VOL. XLIX. NO. 2124. NEW YORK, OCTOBER n, i89o. 
PRICE, FIVE CENTS. 
$2.00 PER YEAR. 
THROUGH THE GENESEE VALLEY WITH A 
CAMERA. 
THE nOME OF THE SHORT-HORN. 
One beautiful June morning we—that is the photographer 
and myself—left the charming village of Lima behind us. 
and after a short drive of six miles over one of the finest 
roads in America arrived at a position that gave us a 
splendid view of the farm and buildings of Aaron Barber— 
the home of the Short horn. This farm comprising 700 acres 
in the highest state of cultivation, is situated in the north¬ 
east corner of the town of Avon, and two miles from Avon 
village. The main buildings shown in the picture are lo¬ 
cated on a slight eminence commanding an extended view 
of the surrounding country, and directly overlooking the 
famous flats of the Genesee, which are about a mile distant. 
Owing to the lay of the land we could not get a near view 
of the buildings, and were compelled to set the camera on a 
hill at least a quarter of a 
mile away. The cap was 
withdrawn an instant and 
the result is the pretty 
bird’s-eye picture shown at 
Figure 295. 
The 30-scre field on the 
right contains as fine a 
growth of clover and Tim¬ 
othy as ever grew, and will 
yield at least three tons of 
dry hay per acre. Beyond 
that, and adjoining the 
barn-yards, is a little field 
of an acre surrounded by 
strong fences, used as an 
exercise ground for “ King 
Taurus” in the summer 
months. As the lawn is so 
thickly studded with trees 
we are unable to show the 
main part of the house, 
which is a large, comfor¬ 
table, old-fashioned struc¬ 
ture, and so merely the 
back end is visible. The 
main barn stands nearest 
the road, and is known as 
the cattle barn. Its dimen¬ 
sions are 70 by 34 feet, 
with 18-foot posts, and a 
capacity of 150 tons of 
hay. There are two drive 
floors, with granaries be¬ 
tween holding 2,000 bush¬ 
els. This barn and, in fact, 
all the barns on the place, 
are fitted up with tracks 
in the ridge for the con¬ 
venient unloading of hay 
by horse power. In the 
nine-foot basement under¬ 
neath there are open and 
box stalls to accommodate 
28 head of cattle, and a 40-barrel storage reservoir (that 
never freezes) from which water is taken to supply the 
barns and yards. The other grain barn at the right is 
almost a duplicate of the first, only not quite as 
large, being but 32 by 64 feet, with 18-foot posts, and one 
drive floor, and holding about 100 tons of hay. The base¬ 
ment is used for sheep in the winter. These two barns are 
models for those who desire to build plain, practical, and 
not very expensive structures, costing from $1,800 to $2,000 
each, including excavating and basements. Adjoining 
these are small barns and sheds for hay and stock. The 
yards arouudthem have been filled in with gravel, and are 
usually dry and hard. Behind this set of buildings there 
are the horse barns, corn barn, and a low shed 100 feet 
long for the storage of wagons and tools when not in use. 
A 12-foot open “Wolcott” wheel on a 40-foot inclosed 
tower pumps water to a tank in the house, from which it 
flows to the storage reservoir in the cattle barn. Besides 
the home buildings, there are three other sets of buildings 
on the farm, with tenants in the houses, who work all the 
“ plow ” laud on the share system. Here the Short horns 
have been bred for more than 40 years, improving year by 
year, until to day this farm contains some specimens of the 
breed as fine as any to be found in America. Many of the 
readers of this paper do not need to have the superior ex¬ 
cellence of this herd described to them, for they have seen 
them in the flesh at a hundred different fairs held in the 
Eastern States, where good judges have awarded them 
dozens of prizes over their competitors from far and near. 
At present the herd is somewhat depleted in numbers, 
owing to the numerous sales for breeding purposes last 
winter and spring, yet there are enough on hand to give 
Rural readers a fair idea of the wonderful qualities of 
this, the noblest of all the breeds of cattle that the world 
has ever seen. A few weeks ago a valuable yearling bull 
worth $1,000 died, and so we are unable to present what 
Mr. Barber called the finest bull of his age that he had 
ever seen. But, instead, we show the famous four-year-old 
bull, Waterloo Duke 17. He weighs 2,600 pounds, cost $700 
when 10 months of age, and has captured the prizes at 
every fair where he has been on exhibition. His sire was 
the $3,000 bull Duke of Oxford 54, while his grandsire was 
■**. . A 
• V.K'- 
SHORT-HORN BULL WATERLOO DUKE 17. Fig. 294. 
the celebrated $10,000 Canadian bull Duke of Clarence. A 
careful study of the cut shows as many desirable qualities 
as are rarely to be found united in one animal. He is emi¬ 
nently fitted to hold the position he does as head of the 
herd. 
If the camera had been placed a little closer to him his 
fine points would have been more clearly shown, but as 
the artist was getting a focus on him he bellowed and 
swung his tail in the air, and no amount of persuasion 
could induce our friend to bring his machine within 40 feet 
of him after that. All the other cattle were out at pas¬ 
ture, and so we had the pleasure of a walk over the farm 
to the field in which they ran. This pasture was good 
grass, as tall as one’s waist, and was being cut for hay, 
and would yield a ton and a half per acre—a fair yield, 
isn’t it ? considering that nearly 20 head had been run¬ 
ning in it for weeks. Twelve head were driven out on the 
newly-mown hay, beauties every one and worthy of any¬ 
thing complimentary that might be said of them. Neither 
photography nor my pen has the power to adequately de¬ 
scribe them as they stood that day seemingly conscious of 
their great superiority over the common cows one sees 
every day. They must be seen on their “ native heath ” to 
be fully appreciated. There are three cows that weigh 
over 1,700 pounds each. One three year-old heifer weighed 
1,450 pounds; one two-year old heifer weighed 1,400 pounds, 
and the smallest animal in the cut is a little ten-month- 
old heifer that weighs 1,000 pounds. There seems to be a 
prevailing belief that of late years Short horn breeders 
have sacrificed milk and butter qualities and have bred for 
beef alone. Indeed I have seen it stated that the Short¬ 
horn is no longer self-supporting as a dairy cow. The 
facts in the case do not sustain these suppositions in the 
least. No matter if scores of writers say there is no 
room for a general-purpose cow, I know there is. I 
believe, and have always believed, that the Short¬ 
horns are the most profitable breed for general farmers 
to keep, and Mr. Barber’s experience fully sustains 
my position. In answer to my question: “ Can you 
make your cows average a pound of butter per 
day ? ” he gave the following reply : “ I can take 10 
cows from my herd and in a year I can make them average 
a pound a day for 300 days 
and I can select three cows 
that will give 10 pounds a 
week each. As to their 
milking qualities, there is 
a cow that will give, when 
in the full flow of milk, 
20 quarts twice a day. 
__ Some think that these 
cows eat more than those 
of other breeds ; but I have 
two Jerseys that ate more 
hay and grain last winter 
than any two Short-horns 
I had in the stable.” Mr. 
Barber continued : “ The 
Short-horn cow pays as 
she goes along, and when 
you get through with her 
you can sell her for the top 
price for beef. Last year 
I sold a cow that was 
driven two miles and then 
weighed 1,770 pounds, and 
dressed 70 pounds to the 
100 pounds, live weight.” 
The value of the cows and 
heifers shown in the cut 
ranges from $100 to $500. 
Breeders of any age, even 
bull calves, are never sold 
for less than $100. These 
cows are not milked now, 
as at the present price of 
butter it is more profitable 
to allow the calves to run 
with the cows. If a cow 
raises a $100 calf every 
year she is decidedly prof¬ 
itable. Two-year old steers 
from this stock, with the 
common feed that good 
farmers give, will average 
1,400 pounds each, and 
bring a fancy price every time. I would not have any one 
think, from the heading of this article, that no other stock 
is kept on the farm, for 700 Meriuo sheep can call it home 
as well. They have just been sheared and average 10 
pounds of washed wool per head. A short time ago I read 
in another paper the inquiry : “ How can I get 100 sheep 
that will average 10 pounds of wool ? ” Mr. Barber has 
700 that average that, and they were brought to this state 
of perfection by “brains and breeding.” Realizing that 
feeders demand larger carcasses, he has bought several fine 
Ohio Delaine Merino rams to cross with his ewes and in 
the course of time he will have a fine flock of “ mutton 
Merinos.” 
The grain and grass crops are always good. Why, he 
said: “ We have not had a poor crop of wheat in 15 years. 
Last year 125 acres yielded 28 bushels per acre, aud the 
average for 14 years has been 27 bushels. Last season we 
cut 350 tons of hay, an average yield of over two tons per 
acre, and had 100 acres of beans, 25 acres of potatoes, 40 
acres of corn, and 65 acres of six-rowed barley, that yielded 
40 bushels per acre.” The reason why he rarely has poor 
crops of any kind is found iu the fact that he never sells 
hay or straw, but makes all his fodder into maaure, and 
then farms the land in the most intelligent manner. Neat- 
