FES 40 
then the demand for black Polled Angus has 
steadily increased, and now the supply is not 
sufficient to meet it. It has been said that 
some of the herd-owners iu Scotland have 
even expressed the belief that a “pool” had 
been formed by the Americans to buy every 
polled animal in the “ Land o’ Cakes.” This 
is hardly true, but it is stated as a fact, by 
those who have access to the figures, that 
during 1882 quite as many Polled Angus were 
imported as of all other beef breeds combined. 
Breeders of fine stock generally are alive to 
the importance of using only the best, and 
Mr. William H. Whitridge, of Baltimore 
County, Maryland, the importer of the ani¬ 
mals whose likenesses are given at Figs. 57 
and 58, is no exception to the rule. He has, 
at great trouble and expense, procured the 
best representatives of the finest herds in 
Scotland. They were purchased for Mr. 
Whitridge by Mr. C. Macpherson Campbell, 
brother of Sir George Macpherson Grant, of 
Ballindalloch, and were selected with a view 
of having the two premier families of Scot¬ 
land, the Erica and Pride, represented in the 
United States by their best types. 
Our first-page cut shows Clarissa (4534) a 
heifer of great promise. She is of the cele¬ 
brated Indigo Grace family; dam, Maid of 
Orleans 2d (1177), bred by the late Mr. Mc- 
Combie, of TilJyfour, a cow of immense sub¬ 
stance. Clarissa’s sire was Young Viscount 
(736), an undefeated animal, acknowledged by 
judges of cattle to be the best bull of the 
breed ever seen. Sir George Grant paid 225 
guineas for him—the highest price ever given 
for a polled bull up to that time, so says Mr. 
James MacDonald in his History of Polled 
Cattle. In the light of recent events this 
price looks very low. In this heifer is com¬ 
bined the blood of the Ericas and Prides, un¬ 
questionably the greatest families of the 
breed. She won two first prizes as a yearling 
before leaving Scotland. 
At the head of Mr. Whitridge’s herd at his 
farm “Glen Cairn,” is the Erica bull “Sir 
Eustace ” (2339) from the herd of Sir George 
Grant. He is represented at Fig. 58 and is a 
fine specimen of a beef-making bulL He has 
an excellent masculine, well-formed head, 
good crest, deep breast and wide, massive 
brisket; loins deep and strong; quarters long, 
level and wide, and he stands on very short 
legs, strong and muscular above the knee and 
hock and very fine-boned below. Sir Eus¬ 
tace’s sire was Sir Maurice (1319) dam Elfin 
(3795) by Elcho (595) a famous Erica bull now 
in the herd on the estate of the late Earl of 
Airlie. Sir Maurice, of the Fivie Flower 
family, was first prize-winner in the two- 
year-old class in Highland Society’s show at 
Dumfries, and has been second and once third 
in the aged class at the Highland Society’s 
meetings, besides gaining all possible first 
prizes at the local cattle shows. The get of Sir 
Maurice was very successful at the Fall ex¬ 
hibitions of 1S82 in Scotland, there being 
scarcely one of any importance at which they 
did not appear as winners. Sir Eustace also 
did credit to his sire on this side of the water, 
winning, this Autumn, the silver cup offered 
by the Baltimore County Agricultural Asso¬ 
ciation for best bull of the beef breeds; and 
also a cup at the fair held at Hagerstown, 
Maryland, for the best bull of the beef breeds 
under two years old. The Ericas are regarded 
by many as the best family of Polled Angus 
iu Scotland, and in October last at Lord 
Airlie’8 sale, the Erica cow “Emerald” 
brought the round sum of 500 guineas. Sir 
Eustace is half brother to Sir Evelyn reserved 
in the Ballindalloch herd as a stock bull. w.H. 
-*-*--•- 
THE VALUE OF “IMPROVED” LIVE¬ 
STOCK. 
HON. CASSIUS M. CLAY. 
The live-stock of civilized man includes all 
domesticated animals—quadrupeds, fish and 
fowl. Excepting the dog, cat, etc., they are 
used for flesh, clothing and motive power. To 
speak of the value of improved stock is sim¬ 
ply to say, in other words, that some animals 
are more valuable than others of the same 
genus, species or family. This superior value 
is found in the individuals of these divisions, 
and, in addition, improvement may be made 
upon them by selection, food, shelter and ju¬ 
dicious breeding. A single example will Il¬ 
lustrate my meaning. Do we wish to produce 
beef? Then we must select the breed that 
takes on flesh and fat of the best quality, in 
the shortest time; and then, following the 
laws of health, we must use generous feed and 
shelter. In breeding, however, the taste for 
the beautiful is not to be ignored, and hence 
form, size and color assume importance. 
FIRST QUALITIES OF MEAT ANIMALS. 
The first quality of animals bred for food is 
great assimilating power—the capability of 
converting food into flesh more readily than 
other breeds. Thus the Short-horn breeders con¬ 
tend that a given quantity of food will make 
more beef in that animal than in any oth¬ 
er of the cow kind. Another first-rate quality 
is early maturity; for, as a great portion of 
all the food of animals goes to keep up the vi¬ 
tal heat and the wasting tissues of the body, 
it iB important that the animal should develop 
its whole capacity of flesh production in as 
short a time as possible. So the Short horn, 
which takes on 2,000 pounds of flesh in three 
years, is a great improvement upon the scru b 
which takes five years to mature and reach 
the same weight. The gain by the improved 
stock is the total expenditure of food thus 
saved for two years in maintaining heat and 
the tissues, as well as the making of more flesh 
for a given sum of feed. Another of the 
first quality is that the animals to be eaten 
should take on fat most where it is most valu¬ 
able. Thus the rumps and tenderloins are more 
valuable than the shoulders and necks; and 
the rounds are preferable to the fore-legs. 
Other prime qualities are health and vigor, 
ability to resist cold and heat and diseases. 
Minor qualities are size, form and color, 
which are to be indulged in subordination to 
the highest qualities. 
THOROUGHBREDS. 
As a general law running through all ani¬ 
mal life, “like begets like;” and yet there is 
another law of nature which admits of “sport¬ 
ing” or variety; otherwise there could be no 
improvement, but all the races would main¬ 
tain the one dead level of their original type. 
It is not necessary here to discuss the subject 
whether ull the species came of the original 
genus, or all of the families of the same species. 
It is sufficient for our purpose to claim that 
certain types, good or bad, are more apt to be 
reproduced from maintaining the blood of 
those types unraixed with other types; iu 
other words, pure or thoroughbreds. The 
long experience of the most sagacious breed¬ 
ers is opposed to mixed bloods as the means 
of improvement, because the progeny of the 
two or more types used, bend always to fall 
back to the original types. 
“ SPORTING” in wild life 
is very rare, and the return to the original 
type is almost sure; now and then you may 
find a white crow; but the return to the black 
is certain. Under man’s manipulation, when 
the surroundings are continually changed 
sporting or variation is very common; but I 
imagine that climate, food and shelter being 
the same, but little is the chance of new 
fixed types. It is frequently said, and I 
have said so, that the Short-horns manip¬ 
ulated by the Collinses and Bates were a 
mixed breed; but of this we have no certain 
proof. On the contrary, there are proofs of 
the Short-horns existing long before their 
day; and whether the original type was iden¬ 
tical with the Dutch cattle and improved by 
them, or whether those crosses once mingled 
with the Short horns, were bred out and the 
original type restored, is not susceptible of 
proof; but it has a preponderance of testimony 
and reasoning in its favor. 
IMPROVEMENT UPON ORIGINAL TYPES. 
It is safest, then, to select the types best 
suited for the climate and food and ends de¬ 
sired, and then by the selection of the best of 
any type to advance it. Thus beef may be 
improved in quality and quantity, and wool 
and mi'k also advanced by proper selection, 
food and shelter. 1 conclude by saying that 
“ improved stock” is a reality, and shall defer 
further discussion to a future article. 
HOW TO PREVENT IMPROVED CAT¬ 
TLE FROM DYING AT THE SOUTH. 
A. B. ALLEN. 
Having resided some little time at the 
South, and been engaged in filling orders for 
improved stock of various kinds for that re¬ 
gion ever since the year 1842, I have been 
taught how animals should be treated there 
which came from the North. 
With respect to cattle, they should be kept 
up in a cool stable during hot and even rather 
warm weather, not only through the day, but 
also at night, with the exception that a little 
before and after both sunset and sunrise, 
they may be suffered to take an hour’s exercise 
or so in a clean, dry yard. It is not gener¬ 
ally known, but my Southern friends have 
told me, that to be exposed to a heavy dew at 
night, was as pernicious as to a fiery son by 
day, and, in addition to this, was the torment 
from mosquitoes, flies, and other insects, from 
which they could be tolerably well guarded 
in a darkened stable. Their feed should be 
cultivated grasses, wheat and rye straw just 
as the heads are beginning to blossom, oats 
when the grain is in the milk, corn-stalks 
commencing to silk, or with green ears, Am¬ 
ber Cane and other sorghum well headed out. 
Be careful when these «re cut to carry to the 
stable to soil the cattle, that no weed of any 
kind is mixed with the fodder. T wo quarts or 
so of wheat bran, with a pint of cotton-seed 
meal, nights and mornings, are also excellent 
for keeping the bowels in good order, and as¬ 
sisting in a better digestion of the other food. 
Unless a lump of Liverpool or other rock salt 
is kept constantly in the feed box for the an¬ 
imals to lick from as much as they crave, an 
even to a heaping teaspoonful of fine salt, ac¬ 
cording to the size of the animal, should be 
mixed either in the evening or morning mess 
of bran. To this may be added a tablespoon¬ 
ful of pure wood ashes, and once a week a 
tablespoonful of sulphur if the least costive¬ 
ness is shown. The water must be pure, and 
of it the cattle should have all they will 
drink morning, noon and night. It Is better 
to water them half an hour or more before 
feeding, rather than after it. 
No Northern cattle ought to be suffered to 
roam out in the field during April, or May, 
to December, and perhaps it would be gen¬ 
erally best not to allow them to do so at any 
other time of the year, lest they should pick 
up injurious weeds, or drink impure water. 
No cattle should be taken South from the 
North above the 36th degree of latitude; that 
is, from over six months to a year old, except 
from a high, hilly or mountainous region. 
Older animals than these do not acclimate 
nearly so well, and the reason is, that when 
removed from a cooler to a hotter climate, 
the pulsation increases largely at first, and 
this brings on a high fever, or some other 
dangerous disease. Cattle should always be 
taken South from the middle of November to 
the forepart of February, then as Spring 
comes on they stand a much better chance of 
safely accomodating themselves to the change 
of climate. It is almost certain death to serd 
grown cattle from the North to the South, 
especially during the hot or even warm season. 
In commencing a herd, I would suggest 
taking bulls only. These are easily kept up 
in stable, and the native cows when iu heat, 
can be brought to them to be served; one to 
two leaps are usually just as good as more, 
and by thus husbanding the power of the 
bull, at a year old he may serve 25 cow3 
within threeor four mouths, twice thanumber 
when two years old, and thrice that at four 
years of age. The half-bred stock from these 
would be nearly as hardy as their dams, and 
the produce of Buch heifers got by the im¬ 
proved Northern bulls, would be equally so; 
and for the dairy or the shambles, might 
give as much and as rich milk or fatten as 
kindly in most cases as the full-bred. 
In this way Southern breeders may in 
a few years get up a very valuable stock in 
a safe, cheap way. After being well estab¬ 
lished in grades they might get full-bred fe¬ 
males from the North to keep with less risk 
than to commence with them in their breed¬ 
ing establishment. 
-*--•“♦- 
NOTES BY A STOCKMAN. 
“ There is something rotten in the state of 
Denmark”—as Mr. Hamlet is reported to have 
observed—when we see so much speculation 
going on. People are “making haste to be 
rich” too much, and speculation is entering 
into the most conservative branches of the 
live stock business. Just now farmers, and 
in fact any man with only a MO bill in his 
pocket, are asked and enticed to put that 
small sum, or from that to a thousand, into 
joint stock ranching on the promise of 50 per 
cent profit. A man who goes into the live 
stock business anywhere, with knowledge 
and judgment, can be sure of 50 per cent 
profit no doubt; but no joint stock enterprise 
in farming or stock beeping ever made a cent 
for the stock—I would rather say the share¬ 
holders; the stockholders may make the 
money, but the others never—but loss and 
disappointment have always resulted. My 
advice to the readers of the Rural (and I 
have no doubt the Editors will indorse it) is 
keep out of such enterprises and have no 
stock—either paper or alive—in them if you 
want to be safe. [Yes, we heartily indorse this 
opinion. Eds.] 
The best way to make one’s money safe is 
to wrap it up in a hide of your own, and not 
give it to another man to take care of it for 
you. Never mind the kind of hide—cow-hide, 
sheep-skin, or pig-skin are all good and safe, 
to put money in. Farmers have been doing 
well and many have some money to spare. 
If they w f ant a safe investment let them add 
some more to their live stock, and then by a 
little extra work of the head, get enough 
more feed out of their land to keep these ad¬ 
ditional animals. It can be done every time. 
The value and profit of live stock—I mean 
farm stock and not speculative fancy stock—■ 
will never be less than it now is. Competi¬ 
tion has opened great foreign markets for 
meat of all kinds and the consumption of 
meat will always increase faster than the 
population. No laws or regulations either, 
can keep our meats out of foreign markets. 
Men will have cheap food and markets will 
be supplied when a profit is to be made, in 
spite of laws. 
Clem Auldon refers to my statement that 
a flock of mutton sheep is not well managed 
unless 150 lambs are raised for 100 ewes. He 
asks “ what do I mean, that each ewe should 
have a lamb-and-a-half ?” To reply just as se¬ 
riously as the question is put, 1 say that is it 
precisely and figure- atively. I never yet saw 
a ewe have a lamb-and-a-half, although I have 
seen a Iamb with six legs and two heads; but 
that is not a desirable kind to have for a mut¬ 
ton sheep because the extra half is waste. 
But I have often known two ewes to have 
three lambs, and even five, in a sort of “ club¬ 
bing arrangement” as I might say. There 
are no half measures in keeping mutton sheep 
for their produce. A shepherd must grasp all 
he can honestly, and if every ewe of the flock 
on the average can be made to produce a lamb- 
and-a-half, it is the owner’s business to do it. 
I have had a flock of 11 imported Cotswold 
ewes that produced 19 lambs and raised 18 of 
them, one being lost by an unavoidable ac¬ 
cident. 
“The day is coming and even now is here” 
when mutton must be the first consideration 
of the Western farmer who cannot profitably 
keep sheep for wool alone; and it is only a 
question of the kind of mutton they raise to 
make a very large market for the meat. 
Meal, I would particularly remark, and not 
fat. A good, heavy carcass of flesh is what 
people want. 
I am inclined to view with much satisfac¬ 
tion that importation of French Merino rams 
by a Texas sheep-breeder. I think sheep of 
this class are just the right kind to solve this 
mutton question. Some think Merino mutton 
a sort of contradiction in terms—that mutton 
and Merino don’t go together. Now, let me 
assure your readers that this is a mistake. 
When 1 was at Rambouillot, more than 20 
years ago, and saw the magnificent sheep in 
that noted flock, with their great depth of 
carcass and weight of meat, and tasted the 
delicate flavor of the’mutton at the table of 
one of the shepherds, I was most forcibly im¬ 
pressed with the great value of these sheep 
over that of our Merinos, which had too much 
of the Spanish character about them. This has 
been changed of late, and our sheep, under 
the stimulus of the demand for longer wool 
for combing and delaine goods, have become 
more like the French Merino. 
The French ewes will reach a weight of 150 
to 180 poanda and the rams of more than 200. 
I have a portrait of some of these sheep as 
they stood in the park at Rambi uillet, which 
I will ask you to copy and give to your read¬ 
ers as a note for the consideration of sheep 
breeders, especially those in the West, who 
are seriously interested not only in improving 
the size and fleece of their sheep, but also in 
increasing their prolificacy in lambs. They 
must grasp more than 90 per cent, of lambs if 
they can, and not rest until they get a “lamb- 
and-a-half” for each ewe. And now let us 
leave our muttons for a short time. 
farm topics. 
“WHAT KIND OF CHEMICAL MANURE 
DO YOU THINKWOULD BEST SUP¬ 
PLY NITROGEN TO OUR NEXT 
SEASON’S CORN CROP?” 
PROFESSOR S. W. JOHNSON. 
Comparison of Various Forms of Fer¬ 
tilizer- N itroge n. 
In answer to the question which you have 
asked me, as stated above, I will make some 
remarks, not so much with special reference 
to the Rural corn crop of the coming season, 
as to the general subject of the use of the va¬ 
rious forms of nitrogen at the farmer’s disposal. 
Nitrogen may be applied to the soil in three 
principal states of ohemicalcombination, viz., 
as organic nitrogen, as ammonia salts and as 
nitrates. By orgauic nitrogen is understood 
the nitrogen of animal and vegetable sub¬ 
stances, such as exists in bone, Uesh, blood 
and in decayed and decaying vegetable mat¬ 
ters. Some of these substances act much 
more promptly and energetically than others, 
the organic nitrogen of pulverized blood or 
bone standing among the highest in activity; 
that of leather and peat among the lowest. 
In the soil we may have, and commonly do 
have, all these forms of nitrogen (organic, am¬ 
moniac and nitric) present and operative. A 
soil destitute of organic nitrogen is, agricul¬ 
turally considered, barren. Such nitrogen 
comes to the soil by the growth and decay of 
plants and animals upon it. The soils which 
we are now cultivating (or exhausting) most¬ 
ly contain a store of organic nitrogen that 
has been laid up in them for our use during 
the ages and mons of geological history. 
Even those rocks which represent the consoli¬ 
dated sediment of Silurian seas, viz., the old¬ 
est stratified limestones and sandstones, con¬ 
tain more or less orgauic nitrogen. 
Given organic nitrogen alone in the soil, 
whether that long ago incorporated with it 
in the processes of nature, or that applied to 
