PRICE SIX CENTS, 
PER YEAR. 
VOL. XXXI. No. 4, 
WHOLE No. 1304. 
[Entered according to Act ol Congress, in the year 1875. by the Rural Publishing Company, in the Office of the Li brarian of Congress at Washington.] 
bridize more readily than domesticated 
animals. The reverse would seem to be the 
case in the experience of nature, but a little 
reflection will show you that the reason why 
there arc* so few hybrids in a state of nature 
is that the law of like to like prevails, and 
different animals will not freely cross with 
one another in a wild state.” 
M. Van Koppenacl went on to state that 
the object he set out with was to produce a 
hybrid of the genus Bos that would be 
superior to the improved ox in health, in 
speed, in milking qualities and in beefing 
qualities—a hybrid that would be able- to 
reproduce its kind and be constant in its 
adherence to the type from which it oi fgi- 
naled. Ilia first experiment was that of 
crossing ft Shropshire cow with a bull of the 
South African buffalo (Bos Caflir), and was 
suggested by a similarity in the arrangement 
of the horns of the two animals. The product 
was a sterile monster of hideous proportions. 
He next attempted a hybrid - between the 
Brahminy bull (Bos Indicus) and a Dutch 
iinw, the product again being sterile and 
worthless. The same result came from 
crossing the domestic animal with the Indian 
buffalo (Bos arneel, the gayal (Bos gavaeua), 
the ‘yak (Bos grunniens), and the American 
bison (Bos Americonus), By a lucky acci¬ 
dent, h : .vever, he discovered that a cross 
between the bison and the Brahmin cow was 
fertile, and this led him to experiments in 
the right direction. 
CATTLE HYBRIDIZATION. 
interestino account or SUCCESSFUL eiperiments. 
A Brussels correspondent of The World 
gives an exceedingly interesting account of 
the experiments of Mr. AdRaaNZOOH Van 
Kofpexael, near Leyden, Holland, in the 
hybridization of animals. It seems to us 
these experiments should attract the atten¬ 
tion of some of our wealthy Western Ameri¬ 
can Herdsmen, who, with tlielr broad ranges 
and facilities might emulate this Dutch 
gentleman in his efforts to produce a new 
breed of cattle. We regard the story of 
sufficient, interest to the readers of the Rural 
New-Yorker to give entire. The corres¬ 
pondent says : 
I went to Leyden, where M. Van Koppen- 
ael met, me to escort rae in person to his 
farm, near the village of Oegsigeest, Myn¬ 
heer Adraanzoon Van Koppenacl, a man of 
illustrious birth (the best patrician and 
burgher blood of Holland mingling harmo¬ 
niously in his vein?), h a well-preserved per¬ 
son of about sixty-five years old, short and 
stout, with a florid countenance, in which 
intelligence and amiability, humor and 
refinement struggle for mastery. Ills frank, 
unpretending manners and cordial greeting 
set me at ease at once, and I accompanied 
in Holland, and said to have been founded hernttme toa new plant of her own creation ; 
by St. Willebord) I saw a country laid out but she never will, because she has too 
like a park, with flsli ponds, winding canals, many sorts of plants under bur eye. I tell 
parterres of evergreen, box-hedges in endless her to give a single eye to her Lilium aura- 
succession of arabesque designs, vine-mount- turn, Lilium excelsum (Von Siebold’a ex- 
ed espalier walls, and gardens, gardens every- cellent gift); or, bethel* still, her Primula 
where. japonica, and she will soon create a flower. 
M. Van Koppenacl’s farm comprises over But no ; she loves them all too much—she is 
ninety acres (thirty-eight hectares) of the too promiscuous—she will never give her 
richest and fattest meadow landin the world, name to a floral novelty, if she lives to be as 
with two or three acres of garden and or- old u : Sarah. Now I’ve learned all this by 
chard and a fine spread of lawn about the sharp experience. I have spent half a 
house. This, which was built about t.wo million guilders in my experiments, and 
hundred yenr- ago, is rather a stiff, stately half of this was thrown away in trying 
old manor house, with gables peaked and' perfectly useless plans of hybridizing. The 
pinched in, a good many towers, and a law I have discovered, however, tYiore than 
wealth of terraces and esplanades. The compensates me, and Mr. Darwin, the great 
picture gallery is furnished with some ex- English naturalist, with whom I have been 
cellent specimens of the Dutch and Flemish in correspondence for more than a year, 
schools, including two Rembrandts, and ex- writes me l i. it it Is the most important cor 
amplcs of Gerard Dow, Mieris, Vandervcldo, roboration of his theory of the variation of 
De Letde, Heemskirk, Ostade, Wouvcrmatis, species that he has yet received from any 
Neefa, Steenwyck, Bchwaneveldt, &c. The source. This law is. that wild animals liy- 
FIRST prize fat CATTLE AT REGENT ENGLISH SHOWS. TYPES OF BREEDS. 
took Short-Horn ; 3. Hereford Steer ; 4. Scotch Polled Breed ; 5. Short-Horn Steer; 6. Norfolk or Suffolk Polled Breed ; 7.- Sussex Bread 
8. Cross or Mixed Breed of Steers ; 9. Short-Homed Heifer. 
