THE CULTIVATOR. 
229 
SALE OF MR. PRENTICE’S SHORT-HORNS. 
Agreeably to previous notice, the sale of Mr. E. P. 
Prentice's herd of improved short-horned cattle took 
place on the 25th of last month. The day of the sale 
proved favorable—the occurrence of showers on the day 
preceding having produced a delightful purity of air, 
and an increased greenness and freshness of vegetation, 
which seemed to invest Mount Hope with more, even, 
than its usual attractions. 
A numerous and highly respectable company from this 
and several other States, assembled early in the day, and 
after spending several hours in the examination of stock, 
and having partaken of refreshments, which were served 
in a beautiful grove, the sale commenced. It was con¬ 
ducted in a very spirited manner by L. F. Allen, Esq., 
assisted by Mr. Jones as auctioneer. The cattle were in 
fine condition, and passed rapidly under the hammer. 
Forty-one animals were sold at prices varying from $25 
to $225, and averaging $112.75 per head. The prices, 
in general, may be considered low, when the high cost 
of the original stock and the acknowledged excellence 
of the herd offered, are considered; yet it should be re¬ 
membered that the sale was positive—that there was no 
underbidding, or buying in. 
COWS. 
Flora—8 years old, J. B. Nott, Guilderland,. $215 00 
Moss Rose—8 years old. J. W. Wheeler, Hyde Park,.... 140 00 
Catharine—6 years old, M. Bates, New-York,. 105 00 
Snow Ball—11 years old, E. H. Smith, Smithtown, L. I.,. HO 00 
Melissa—8 years old, W. S. Packer, Brooklyn,. 120 00 
Cora—4 years old, Dr Jas. McNaughton, Albany,. 125 00 
Daisy—7 years old, do do do . 105 00 
Diana—6 years old, J. W. Bishop. Berkshire eo. Mass-,.. 155 00 
Charlotte—5 years old, do do 190 00 
Ada—4 years old, R. H. Green, "Winslow, Maine,. 170 00 
Appolonia—10 years old, J. P. Brayton, Bethlehem,. 1G0 00 
Louisa—5 years old, R. H. Green, Winslow, Maine,. 150 00 
Splendor—11 years old, W. S. Packer, Brooklyn,. 190 00 
Jenny—4 years old, Edward H. Smith,.. 105 00 
Aurora—10 years old, J. B. Nott, Guilderland,. 145 00 
Miss Smith—8 years old, P. W. Tuthill,. 80 00 
HEIFERS AND HEIFER CALVES. 
Caty—11 months old, W- S. Packer, Brooklyn,. $100 00 
Comely—4 months old, Wm. Kelly, Rhinebeck,. 70 00 
Nun—8 years old, do do . 110 00 
Meg—1 year old, Wm. Kelly, Rhinebeck. 65 00 
Nell—3 years old, M. Bates, New-York. 225 00 
Betty—6 months old, Wm. Kelly, Rhinebeck,. 55 00 
Rover—1 year old, V. P. Douw, Albany. 70 00 
Calf, 2 weeks old, J. H. Prentice, Brooklyn,. 50 00 
Calf, 2 months old, W. S. Packer,. 45 00 
Burley—1 year old, V. P- Douw, Albany,. 80 00 
Peggy—3 years old, J P. Brayton, Bethlehem,. 200 00 
Peggy, 2d—4 months old, V. P. Douw, Albany,. 110 00 
Ramble—1 year old, W. S Packer, Brooklyn,. 75 00 
Jilt—10 months old. Wm. Kelly, Rhinebeck,. 60 00 
Calf, 1 month old, J. P. Walker,. 77 50 
BULLS AND BULL CALVES. 
Calf, 1 month old, W. S. Packer, Brooklyn,... $40 00 
Blaize—4 months old, R. H. Green, Winslow, Maine,.... 55 00 
Tyro—5 months old, J. B. Nott, Guilderland, ... 55 00 
Tecumseh—1 year old, W. S. Packer, Brooklyn,......... 200 00 
Calf, 2 weeks old, J P. Walker,. 30 00 
Calf 1 month old, W. Kelly. 75 00 
Duke—6 months old, Gen. Kimball, Newfane, Vermont,. 200 00 
Calf, 3 days old, J. P. Walker,. 25 00 
Timour—11 months old, M. J. Haves, Montreal,. 80 00 
Fairfax—5 years old, W. S. Packer,... 205 00 
$4,622 50 
Forty-one animals, averaging.$112 75 
Of (he other nine animals on the catalogue, four, (Ma¬ 
tilda, Sally, Judy and Esterville,) were reserved by Mr. 
Prentice, agreeably to the terms of his advertisement— 
one, (Caroline,) was withdrawn for want of a bid—one 
cow, (Dutchess,) and a calf, died—another, (Dora,) 
was sick, and O'Connell, by a vote of the company, un¬ 
solicited by Mr. P., was withdrawn. 
WHENCE DO ANIMALS DERIVE THEIR FAT. 
The theory has lately been put forth by some European 
chemists, that such plants only as contain oil, or the ele¬ 
ments of fat, can fatten animals. A late number of the 
Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, contains an article, 
translated from the French, on the « Fatting of Cattle, 
and the Formation of Milk, by M. M. Dumas, Boussin- 
gault, and Payen.” In this this article, the theorv above- 
mentioned, is strongly and elaborately defended. It is 
obvious that the subject involves a matter of great prac¬ 
tical importance, viz: that of selecting the proper plants 
for the fattening of animals and the production of butter. 
The researches of the chemist and philosopher, may be 
of service in deciding this point, though it appears to us 
(hat in the adoption of new theories, we should be careful 
that they are not opposed to well-established facts. A 
sensible writer has well remarked, that “ perhaps nothing 
has done so much to discredit, amongst the mass of farmers 
the probability of profitably making thescience of chem¬ 
istry available for the purposes of agriculture, as repeat¬ 
ed assertions made by chemists, either at variance with, 
or only partially founded on facts.” It strikes us that the 
article to which we allude is in some particulars obnox¬ 
ious to this charge. In advocating the theory that ani¬ 
mals have not been known to fatten on food devoid of 
fat, it is stated that hogs have not been known to fatten 
on potatoes! At the conclusion of the article, the writer 
gives a summary of the conclusions arrived at, among 
which it is laid down, “that potatoes, mangel wurtzel, 
and carrots, only fatten so far as they are joined with 
products containing fat substance, such as straw, the 
seeds of cereal plants, bean, or oil-cake.” It will hard¬ 
ly be necessary to refer to particular cases to show that 
this conclusion is at variance with facts—the experience 
of many a Yankee, and we doubt not that of many an 
Irishman, contradicts it. Are there not to be found many 
persons who have fattened animals on potatoes or car¬ 
rots'? We have often fattened animals on potatoes, with no 
additional food than such a quantity of straw or hay as was 
was necessary to give proper distention to the bowels, and 
assist the animal to “ raise the cud,” and never saw better 
beef than from cattle thus fed. In some of the cases 
we have in mind, the whole quantity of food given, be¬ 
sides the potatoes, would not have been sufficient to sus¬ 
tain the animal in ordinary condition. So in regard to 
hogs, we have known many cases where the accumula¬ 
tion of fat could be attributed to nothing else but pota¬ 
toes. We cannot cite cases where potatoes were the 
only food given, but the quantity of other kinds would 
never have fattened them. 
The experiment, to which these French chemists re¬ 
fer in support of their theory, if well conducted in other 
respects, must, in our opinion, have been made with an 
inferior breed of hogs. 
In a note attached to the article upon which we have 
made the above comments, is a remark in relation to the 
effect of carrots when given to milch cows, to which 
we wish to call the attention of our readers. It is said 
“This sort of food [carrots] is reserved for those cows 
which are not so good milkers, and whose milk it is 
wished still farther to impoverish, in order that it may 
serve as a substitute for woman's milk.” Now we would 
inquire whether anything like the effect here indicated is 
known to follow the use of carrots for cows in this 
country? So far as we are acquainted, the effect of car¬ 
rots is believed to be to make the milk richer instead of 
poorer. 
PRICES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 
New York, June 24,1845. 
COTTON.—The exports of Cotton, from 1st to 17th of June, wer© 
16,986 bales. Prices, 5^a8£. 
BUTTER.—Orange County, in tubs or pails, 15al8—New West¬ 
ern dairy, 11«18. 
CHEESE—5|a7. 
FLOUR—Best Genesee, $4.75—Ohio and Michigan, $4. 50a 
$4.62£. 
GRAIN—Wheat, nothing doing—Rye, 66a67—Corn, 45a48c. 
HEMP—Dew rotted, per ton, $95—Dressed, $145. 
HOPS—per lb. 13al4 cents. 
HAMS—Pickled, per lb. 5a7 cents. 
BEEF—Country Mess, $9 bbl. 
LARD—per lb. 7%a8. 
PORK—Per bbl. mess $12.50a$13—prime, $9.37a$9.50. 
TOBACCO—Kentucky, per lb. 3 cents—Connecticut seed leaf, 
8 « 10 . 
WOOL— Boston, being the great wool-market, we give the pri¬ 
ces of Wool in that city, as reported in the New-England Farmer of 
June 18th : 
Prime or Saxony fleeces, washed per lb....... $0.40a0.43 
American full blood fleeces,. 37a0.38 
“ three-fourths blood fleeces,..,..... 35a0.36 
“ half blood do . 32a0.33 
“ one-fourth blood and common,.,,, 30a0.31 
