1883.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
179 
Are Shorthorn Cattle Hardy? 
Yes, we answer, unhesitatingly, as much 
so as any other breed of cattle in existence, 
when properly reared. They have only be¬ 
come delicate when foolishly stuffed from 
birth, with an excess of rich food, kept shut 
up from healthy out-door exercise, and 
housed alike from summer heat and winter 
cold. There are thousands of thoroughbred 
and high grade shorthorns in the Western 
States that have been reared without an 
hour’s shelter of any kind, and had no other 
food since weaning, than grass, from spring 
to autumn, and ftie run of a cornfield in the 
winter; and these prove so superior when 
full grown, as to win the highest prizes of¬ 
ten over all other cattle at the various stock 
exhibitions throughout the country. Short¬ 
horn bulls when delicately bred, taken to the 
great western plains, and turned out there 
among a herd of half wild cattle to “ shirk” 
for themselves, as a matter of course, could 
not long endure such a life; but had they 
beeD reared and kept in a proper manner, as 
some few of the wiser ranchmen have lat¬ 
terly done, these bulls would have served 
well and lived to a fair old age. 
The grade progeny of shorthorn bulls out 
of Spanish or Texas cows, one of the largest 
of the ranchmen says: “unite the heavy 
qualities of the former with the power and 
activity of the latter.” And to this they un¬ 
doubtedly add the further merit of maturity 
two years earlier than their female ances¬ 
tors. They consume no greater quantity of 
grass, and turn out a quality of beef worth 
from 50 to 75, and perhaps 100 per cent, 
more than the Spanish or Texas bullocks. 
The same story is told in Great Britain, 
where shorthorns and their grades have 
spread rapidly during a century past, from 
their original home in Durham, to the severe 
winter climate of the north of Scotland and 
the very mild one of the south of England ; 
and throughout the countiy they are now 
successfully competing in thrift (and at a 
greater profit in breeding and raising), with 
many of the various sorts of the natives. 
The celebrated African traveller, Living¬ 
stone, wrote, that in one large district of that 
excessively hot country, he found a native 
breed of cattle as large as and closely resem¬ 
bling the English shorthorns in all their 
points. A similar native breed has existed 
from time immemorial, in the cold moun¬ 
tainous cantons of Switzerland. 
Give the shorthorns plenty of healthy 
food and pure water, and they will do as 
well as other beasts ; but, wfe say, all ought 
to be well sheltered from winter storms, by 
day and night, and have shade to go into at 
will during the extreme hot summer. On 
thin pasture, and rough, hilly, mountainous 
land, smaller and more active breeds are 
more profitable, and these should be kept in 
such districts in preference to shorthorns, 
Herefords, and other large animals. 
Leaves for Cattle ISedding;. —It is 
to be regretted that farmers do not make 
more use of leaves. They are richer in fertil¬ 
izing matter than straw, are better absorb¬ 
ents, and are more easily shoveled out of the 
stable; and when placed in the manure heap, 
they rot more rapidly than straw. Our for¬ 
ests are a treasure of leaves, and many also 
are found beneath ornamental and pasture 
trees, which it becomes necessary to remove 
in order to let the grass grow under them, to 
add to the neatness and beauty of the land¬ 
scape. Make good use of the cast-off leaves. 
Improved Smoke-House. 
CLASS IX.—SECOND PRIZE BT “SENECA’’ (L. D. SNOOK, N.T.) 
The building herewith shown is seven feet 
in length, six feet wide, and seven feet high 
Fig. 1. —IMPROVED SMOKE HOUSE: 
from the ground floor to the lower side of 
the plate. It should be boarded up with 
matched stuff, or well battened. The frame 
is 4 by 4 timber at top and bottom, to 
which the boards are nailed. 
All smoke-houses should be fire-proof, but 
the expense involved in the construction of 
a brick or stone building, is more than many 
farmers and others care to incur. For this 
class, I have devised a wooden building con¬ 
taining a fire-proof bin, that will not inter¬ 
fere with the use of the building for smoking 
meat. Any wooden smoke-house may be 
easily and cheaply transformed to contain a 
fire-proof receptacle for ashes. In fig. 1, is 
given a view of the interior of the smoke¬ 
house, showing plainly the form and location 
of the ash-bin. The bin is made from brick 
(long, narrow, flat stones will answer), and is 
built across one end or side of the building. 
The bricks are laid lengthwise, and only one 
deep. The bin should be nearly three feet in 
hight, and occupy about half the floor space 
of the building. For readily removing the 
ashes, coat the bottom and sides of the bin 
with mortar. No wood should be used. 
When the season has arrived for smoking 
a piece of sheet-iron (a section of flattened 
stove-pipe will answer), two feet square, 
eighteen inches above the fire. The object 
of this is to spread the heat over a greater 
surface, and not allow the blaze to flash up 
to the meat. It also prevents the possibility 
of any pieces of meat falling directly upon 
the fire. When not in use, this iron screen 
is unhooked from the poles above and placed 
in one comer. I have always followed the 
plan shown in fig. 2. As the meat 
must be carried from the cellar to 
the smoke-house, the short sticks 
make a secure handle for the pur¬ 
pose. The sticks rest upon cross¬ 
pieces, e, e, placed upon the plate 
of the building. Some prefer to 
use iron hooks, bent in the form 
of a large S, as shown in fig. 3— 
while by driving a spike or wooden 
pin in the edge or side of the scant¬ 
ling, a good support is obtained, as 
indicated in fig. 4. With a little 
more expense, a convenient sup¬ 
port is obtained, so clearly shown 
in fig. 5 as to need no further de¬ 
scription. In hanging up heavy 
pieces of meat, use strips of new 
or strong cloth, two inches in 
width. A miniature wooden chim¬ 
ney should be placed at the top 
of the building, with an opening in 
the roof for ventilation, when required. 
Smoke from cobs or hickory wood impart 
the best flavor to meat. The smoke-house 
door should, for convenience, open outward. 
Corn—To Drill or Not to Drill. 
Figs. 2 and 3. —hanging meat. 
the meat, build the fire upon the earth floor 
close to the brick wall, suspend by four wires 
It has been said: “When the com is 
drilled, the plow or cultivator can be run up 
close to it so as to cover up the weeds !” In 
this case we had better not drill in the com, 
for at least two reasons. If the land is rich, 
as it should be, and is thoroughly prepared by 
pulverizing, neither the plow, nor any other 
implement should be run near the com 
after the first time it is cultivated. It makes 
little difference whether the growing ears of 
corn be robbed of plant food by root pruning 
or by a large crop of weeds. The rootlets of 
strong growing corn extend to a considera¬ 
ble distance from the hill, and many of the 
roots are near the surface of the soil. I made 
an examination the past season with a hand- 
cultivator between the rows of my corn. It 
was growing very rapidly, no weed or spire 
