THE CULTIVATOR. 
181 
GRADE STOCK. 
The attention of the public has often been called to 
herds of pure bred cattle, in different parts of the coun¬ 
try, and their pedigrees given to the readers of agricul¬ 
tural papers, in such a manner as to add greatly to their 
reputation in public estimation. We perhaps think as 
much of pedigree as any one, and would be glad if eve¬ 
ry stock grower would keep an exact register of all his 
stock, with their origin, &c. Notwithstanding these 
views, we think that many of our best herds of stock 
have been overlooked, and their merits not duly appre¬ 
ciated, simply for the reason that an exact pedigree can¬ 
not be given to the public. If we mistake not, some of 
the best cows for milk of which we have record, have 
been produced by a cross between pure bulls of some of 
our best breeds, and the common cows of the country. 
Indeed, we have sometimes thought, where the object is 
to raise cows for the dairy mainly, no better course can 
be adopted, than to select from our best common cows, 
and breed to a bull of some one of the improved breeds; 
and although we might have a choice between the differ¬ 
ent breeds, we would not hesitate to commence with a 
bull of either, rather than rely entirely on native stock. 
One of the best herds of grade cattle, and particularly 
of grade cows, with which we have ever been acquaint¬ 
ed, was raised by Mr. F. Ingersall, of Vernon, Onei¬ 
da co. This stock, about thirty in number, was last fall 
sold at auction, (the owner having previously sold his 
farm,) so that nearly all have passed into other hands, 
and are now owned by different individuals, mainly in 
Oneida co. Four or five individuals only have been re¬ 
tained, from the choicest of his stock. 
Of the origin of this stock, we cannot speak with en¬ 
tire certainty. They are, however, a cross between the 
Devons from the stock of Messrs. Hurlburt, of Connecti¬ 
cut, and a race of cattle which have for years gone by 
the name of the Sweet breed; probably from the fact 
that a gentleman of that name, in Onondaga co., bred up 
a fine stock of cattle; but of their pedigree, we are not 
now informed. Probably there are persons in the coun¬ 
ties of Onondaga and Cortland who can give some infor¬ 
mation in regard to this race of cattle. 
Several of the heifers raised by Mr. Ingersoll have 
proved extraordinary milkers, and fortunately we have 
here what is too often neglected, exact accounts of the 
quantity of milk in pounds, given by several of these 
for many days in succession. From the records of the 
Oneida Co. Ag. Society, we glean the following facts: 
u Nellee,” four years old last spring, came in at two 
years old, and gave an average of a fraction over forty 
pounds of milk per day, for fourteen days in succession, 
commencing 1st June, 1842. In 1843, when three years 
old, she gave for thirty days in succession, commencing 
May 15th, forty-four pounds four ounces per day. In 
the summer of 1844, again commenced weighing her 
milk, but after a few days, owing to a temporary injury, 
the account was discontinued. The average for the four 
days it was weighed, was fifty-one pounds. 
This cow has taken the first premium in the class in 
which she was exhibited, fur four years in succession, 
at the Oneida Co. Ag. Fair, where the competition was 
by no means limited, and where she has had to compete 
with many of the best animals in this section of the 
State. 
“ Blossom,” own sister to Nellee, three years old last 
spring, also came in at two years old, and has proved 
scarcely inferior to Nellee as a milker- She gave at two 
years old an average of forty pounds per day, for seven 
days in succession; and in 1844, at three years old, forty, 
three pounds and thirteen ounces per day, for the same 
time. She also has received three first premiums, with 
spirited competition. 
Several others from the same stock have nearly equal¬ 
ed these; and as a herd, they have perhaps seldom been 
excelled for dairy purposes. Nothing but grass has ever 
been fed in summer, and never more than four quarts of 
bran per day in winter. 
These facts are given, because we have here exactness 
and figures instead of guess work, as is too often the 
case. It is proper to remark, that the milk is of excel¬ 
lent quality; but as they have been kept in a dairy for 
making cheese, their milk could not be conveniently set 
for butter separate from the rest of the dairy. These 
animals are three-fourths Devon, and the remainder from 
the Sweet stock spoken of above. 
To individuals who have bred such animals, and who 
have taken pains to furnish exact data when exhibited 
at our Cattle Shows, the public are indebted for an ex¬ 
ample well worthy of imitation. Shall wc not hear from 
other herds equally successful ? “ Nellee,” spoken of 
above, is now owned by the writer, who considers her 
one of the best milkers which has come under his notice y 
but from the fact that she is kept as a family cow, he will 
be unable to continue the experiments as he would de¬ 
sire, and especially to test her qualities for butter making. 
The mother of these animals, “Cherry,” is also in our 
hands, and shows good evidence of dairy qualities, as 
well as proof in her calves of her value as a breeder. 
Rome, N. Y., 1845. E. Comstock. 
M’CGRMICK’S REAPING MACHINE. 
L. Tucker, Esq.—Being a subscriber to your valua¬ 
ble and extensively circulated journal, not having trou¬ 
bled you hitherto with communications of this or any 
other sort, and not having observed much notice taken in 
the Cultivator of “ M Cormick’s Virginia Reaper,” I 
have supposed it might not be uninteresting to the read¬ 
ers of the same, nor unacceptable to you, to give some 
account of what it is doing here in the “ far west.” 
I am not a practical farmer as yet, but [expect to be one 
S0071. I have long felt a deep and lively interest in the 
agricultural prosperity of our common country, and have 
acted some humble part towards promoting this great 
cause, within the limited sphere of my influence. In this 
age of improvement, nothing has come under my obser¬ 
vation, which promises greater benefit to the farming 
community, than does this most valuable invention, the 
Virginia Reaper. After hazarding this opinion, be not 
surprised when I say, that I have not yet, even witnessed 
the operation of the machine in the field. I rely mainly 
upon the hundreds of gentlemen, (many of them per¬ 
sonally and intimately known to me,) who during the last 
three or four years, have in my native State, Virginia, 
borne testimony cf the most conclusive character to the 
fact. Many of them, as I have seen, after trying one ma¬ 
chine through a harvest, stated that it had paid for itself, 
and supported their statements with orders for additional 
machines. This was the case with a brother-in-law of 
mine, Wm. Galt, Esq. of Glenarvon, Fluvanna Co. Va. 
It is worthy of remark too, that this machine has not 
been brought forward and introduced on the humbugging 
plan. Although invented and publicly exhibited in ope¬ 
ration in the harvest of 1831, (two years before Hussey’s 
machine was invented,) as appears from a letter publish¬ 
ed by Mr. McCormick in the May number of the Mecha¬ 
nic’s Magazine for 1834, he (McCormick,) did not attempt 
to introduce it until the year 1840; since which time, it 
has been rapidly working its way to public favor in Vir¬ 
ginia. It had not been taken out of that State until last 
harvest, when it was introduced into the western part of 
New-York, into Michigan, Wiconsin, Illinois and Mis¬ 
souri, with the most signal success. A machine was al¬ 
so sent to this State, but arrived too late for harvest: it 
was exhibited at the annual fair of our County Agricultu¬ 
ral Society, and received a certificate and special report 
from the committee on Agricultural Implements. 
McCormick’s Reaper, is now, I understand, being ma¬ 
nufactured in the western part of New-York, (by Backus, 
Fitch & Co. at Brockporf, in Monroe county,) in Michi¬ 
gan, Wisconsin, and Missouri, and I learn from Mr. A. 
C. Brown of this city, one of the mo's! extensive machine 
builders in the west, that he will have at least one hun¬ 
dred and fifty machines manufactured for the ensuing har¬ 
vest, for which he is receiving orders by almost every 
mail. Tuenty-five orders have been received by him 
from a single county in the State of Indiana. 
The terms too, upon which the Reaper is offered, are 
at once generous and confiding, and bespeak a favorable 
consideration from the agricultural community. It is 
1“ warranted to cut fifteen acres per day with ease, (light 
