842 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
©EC. 3 
ting breeders as any place in the Southwest, 
and the strides that are being made are won¬ 
derful. But East Mississippi “ has got the 
bulge ” (to use a Southern phrase) on Jerseys. 
She started in the business years ago when 
stock-breeding looked as chimerical to the 
masses as silk-raising does now; and she reaps 
the reward in her great reputation as the 
center, par excellence, of thoroughbred Jer¬ 
seys. 
How often have I predicted the day when 
our stock-breeders, particularly our Jersey 
breeders, would bo selling their stock to East¬ 
ern breeders, and when we should have the 
monopoly of the sale of thoroughbreds to the 
Southwest, because of our acclimated stock, 
and yet how wild such a prediction must have 
seemed to the average reader! And now the 
day is here. Eastern breeders are paying 
fancy prices for thoroughbred Jerseys raised 
in Ea>t Mississippi. The demand is greater 
than the supply. 
There is a “big boom” in Jerseys every- 
whoro in Mississippi now. Let it run and 
swell and widen and sweep! It is the sure pre¬ 
cursor of our cheese factories. In a few years, 
with this stock largely distributed, East Missis¬ 
sippi will be the center of the greatest cheese 
interest in the Southwest; will be furnishing 
most, if not all, the cheese for the South, and 
will be sending fancy eraim-cheeses to 
Europe, if not to the North and West. Short¬ 
horns, too, will Boon command u more respect¬ 
able status under the kindly auspices of .the 
Stock-Breeders 1 Association of Mississippi. 
This organization, not three years old, has 
“ done wonders ” for stock-breeding in Miss¬ 
issippi aud adjoining States. 
Meantime, thousands of acres of the rich 
prairies of East Mississippi are being set in 
clover and Blue Grass. 1 know of one gentle¬ 
man who has about 150 acres in clover and 
will sow 2U0 more. Some men, with farms 
of 1,000 acres or more, talk of seeding down 
the whole area to the cultivated grasses. Some 
are sowing Lucerne largely. Soon will be 
seen in East Mississippi large areas which 
will be green the year round and dotted with 
Jerseys, Short-horns, and sheep, and this will 
make a “ most living landscape,” indeed. 
There will then be no prairie lands, that once 
sold as high as $125 to 8150 per acre, “going 
a-begging ” as now at from $8 to 815. 
Truly, the sale of thoroughbred acclimated 
stock ut Meridian was a “ red letter day” 
for the stock-breeders of Mississippi and Ala¬ 
bama. All hail to them for the beneficent 
success 1 M. B. Hillyard. 
Mobile Co., Ala. 
TEMPER OF POLLED CATTLE. 
STARTING STOCK-RAISING IN TEXAS 
I started here in the sheep business by 
herding a floek, as I could get nothing eiso to 
do. I herded one month for 815; I then went 
through the shearing season for a little pocket 
change, and then, as I was acclimating, I 
became a little sick, aud foil into the hands of 
a hospitable family on tho Nueces River. 
Here my board did not cost mo any money, as 
I was rather handy around the house doing 
chores. When I recovered I took charge of a 
ranch on the Sabina 1 for the small sum of 
$20 a month. Here I worked seven months, 
and at the end of the first year I found my¬ 
self in possession of 100 sheep, and so 1 have 
gone along until I have now 1,000 head of 
good young sheep, and if I had been a healthy 
man I could have doubled that, number. The 
first thing is to get a ranch or range for the 
stock. The price of sheep depends upon 
their quality—from $2 to $4. There is a differ¬ 
ence of opinion about the profits from the clif 
ferent sorts. Mine are Mexican ewes and 
the best Vermont Merino rams. The range 
of pasturage is good, but has now to be 
bought or leased. The natural increase of the 
flock is about 80 per cent, one year with 
another. The fleece sells for from 15 to 30 
cents per pound. Our chief market is San 
Antonio and the net profit of the business is 
33% per cent. It is already of enormous ex¬ 
tent, but nothing to what it will be in five/ 
years from now. The wool has to be taken 
to market by wagon for 100 miles Muttons 
are generally sold at the ranches and driven 
by the purchaser; they generally bring $2 
per head. They are now selling for from 
$1.75 to $2.25, and buyers are looking for 
them. It is hard to tell the best parts of 
Texas for sheep-raising, as the business seems 
to thrive all over the State. Everybody is 
going to raise sheep, and cattie are being neg¬ 
lected. 
This is the greatest country in the world for 
horse raising. I do not see why some Eastern 
horse raisers do not come here. It does not 
cost #10 to 7'aiso a horse in Texas. The uni- 
mals keep fat on the range the year round, 
and it is a business I would have started in 
had I capital to go North and buy large 
mares. It will pay here 33% per cent, per 
annum. Horse stock does better here than 
any other Btoek, and with less care. This is 
just the country for such men as Powell 
Bros, with their Clydesdales. 
Nueces Co., Texas. H. N. Dimick. 
i “Stockman,” in the Rural of November 
26, says he has seen a man quickly lifted over 
i a fence by a polled cow, that polled beasts 
j push and strike with their heads in the manner 
, of other cattle quite as savagely, and that the 
) proportion of cross or savage cuttle among the 
polls will be found quite as great as among tho 
horned. A juvenile visitor toacity “museum,” 
i the other day, saw there a couple of Zulus, oue 
of whom was cross-eyed, and in writing an 
account of what he had seen, said:—"The 
i Zulus are an ugly people, and h«l f the race are 
' cross-eyed.” Hasn’t “ Stockman” been gener¬ 
alizing in somewhat the same liberal fashion 
i with regard to the temper of polled cattle at 
' large from the conduct of that particular 
excited polled cow» My acquaintance with 
hornless cattle began upwards of 30 years ago, 
during a lengthy boyish visit to County Lim¬ 
erick, Ireland. My host had among bis other 
cattle half a dozen or so dark-red, low bodied 
polls, good milkers and great favorites for 
their peaceable, quiet disposition. In the 
neighborhood there were several other polled 
beasts that had the same reputation. The 
common name for them there was “ mai whs” 
as nearly as 1 can spell it phonetically after so 
many years. Whether it was merely a local 
name, or whether the word was Irish or meant 
for English I know not. (Since then I have 
had considerable knowledge of polled cattle, 
both in England and Scotland, in herds, and 
where a few beasts were “mixed up” with 
horned cattle, and their general reputation 
has always been exceptionally high for a 
gentle, non-belligerent temppr. Occasionally 
a naturally truculent beast could be found, 
and sometimes an animal would “show fight” 
from some temporary cause, but any display 
of ill temper in a poll was always regarded as 
something unnatural, and was, therefore, pro¬ 
ductive of special dislike towards the offender. 
The writers of standard works on cattle 
suppleme7it their own knowledge of the differ¬ 
ent breeds with that of others more intimately 
acquainted with their special characteristics. 
What, then, have well known writers who 
have spoken of polled cattle, said of their 
temper? 
“The Galloway cattle are generally very 
docile. . . . It is rare to find even a bull 
furious or troublesome,” said Youatt, 47 years 
ago. Of the Polled Angus lie said, “ Some of 
the first qualities which seem to have attracted 
the attention of breeders were the peculiar 
quietness and docility of the doddle*, the few 
losses that were incurred from their injuring 
each other in the stalls, aud the power of dis¬ 
posing of a greater number of thorn iu a small 
space. ” It Is a well-known fact that dishorned 
cattle feed better and are much quieter in dis¬ 
position than honied beasts of the same breed, 
and this tendency to quiet and peace increases 
with the length of time tho conditions favor¬ 
able to it endure. Certainly therefore polled 
cattle have not grown more savage or pugna¬ 
cious since Youatt, the first well known author¬ 
ity concerning the polled breeds, thus wrote of 
them. The latest authority on the various 
breeds of cattle is Professor J. P. Sheldon, 
author of thatfine work “Dairy Farming,” just 
completed. Ju ithesays of the polled breeds:— 
“Yet the mere fact that they have no horns 
is a most valuable recommendation of these 
cattle. Nature gave horns to cattle for pur¬ 
poses of defence and attack, and in a wild 
state the animals no doubt required them at 
times; but in a state of domestication boi'ns 
are not only useless, but a source of danger, 
mischief and inconvenience. If, in the breed¬ 
ing of all kinds of cattle, horns could be 
abolished, the gain would be great. The 
Americans fire turning their eyas wistfully in 
the direction of hornless cattle, because of 
their superior handiness for the cattle trade 
to England; and, indeed, there can be no 
question that in no single instance would the 
absence of horns be anything but an unmixed 
good. The cattle would be less spiteful 
toward each other if they had no weapons 
wherewith to put their spite into practice, 
and very little harm could be done by bare 
heads OJily. There has been an outcry 
against the cruelty involved in the practice 
of dishorning cattle—that is, cutting olT the 
horns close to the head—but in some circum¬ 
stances there may lie less of cruelty in that 
than in leaving them in possession of weapons 
with which to rip each other up when they 
get a chance to do so. We do not, however, 
advocate cutting off the horns of cattle, but 
we do recon uueud the breeding of animals 
to whom a beneficent nature has denied those 
teirible weapons.” 
Were there room or necessity I could quote 
a dozen opinions of the same drift as the 
above, from writers well acquainted with tho 
animals criticised. “Stockman” says, “Lot 
us have the truth anyhow, and give the polled 
cattle their due.” So say I, and to this end 
let some of those who know about them tell 
what they know to the Rural. If Stockman’s 
experience, or, rather, observation, has led 
him to believe that the proportion of savage 
animals among polled is quite as great as 
among homed cattle, the result of his observa¬ 
tion is, I am sure, exceptional 
Cattle in Transit. 
, In the same column “Stockman” also be¬ 
littles the advantages polled have over honied 
cattle in the matter of transportation by rail 
or on ship-board on the plea that the latter 
get more room—that their horns secure them 
ampler breathing space, and are therefore an 
advantage by preventing over-crowding. My 
observations both by rail ami steamer have 
been different from his with regard to the 
packing of cattle. Wherever I’ve seen beasts 
crowded in transit the width of the body not 
that of the horns has gauged the room for 
each, if in this connection any regard is ever 
paid to the spread of the horns, it shoukl be in 
case of the uncouth Texans: but with these 
I’ve seen the rule I’ve mentioned frequent¬ 
ly exemplified on the cars between Abe- 
line and St. Louis, and on ship-board between 
Imliunola and Havana, and often also very 
considerably nearer “civilization.” Who that 
has beheld cattle packed in transit has not 
pitied them for tho evident inconvenience and 
misery resulting from the possession of horns! 
I speak of cattie closely packed—not as you 
always but ns you often see them. They can¬ 
not move their heads without clashing or in¬ 
terlocking horns, and already irritable from 
hunger, thirst and general misery, what won¬ 
der that at each such contact they are apt to 
use their weapons offensively? And whenever 
a wretched beast, falls or lies down, and strain¬ 
ing and floundering is prodded to his feet 
again, what hu inconvenience are not his 
horns to himself and what a cruelty to his 
neighbors. I've never seen polled cattle in 
transit either by rail or water, but in view of 
the wretchedness and injury caused by horns 
when their bearers are closely packed, very 
little logic or imagination Is needed to see the 
great advantage of their absence. x. 
- ♦♦♦ - 
NOTES ON THE CHICAGO FAT STOCK 
SHOW. 
Believe what the papers say about the fat 
stock show, and you’ll think it was a brilliant 
success in every respect—or nearly in every 
respect; for all agree that the sheep and 
swine exhibits were small and rather poor— 
but, then, all agree they were better than at 
any former show, There is a growing feeling 
against an excessive amount of fat in any 
animal whoso carcass is intended for human 
food in the shape of meat, however desirable 
an extraordinary quantity of fat may be in 
in n carcass which is to become human food 
in the shape of lard, butterine, oleomargarine 
or hog or bullock cheese. This growing feeling 
found vent, at the show in a general expres¬ 
sion of gratification that the steers exhibited 
were somewhat lighter than those shown last 
year; while tho quality of tho meat is pro¬ 
nounced to have been better. 
Just as at every cattle show I have heard of 
or seen this year, the question of the appoint¬ 
ment of the right sort of men os judges has 
here caused not a little bickering and heart¬ 
burning. This was most noticeably the case 
in regard to the sweepstakes prize for the 
best steer in the show awurded the grade 
Short-horn McMullen, us mentioned in my 
last communication. It is to be hoped 
for the sake of the success of such exhibitions, 
the due reward of merit, aud tho avoidance of 
recrimination and legitimate discontent, that 
more care and better judgment will in future 
be bestowed on the selection of judges for 
all the cattle shows throughout the country. 
This show is held under the auspices of the 
State Board of Agriculture, and despite the 
loud boasts of its success, the attendance has 
always been so meagre that it has never paid 
expenses, and the tuapagers have now to face 
an aggregate indebtedness of $4,000 at the 
close of the last brilliant triumph. 'I'he Board 
is at present pondering what additional at¬ 
tractions can be introduced at the next ex¬ 
hibition so as to render the fair self-sustaining. 
To attract city folks is tho great object, and 
for this purpose it is probable that, if a suit¬ 
able building can be found, the next show 
will be held in a smaller structure than the 
Exposition Building, which, unlike the latter, 
can bo heated iu case of such cold weather as 
prevailed during tho show of 1880. A kennel 
show, a larger poultry show and several other 
attractions ure projected, among which it is 
fortunate that there can hardly be a place for 
a “ horse trot” that last disreputable recourse 
of agricultural fair mauagers. 
The polled cattle about which one hears so 
much, were “noticeable by their absence.” 
In view of tho fact that the present “ boom ” 
in this sort of stock is largely due to their tri¬ 
umphs at the great Paris Exposition of 1878, 
it certainly seems advisable that their adher¬ 
ents in this country should prepare to make a 
fine exhibit of them here next year. It will i 
be remembered that at the Paris show a ] 
polled Angus herd, which I recollect the 1 
Rural illustrated at the tixno, won the grand i 
prize of honor for the best group of foreign 
cattle, and also the French Agricultural 
Society’s prize of 2,500 francs for tho best lot 
of beef producing beasts in the whole exhibi¬ 
tion, against the best beef breeds of England, 
France, Italy, tho Netherlands, and some of 
the German States. The t riumphant herd lias 
since been scattered to the winds or led to the 
block; their breeder, Mr. W. McCombie, of 
Tilly four, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, fills an 
honored grave, but their joint victory in at¬ 
tracting the attention of tho world to the 
great merits long possessed by the breed, has 
begun for it a “boom” which it would be 
wise to keep going by the same means by 
which it was starter!. 
The Hereford men, although they have 
failed to secure the chief prize of the show— 
the sweepstakes for the best steer—have 
good reason to bo contented with the measure 
of success they have achieved and the plausi¬ 
ble grounds for discontent and grumbling, 
forced upon them. A well-grounded excuse 
lor caviling at defeat, properly dwelt upon, 
is almost, if not quite, as good as a victory 
for advertising purposes, and the aptitude as 
well as the record for grumbling at premium 
awards, possessed by one or more of the Here¬ 
ford men is so distinguished that the present 
opportunity will undoubtedly bo turned to the 
very best advantage. The Herefords arc cer¬ 
tainly advancing rapidly in public favor for 
tho purpose of “ grading up ” for beef 
the “ native ” herds of the country. Quite 
a considerable number of feeders and some 
breeders of Short-horns for this object have 
either taken the Herefords in preference or 
are now testing the relative merits of the 
two breeds by keeping some of each. Among 
these the latest convert to the merits of tho 
White Faces of whom 1 have heard, is the 
Hon. Matthew C. Cochrane, owner of the 
famous Hillhurst herd of Canadian Short¬ 
horns—one of tho best breeders on the conti¬ 
nent. lie has just received from Liverpool a 
lot of S6 pedigreed Hereford bqlls selected by 
his son from the best English herds. He will 
place his new acquisition on his Bow River 
ranch where ho has now 5.000 cattle which he 
intends to increase to 30,000 head within the 
twelvemonth. Ilis success with Short-horns has 
been great, so that a strong opinion of their 
merits could alone have induced him to invest 
so heavily in Herefords. 
I have just received a copy of the Rural 
containing my report of the show and find 
a couple of mistakes in the account given of 
the Short-horn grade McMullen. He took 
the sweepstakes prize, not in the two-year- 
old class as therein given, but in the three- 
year-old class us stated in giving his age at 
1237 days. His average gain per duy was not 
61 pounds, but 1.61 pound, as may also be 
seen by dividing his gross weight, as given, 
2,095 pounds, by his age, 1,237 days. I am 
convinced my “copy" ivas correct, so that the 
errors must have some other source, n. w. 
-- 
NOTES FROM CYDON1A RANCHE. 
To Cure a Kicking Cow. 
It was in the heac of Summer and the hight 
of fly time. I had just bought a cow and calf. 
She was said to be true, but site wasn’t. As 
milk was what I wanted, the calf was taken 
away at once, and I proceeded to milk; but 
such a storm of heels as played about the 
stable for fifteen or twenty minutes never has 
been portrayed in prose or poetry! Fire 
flashed from her eyes, lightning from her 
tail and thunder from her hoofs. In short, 
she was a notorious kicker, and the owner 
knew it. 
I tried hard to let patience have her perfect 
work, but it didn’t work on the cow. Nearly 
disgusted I went to the house, picked up the 
Rural, my eye caught the “ Vices of Cows,” 
by Dr. Stewart, and mentally I exclaimed, 
“Eureka!” But, alas! it suggested ouly a 
lesson in moral suasion. However, I tried it 
again and again to no purpose. It was uot 
moral suasion that she wanted, but a lesson 
on the fitness of things, and I proceeded to fit 
her in this way: She was securely fastened in 
a stanchion, and a stout strap with ring and 
rope attached was buckled around her right 
leg. Her leg was drawn back to the natural 
position and tho other end of tho rope fastened 
a few feet iu the rear. Of course, the kicking 
went on with vigor, but it did not interfere 
with the milking, us she could not get her foot 
forward of the perpendicular. 8he soon 
tired of that game, but commenced with the 
left foot, and she did it with such science that 
I could hardly keep the foot out of the pail. 
I then fastened that one back, and let her kick 
it out. To her great consternation she was 
mastered, and I milked her with the calm 
assurance that she couldn’t kick me or put her 
foot in th© pail. I continued to fasten the 
right leg for a while until, like the Western 
emigrant’s hens, she came to rather like to 
have her foot fastened, and would put it back 
to position, when she felt tho strap. Aud now 
she is as kind as any cow in tho herd. 
