THE CULTIVATOR. 
157 
COMPARATIVE SHRINKAGE OF SAXON AND 
MERINO WOOL. 
Messrs. Editors —A correspondent of yours, signing* 
'himself “ Wool Grower,” publishes in your last number, 
a letter from Samuel Lawrence, Esq. in which it is sta¬ 
ted that “ American Paular (merino) wool,” wall shrink 
from 40 to 45 per cent in scouring*. As this is a much 
greater loss than the public would be prepared to expect, 
it may be inferred that other wools do not shrink to any 
think like an equal extent. To prevent any such misap¬ 
prehension, I give you the following extracts from let¬ 
ters received by me from Mr. Lawrence. 
Oct. 16th he says*.—“ American Saxony wool washed 
in the usual way will shrink from 33 to 37 per cent. We 
have just scoured Mr. Morrell's wool of Tompkins Co., 
and it yields 66-\ lbs. to the 100. The finest sort yielded 
hut 624 lbs. This is considered one of the best flocks of 
•Saxon wool in Western New-York, and the condition of 
the wool was very good indeed. American Merino wool 
ivashed in the usual mode will shrink 40 to 45 per cent, 
say an average of 42 per cent.” 
Oet. 28th he says:—“The difference in the shrinkage 
of Saxony and Merino wool is from 5 to 7| per cent, 
when equally well washed on the back. The “ dark ends” 
or “ crust” on Merino wool do no injury to the staple, but 
oause it to shrink more than if the ends were clean.” 
Yours truly, Henry S. Randall. 
Cortland Village , April 4, 1844. 
MANAGEMENT OF COWS, &c. 
Messrs. Editors.-—I am not a first rate farmer, yet 
there are some things that I think I know a little about. 
I think I know that no other kind of stock should be suf¬ 
fered to run in the same pasture with cows; particularly 
hogs, for they wallow in the water, and spoil it for the 
use of the cows; and moreover, the mud that adheres to 
them when they come out of the wallow is carried over 
the grass, which renders it unfit for the cows to eat. I 
do not think well of a very frequent change of pasture 
for cows; for they will soon become so uneasy as not to 
be satisfied with the best you can give them. Let them 
have a range large enough so that the pasture will al¬ 
ways keep ahead of them, and they will be satisfied and 
milk as well, if not better, than when their pasture is 
frequently changed. After harvest, when the grass is 
not so fresh, it will be well to change sometimes, but 
not very frequently. Cows that are giving milk, are 
great eaters; they also require plenty of water and plen¬ 
ty of shade in their enclosure, with salt about twice a \ 
week. 
Breaking Heifers.- —Many a promising heifer is 
rendered unfit for the dairy, by improper management in 
breaking to the paii. They should be allowed to run 
with the cows one summer before you expect to milk 
them, and be driven regularly into the milking yard, and 
those who do the milking should frequently soothe and 
handle them, and treat them at all times with kindness, 
and there will then be no need to drive them into a small 
pen and have them held or tied to a post, or coaxed with 
a “ mess,” &c., whilst they are being milked. All such 
practices are very apt to teach them some bad habit that 
they will never forget. I know of no animal that is 
more a “ creature of habit” than the cow. 
Horses.- —It is sorrowful to see the abuse and cruelty 
that is practiced by some on this noble and useful animal. 
A great many valuable horses die yearly from improper 
treatment alone. Those who have the care of horses, 
should work them moderately, feed and water regularly, 
and give them salt at least twice a week. I believe that 
three-fourths of the diseases of horses are brought on 
them by improper treatment. Much has been said from 
time to time about the diseases of horses and their cures. 
I have always found it much easier and better to try to 
prevent, than to cure them. 
Breaking and management of colts.. —They should 
be treated kindly and taught a little at a time. First teach 
them to stand tied or hitched, and be sure that the halter 
Is strong enough to hold them, for if they break the hal¬ 
ter a few times, they will never forget it; and a horse 
can hardly have a worse practice than that of breaking 
loose whenever you hitch him. Next, they should be 
taught to lead well, for if they do not learn to lead when 
young, they will never lead well. They may be ridden 
a little at two anil a half years old, if the weather is cool; 
in riding, always teach them to walk well before they 
are put to any other gait. Be careful not to scare them 
by throwing* on the saddle, or in mounting. When you 
wish to break them to work, put them in a team with 
horses that will not baulk, and put on no more load than 
the rest of your team can draw. They should be worked 
a few days in one place and then changed to another; as 
by this means you may have horses that will work in any 
place you may choose, or have occasion to put them, and 
they will be doubly valuable for it. If your colts should 
be a little unruly when first geared up, never mind it— do 
not strike them* All young animals, (children not except¬ 
ed,) can be managed best by the law of kindness. 
C. H. Hall. 
Bluerock, Muskingum Co., Ohio, March 5, 1844. 
PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 
Messrs. Editors— I have noticed in some of the back 
numbers of the Cultivator, the rules of breeding as laid 
down by Cline, with which, if I understand them prop¬ 
erly, I cannot agree. He says it is wrong to breed small 
cows to a large bull, or to use his own words, “ crossing 
has only succeeded in an eminent degree in those instan¬ 
ces in which the females were larger than the usual pro¬ 
portion of females to males.” 
My experience differs from this; and to sustain this dif¬ 
ference, I will refer you to an extract from the agricultu¬ 
ral tour of Count de Gourcy in the north of Scotland, a 
notice of which, I lately saw in the Cultivator. Pie says 
<e Mr. Watson at Keylor, keeps about twenty of the 
mountain or Highland cows, which he breeds to a Short 
Horn bull, and it is astonishing to witness the results of 
this cross, of a large male with small females. The suc¬ 
cess in every respect is beyond a doubt.” In the second 
place, who has not marked the decided improvement in 
the progeny of a Short Horn bull and the Devon cow-. 
“ Indeed,” says some writer, “I never knew any of these 
bulls put to any cow where the produce was not superior 
to the dam. But the cross which I advocate, and with 
which I am best acquainted, is with the Devon cow.” 
And farther, it is known that the Rev. Henry Berry of 
England, is much in favor of this cross. And again, I 
have observed that the improvement made by crossing 
the Short Horn upon our native stock, is most perceptible 
when the cow is a small tight made animal; the calf, in 
that case, being more compact and finer formed, than the 
produce of a cow nearer the size of the bull. Now what 
I wish to know is this; how to reconcile this clashing 
between what are laid down as the true principles of 
breeding, and actual experience. 
I have written this in the hope of eliciting from you a 
few remarks on the subject. B. H. 
Georgia, March, 1844. 
Note.-— We do not suppose that the principles of breed¬ 
ing laid down by Cline, have ever been universally ad¬ 
mitted, even among* eminent stock-breeders. The point 
alluded to by our correspondent, is not settled. In Eng¬ 
land, we find the celebrated Short Horn breeder, Thomas 
Bates, opposed to Cline’s theory; while the equally cele¬ 
brated breeder of Here fords, the late John Price, W.& in 
favor of it. Our correspondent has mentioned the late 
Rev. Mr. Berry, as having been in favor of the crosu of 
Durhams with Devons. We wish he had given us some 
reference to Mr. Berry’s writings showing that he was in 
favor of this cross, as we do not recollect anything of the 
kind. We should expect a better formed progeny from, 
compactly made cows, than from loosely made ones, 
whatever might be their size, especially if the bull was 
rather more loose in his make than he ought to be. 
North Devon Ox.—-An ox of the North Devon breed 
has been lately exhibited in England, which was 18| 
hands high, and measures, as it is said, four feet from hip 
to hip, and is still growing. 
