THE CULTIVATOR. 
189 
it may be easily disseminated to any extent in a very 
short time. Such men as Dr. Cloud of Alabama, Dr. 
Phillips and Mr. Affleck of Miss., I would suppose 
would not rest until they secured the introduction of the 
olive into their States, respectively. Mr. Affleck, espe¬ 
cially, will surely not consider Ingleside complete, until 
an olive grove shall have been added to his establish¬ 
ment. 
Dampier and Lord Anson, the former as far back as 
1688, had described the Bread Fruit, as a most invalua¬ 
ble production of the Ladrone Islands. In 1787, persons 
in London, interested in the West India Islands, prevail¬ 
ed on the King* of Great Britain to order a ship to be fit¬ 
ted out at the expense of the nation, for the purpose of 
introducing the Bread Fruit as an article of food, into the 
West India Islands. The first voyage, under Lieut. 
Bligh, was a failure. But the object was ultimately ac¬ 
complished. The result, from some cause or other, did 
not answer the expectations of those who had taken an 
interest in it; yet they never regretted having made the 
effort, nor the charge made by it on the public treasury. 
Is it not a matter of higher importance to the southern 
States of our confederacy that the Nikita olive should be 
procured at the public expense? Look over the list of 
seeds and plants brought home by the Exploring Expe¬ 
dition—estimate the whole at the highest value that can 
properly be set upon them, and all together, so far as re¬ 
al utility is concerned, they are not equal to the value of 
the Nikita olive. Yet how they are cherished—with 
what care and expense they are preserved! The gov¬ 
ernment of Great Britain incurs heavy expenses to intro¬ 
duce the Bread Fruit into the West India Islands; the 
government of France takes measures to introduce the 
Nikita olive into that country. Shall our government, 
established in all its branches, on principles of utility, 
and professing to be regulated in all its movements, ex¬ 
clusively by these principles, lag behind the old and de¬ 
caying monarchies of Europe in enterprises like these? 
Shall it be said that in our republic, its exploring expe¬ 
ditions, undertaken professedly for the public good, shall 
belie the character of all our institutions, by preferring, 
in their collections, articles of show to those of utility ? 
Athens , Ga., March 10, 1844. Jas. Camak. 
IMPROVEMENT OF FARM STOCK. 
Messrs. Editors —The improvement of farm stock 
ean hardly be too frequently brought before the mind of 
the agriculturist, and of all who feel any interest in the 
prosperity of the country. No individual of any obser¬ 
vation, whose attention has been drawn to this subject, 
and who has had an opportunity of critically examining 
the quality and character of the stock reared by a vast 
majority of farmers, can fail to be forcibly impressed 
with its importance to the nation, as a permanent, cer¬ 
tain, and reliable means of largely increasing the aggre¬ 
gate wealth and resources of the whole country. 
It is believed that this subject may appropriately en¬ 
gage the attention of the merchant, the manufacturer, the 
statesman and the patriot, as well as the farmer, when it 
is considered that agriculture is the foundation and the 
main source of national wealth, as it puts in motion, and 
imparts life and energy to all other branches of national 
industry. Let the agricultural products of the country 
fail for a single year, and what effect would it produce 
on all other interests ? The ships of the merchant would 
be found moored and decaying at his wharf; the manu¬ 
factories would cease to operate; our noble canals would 
then indeed become a (< solitary icilderness, ,> and every 
branch of industry would become paralyzed. 
If then, such vast interests are so intimately connected 
with a well regulated, intelligent and prosperous hus¬ 
bandry, it may well be inquired whether improvement in 
farm stock, which is one of the principal items of the 
farmer's wealth, is not important, and intimately con¬ 
nected with the general interests and prosperity of the 
country ? More particularly is it so to the farmer, and 
improvement must principally depend on his well direct¬ 
ed and persevering exertions. Each farmer should put 
the question directly to himself— <c Have I, in my pos¬ 
session neat cattle which possess the greatest combination 
of excellence, which are the most profitable for the dai¬ 
ry, which will mature early, and when no longer want¬ 
ed for dairy purposes, will put on flesh with the least 
expense in feeding for the butcher ? Have I the best 
sheep for fleece and carcass—the best breed of swine, 
those of quick growth and approved fattening qualities?” 
And if, on investigation, he becomes satisfied he is defi¬ 
cient in one or all of this description of animals, his own 
interest should at once stimulate him to spare no pains to 
procure such, no matter if it be at extra exertion, and a 
reasonable additional expense; for what is an outlay of a 
few hundred dollars compared with the accumulated pro¬ 
fits one may reasonably expect to derive in the period 
of a few years. Besides, there are other considerations 
of great interest that should not be lost sight of. It is 
well known that a great proportion of the labor and ex¬ 
pense of the farmer is bestowed upon his grain and root 
crops; and when those are well secured, it becomes a 
matter of interest to decide how they shall be disposed 
of to the most profit. Perhaps a great proportion of far¬ 
mers decide on feeding them to their stock to fatten them 
for their own consumption and for the butcher. If stock 
can be raised, which will consume one-third or one-quar¬ 
ter less food than the ordinary or unimproved stock of the 
country, how important is it he should rear such stock ? 
This is no ordinary subject; and there can scarcely be 
any just reason why it should not as deeply interest the 
agriculturists and arouse them to action, as does the im¬ 
provement of our home fabrics interest and engage the 
attention, zeal and persevering energies of the manufac¬ 
turers. Why do those who are engaged in this branch 
of industry devote so much time and means in perfecting 
labor saving machines ? Why so much solicitude in re¬ 
gard to a discriminating protective tariff; and why do 
they invoke the aid and influence of the agriculturist, 
whenever there is a proposition to modify the tariff in 
the slightest degree, and why is an appeal made to sus¬ 
tain this interest through pamphlets, hand-bills, and in 
jthe columns of almost every newspaper in the country, 
calling upon all classes to sustain this interest? It is 
simply because they have the discernment to see that 
their interests are involved in this question, and that their 
prosperity is in jeopardy. This is a right spirit, when 
so restrained and directed as not to infringe upon or in¬ 
jure other equally important interests. Now until some¬ 
thing like the same spirit which so extensively pervades 
the minds of those who are engaged in manufacturing*, is 
infused into the minds of the practical agriculturists, im¬ 
provement in farm stock will be of slow growth, and no 
permanent beneficial results can reasonably be expected. 
The agriculturists of England understood well their true in¬ 
terests in this branch of husbandry, and they have exten¬ 
sively encouraged the breeding of superior stock, and for 
the last fifty years or more, have by unwearied attention 
and perseverance brought up their stock to a point of per¬ 
fection which is unrivalled by that of any other country, 
(and which has largely contributed to swell the wealth of 
that nation. This improvement has increased their com¬ 
merce; their stock has attracted the attention of other 
countries, and exportations to a considerable extent are 
annually made, and at high prices. The wviter of this 
article recently wrote to a distinguished breeder of Eng ¬ 
land to be informed what he would charge for one of his 
best Durham heifers to be shipped this spring, and he 
replied that his price for one about two years old, would 
be two hundred, and for another one about three years 
old, would be three hundred guineas. This fact is stated 
merely to show the value they put upon improved stock. 
There have been imported into this country a variety 
of the very best improved breeds of animals from Eng¬ 
land, at considerable risk and expense, to propogate and 
to improve our native stock. Thus a foundation has been 
laid, which if duly appreciated by those most deeply in¬ 
terested, very favorable results may justly be expected. 
Who has attended our State and County fairs for three 
years past, and has not had his admiration excited by the 
fine display of the noble Durhams, Herefords and Devon 
cattle, as well as the fine sheep and swine which have 
graced their exhibitions and done so much honor to their 
owners. This stock has justly elicited the approval of 
the several viewing committees appointed as judges, and 
