76 THE CULTIVATOR. March, 
culture, which, while securing good present crops, has 
also in view the future condition of the soil 3 —a condi¬ 
tion of gradual and steady improvement. 
Brattleboro’, Ft. Jan. 16, 1849. F. Holbrook. 
Jjbtcrg of fcntxukg (ffatik. 
Letter front Lewis Sanders, Esq. 
[The author of the following communication, is well 
known as a gentleman of much experience and exten¬ 
sive observation in regard to live stock. It was through 
his enterprise that the cattle were introduced which 
have been so widely celebrated as “ the importation of 
1817/’ Knowing his ability to impart valuable infor¬ 
mation relative to the success of the different breeds of 
cattle in Kentucky, we took the liberty of propounding 
to him several questions, to which he has not only very 
fully replied himself, but has obtained, also, answers to 
the same questions from another very intelligent gentle¬ 
man, Dr. S. D. Martin, of Colbyville, Ky. On ac¬ 
count of the length of the article we are under the ne¬ 
cessity of deferring the publication of the letter of Dr. M. 
till next month. In the mean time we would tender our 
most respectful thanks to both of these gentlemen, for 
their interesting and valuable contributions.— Eds.] 
The first emigration to Kentucky,—the “ dark and 
bloody ground the hunting grounds of the Southern 
and of the Northern Indians,—with the view of perma¬ 
nent occupancy, of holding the country at all hazards, 
by men determined to overcome the tomahawk and 
scalping knife,-by the use of the rifle, took place in 
1775—6. The country then belonged to Virginia 3 a 
large proportion of the first settlers were from that 
state j next from Pennsylvania, then N. Carolina, Ma¬ 
ryland, New-Jersey, &,c. It is presumed that the emi¬ 
grants brought with them domestic animals, such as 
were then in common use. H. Marshall, speaking of 
•Gen’l. Ben. Logan, in his history of Kentuck}’ - , vol. 1, 
says, u in the fall of the year 1775, Col. Logan remo¬ 
ved his cattle and the remainder of his slaves to his 
camp,” (near where Danville now stands.) Horses 
and cattle were subsisted in the summer, in the range, 
consisting of a great variety of nutritive native grasses, 
including the buffalo clover, and the wild pea vines, 
luxuriant beyond description j and in the winter, in the 
cane brakes. 
It seems to me that the general characteristics of the 
cattle of the United States, at the commencement of 
the present century, were very similar to those of De¬ 
vonshire, Dorsetshire and Somersetshire, in England, 
as represented in prints of cattle in those counties in 
the last century. I have observed the cattle of Virgi¬ 
nia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New-York, 
and the New England states,* they seem to have had a 
common origin. 
The first improvement in the breed of cattle in Ken¬ 
tucky was made by Mr. Matthew Patton and his fami¬ 
ly, to whom the country is much indebted for the intro¬ 
duction of several valuable animals. A historical ac¬ 
count of them is given by Dr. S. D. Martin, a highly 
intelligent and sprited agriculturist of Clarke county, 
in this state, which is herewith forwarded as a part of 
this communication. 
Judge Beatty, in his very valuable Essays on Prac¬ 
tical Agriculture, (a book I recommend to all be¬ 
ginners to own,) treats on this subject.* These two 
papers, combine all the evidence it is thought that can 
now be obtained relative to the Patton cattle. 
I have heard it estimated that the introduction of the 
The remarks referred to. though interesting - , are omitted, as 
tha principal facts are embraced in tire articles of Mr. Sanders 
and Dr. Martin.—E ds. 
Patton cattle increased the weight of the four year-old 
bullocks, twenty-five to thirty per cent, besides impro¬ 
ving the quantity and quality of the milk. This was a 
great gain. 
The next marked improvement in the breed of cattle, 
was brought about by the importation of some animals' 
direct from England in 1817. At that period and for 
many years previously, I lived in Lexington. My pur¬ 
suits were otherwise directed, than to agriculture 3 but 
I had early imbibed a fondness for fine stock, particu¬ 
larly horses and cattle. I admired good fruits, and gave 
some attention to their culture. For several years I 
was in receipt of a variety of English publications, on 
agricultural subjects and agricultural improvements, 
from which I got a glance of what was going on, in 
some respects, in the old country. It astonished me 
greatly, to see the enormous prices paid for animals of 
particular breeds. First, the Long-horns, brought to a 
high state of perfection by the justly celebrated Bake- 
w T ell, Princep, Munday and Fowler. Towards the close 
the last century, they were at the height of their po¬ 
pularity. Mr. Princep refused five hundred guineas for 
a two year old bull of this breed. He was offered one 
hundred pounds each ($485) for twenty dairy cows. 
He refused to let his best bulls go to his neighbors’ 
cows, for thirty guineas the cow. At this period, 1789, 
the circulating medium was gold. The bank did not 
suspend specie payments until 1797. Mr. Fow¬ 
ler refused five hundred guineas for ten bull calves of 
the same breed, and let his bulls out for the season ( 1 st 
of April to the 1st of August,) for from £60 to £80. 
Much time was required, combining capital, skill and 
untiring perseverance, to bring this breed to such a high 
state of perfection. Notwithstanding all this, it was 
suffered to run out, almost to disappear in the course 
of a few years. About the time that the Long-Horns 
were held in such high estimation, commenced the im¬ 
provement of the Short Horns. Skillful breeders, with 
Charles Colling at their head, brought this breed to a 
very high sta,te of perfection. Their value was at the 
height in 1810. In this year a public sale took place. 
The list of animals sold, and the very high prices paid 
for each, has been often published. Countess, out of 
Lady, four years old, brought four hundred guineas j 
Comet, six years old, brought one thousand guineas. 
He was bought by four farmers. 
It seemed to me, that if four farmers were willing to 
pay five thousand dollars for a bull, there was a value 
in that breed that we were unapprised of, and that I 
would endeavor to procure it. I made up an order for 
six bulls and six cows. My views were then more in¬ 
clined for a good milking than for a beef breed. The 
weight of authorities, given by the writers on the sub¬ 
ject of cattle, at the close of the last, and the com¬ 
mencement of the present century, were in favor of the 
Holderness breed as the best for milk, and the Tees wa¬ 
ter and Durham as having the handsomest and most 
perfect forms. I settled on these breeds. In frequent 
conversations with Capt. Wm. Smith, about the con¬ 
templated importation, he strongly urged me to include 
the Long Horns; he had witnessed the marked im¬ 
provement made by the use of old Mr. Patton’s first 
Long Horn bull, and he was extremely anxious to have 
a bull of that breed. I had great respect for him as a 
man, and confiding in his judgment, two pairs of the 
Long Horns were added to the list. The order was 
forwarded in the fall of the year 1816, to Buchanan, 
Smith & Co., Liverpool, with instructions to cause se¬ 
lections to be made of the best young animals for 
breeders, all to be two years old in the following 
spring. 
First, a bull and heifer of the Holderness breed, to 
be procured from that district in Yorkshire. Next, two 
bulls and two heifers of theTeeswater breed, to be pro- 
