES. 
Plowing, five (lays at $3. $15.00 
Harrowing, one day. 3.GO 
45 bushels of seed at 50 cents. 22.50 
Cutting seed. 4.00 
Furrowing and covering. 8.00 
Dropping seed and fertilizer. 10.(X) 
Cultivating, five days. 10.00 
Hoeing, 10 days. 10.00 
Harrowing with smoothing harrow. 1.60 
Paris-green, 34 pounds at 25c.; one ton plaster, $7. 15.50 
Applying Paris-green, five days. 5.00 
Digging and team work hauling to cellar. 54.00 
Rent, $4 per acre. 20.00 
75 loads manure at $1.25. $93.75 
3 tons fertilizer at $30. 90.00 
Total.$183.75— 
Charge 60 per cent to potatoes. 110.25 
Total cost. $288.85 
Yield, 1,476 bushels of potatoes ; cost, a trifle over 19*4 cents 
per bushel. 
I consider one acre per day, if a good job is done, a 
day’s work in plowing. The ground was furrowed 
with a one-horse plow. The seed pieces dropped 
about 14 inches apart in the drill, the fertilizer 
scattered in the drill, and the whole covered with a 
Planet Jr. horse hoe. I cultivated once between the 
rows, and just as the potatoes were coming up, hai'- 
rowed with a smoothing harrow. 1 then cultivated 
twice in the row. and hand hoed as soon as large 
enough ; again went through once in the row with 
the cultivator, and followed with the hiller, with the 
tops straightened by hand lioes. I dug by hand, run¬ 
ning a one-horse plow each side of the row as close 
as possible without cutting the potatoes. I credit my 
potatoes as follows : 
146 bushels, small and unsalable, at 15c. $21.90 
1,330 bushels at 30c. 399.00 
Total.$420.90 
Price too high ? No ! I commenced selling at 70 
cents, and stopped at 35 cents, and shall be able to 
make them average 30 cents and marketing. 
Lackawanna County, Pa. G. h. C. 
Speaking of pedigree and inherited traits, here is a 
bit of personal history from an Ohio reader : 
I began learning the carpenter’s trade a century ago. That is, 
my grandfathers were both carpenters, as were my father and 
all his brothers, and my five half brothers. 
That ought to make a good carpenter, surely. How 
about the same rule applied to farmers—will the man 
who follows father and grandfather on the same farm 
inherit an instinct for good farming ? He is not as 
sure to as is the carpenter to inherit his trade, because 
farming is a business that demands a greater develop¬ 
ment in science and practice than any of the so-called 
trades. 
Q 
A ragweed and a corn plant start growing in the 
same field. The weed grows rank and strong, and 
matures a big crop of seeds, while the corn makes a 
spindling growth and, at best, but a nubbin of an ear. 
We at once conclude that the soil is not strong enough 
for the corn—but how about the weed ? That has 
made a perfect development. On the same soil that 
starved the corn, it found all the plant food it needed 
for a vigorous growth. In the ash of the ragweed, 
will be found an even greater proportion of minerals 
than in that of the corn. Now why is this ? It is 
easy enough to say that the feeding powers of the 
weed are superior to those of the corn ; but what does 
that mean ? The phosphoric acid and potash are 
locked up in the soil, but Nature has given the weed 
a latch key that fits better than the one belonging to 
corn. It seems like a singular twist in the mystery 
of Nature, that weeds should not only curse us by 
their presence, but be endowed with better staying 
qualities than our useful plants. 
Have you just four neighbors who ought to have 
The R. N.-Y. next year? Send their names with i$4, 
and we will renew your own subscription for a year. 
If they hesitate, tell them that they can have the 
dollar back at any time they are not pleased with the 
bargain. _ 
BUSINESS BITS. 
A gentleman near New York wishes to engage a competent 
gardener, wife to do cooking. Address V. A. M., care Rural New- 
Yorker. 
T. C. Kevitt, Athenia, N. J., has devised a new flat for shipping 
strawberries. It beats the old crate out of sight. We have seen 
it and know how it works. 
The cable stay is a strong feature of the Bowen fence, and 
makes a strong fence with few posts. The Bowen Cable Stay 
Fence Co., Norwalk, O., will send full particulars on application. 
If you are interested in currants, S. D. Willard, Geneva, N. Y., 
is interested in you, and would like to hear from you. Mr. 
Willard can tell you as much about currants as any one man in 
the country. 
Don’t neglect to care for the hens. Nothing pays better. 
Fresh eggs are always in demand. The trouble is, city people 
never get enough real fresh eggs. Green cut bone is one of the 
best foods for them. You can cut it yourself. Send to Webster 
& Hannum, Cazenovia, N. Y., for description and prices of their 
hand bone cutters. 
The demand for spray pumps has put many different makes 
and sizes on the market, some good, others not so good ; but all 
having their uses, and some adapted to certain purposes more 
than others. The Eclipse made by Morrill & Morley, Benton 
Harbor, Mich., is one that is made in the most substantial 
manner, of first-class material. On the Rural Grounds it works 
to perfection. The makers will gladly send catalogues of sizes. 
We had some talk last year about “ a wooden hired man ” or 
a scheme for enabling one man to run a cross-cut saw. The 
Folding Sawing Machine Co., of Chicago, make a machine which 
they claim will enable one man to do the work of two sawyers. 
We know that such a machine is greatly needed. We have not 
tried this folding saw but shall be pleased to hear from all who 
have used it with regard to its efficiency. 
You’ve no idea how much heat goes up the chimney and is lost 
these cold days. We have one of the radiators made by the 
Rochester Radiator Co., 27 Furnace St., Rochester, N. Y., on the 
stove pipe in the sleeping room over the room containing the 
stove. By opening the drafts in the stove, in 10 minutes this 
radiator becomes too hot to hold the hand on it, and the room is 
always plenty warm enough for a sleeping room. This heat 
would mostly be wasted, were it not for the radiator. Write 
them for circulars. 
