THE CULTIVATOR. 
267 
up to the very windows, all of which, on a level with 
the street, have iron bars, and outside half-shuts, to pre¬ 
vent their being broken in by the cattle. Easily distin¬ 
guishable from amongst the many persons around, are the 
shepherds and their trusty dogs, who have brought up 
the stock from various parts of the country; all, a stout, 
healthy, well looking set of men, with their frieze (the 
poor man’s home-made cloth,) great coals and large 
capes, but singularly enough differing in color, according 
to the province they come from; but the Leinster light 
grey color preponderating in number by far, as from 
this province, particularly in the spring of the year, I 
am informed, that Smithtield receives its chief supply of 
fat stock; however, I was occasionally pointed to the 
dark-brown frieze from the far west, (Connaught,) 
and was surprised to find that few of the shepherds 
from there, speak any other language than the Irish; 
they are truly a primitive but most intelligent race 
of people, and their shepherd dogs little less so than 
themselves. I never saw finer or fatter cattle in my 
life, and by far the greater number, and those the fat¬ 
test and most sought after, were, I was informed, fat¬ 
tened exclusively on grass, having had but a little hay 
given to them since the hard weather commenced about 
Christmas. I was here again astonished at the great dispa¬ 
rity in numbers between heifers and bullocks; there were 
certainly ten heifers for the one bullock in the market, 
accounted for to me, by the fact, that heifers were so 
much more easily fattened than bullocks; the calculation 
is, that you can fatten five heifers for four bullocks, and 
that the heifer beef is much superior and of more value. 
Of the prices they brought, you could form no right esti¬ 
mate without seeing the animals, but you may guess as 
you please when I tell you, I saw many heifers driven 
Out that were sold for over $100 each, our money, and 
many fat weathers that brought from $12 to $15 each, in 
lots of tens and twenties. The market is well supplied 
too with veal, brought in in long two wheeled, one- 
horse spring carts, with cages in the place of the bed, 
and carrying from six to ten calves each, many of which 
l saw sold for $15, and some few very prime ones as high 
as $20. Veal at this season, is worth on the stall from 
Id. to 8 d., (14 to 16 cents,) per pound. There was also 
a good supply of early fat lamb, brought in cages simi¬ 
larly constructed, but with three tiers, one over the oth¬ 
er, and containing from 30 to 40 lambs each—which 
readily sold at from 15s. to one guinea each; ($3 to $5 our 
money.) Lamb at this season here, is the greatest deli¬ 
cacy that can appear on the table. At the extreme end 
of this, is the “ Springer market,” where the in-calf 
cows, and those that have calved, stand, and are 
sold separately. Every thing that comes into the mar¬ 
ket, is consigned to some “ salesman,” of which there 
may be ten in all, but the aforesaid Billy Murphy sells 
nearly as much as all the rest together. He is the 
master-spirit and father of the market, having been 
now over half a century in that business, on the same 
stand, and in the same house; never, it is said, having 
failed to attend every Thursday during that period. 
(Mondays and Thursdays are cattle market days.) Though 
he seldom comes in on Monday for years back, leaving 
the sales on that day, to be attended by his assistants, of 
whom he has three, and a very fine young man, a son, 
all of whom have a minor interest in the business. 
Shortly after I got into the market, a man went up and 
down ringing a bell loud and sharp. I asked a gentle¬ 
man near what it was for. “Sir, that is 8 o’clock he is 
ringing.” “ And does he ring every hour?” said I. 
“ Oh, no, sir; you are a stranger I see. There is a rule 
of some 25 years standing, entered into between the 
salesmasters and butchers, that no cattle are to be sold to 
the Liverpool dealers until after 6 o’clock, in summer, 
and 8 o’clock in winter, at which hour notice is given, 
as you see, by the bell-man. This is done to insure the 
Dublin butchers time to make their selections, for the 
home consumption.” 
After walking up and down in silent amazement for 
some time, i ventured to inquire of a gentleman near me, 
which was Mr. Murphy's stand. “You are on it, sir,” 
was the reply; “ there he stands yonder himself, leaning 
on that butcher’s shoulder. I viewed him for some time > 
and could not help admitting to myself that he was a 
great man;—great in stature, great in mind and intellect, 
great in business, was great, very great in politics, (he 
has not interfered in them though since Grattan’s time,) 
—last year he offered to pay O’Connell’s fine, $10,000, 
himself, for which he got great praise. He is great in 
wealth, too, being, it is said, worth fully one million ster¬ 
ling, all made in Smithfield as a cattle salesman. My fa¬ 
ther often told me that when he (Mr. Murphy,) had to fly 
the country in ’98, for his life, on account of his tainted 
principles, he had but 200 guineas in the world, and since 
his return in 1800, he has amassed his present wealth. 
He is now turned of 70, tall, straight as a whip, not well 
looking, a very marked though pleasing and most intel¬ 
lectual countenance, stern to a degree when he pleases, 
surmounted by a head of strong, bushy, grizzly hair, not 
unlike that of our own General Jackson. When I found 
him for a moment disengaged, I went up and addressed 
him saying, “I am the son of John-, your old 
friend and companion, sir.” He drew back and viewed 
me sternly for a minute, and then came to me with out¬ 
stretched arms, and eyes filled with tears, and shook me 
heartily by both hands, saying, “ I know you now, I see the 
likeness; what is your name, my boy?” He quickly turn¬ 
ed round, and beckoned to an elderly gentleman near by, 
to come to him, and said, “ John Rorke, allow me to intro¬ 
duce you to the son of our good old friend, John —-, 
from America; take him into breakfast,” and addressing 1 
me, said, “let me see you, my boy, before you leave the 
market. I want you home with me; but now 1 must at¬ 
tend to business, the business of others.” I find my 
sheet is full, and must conclude, leaving for my next, a 
dlscription of the sumptuous breakfast table, prepared 
every market day by the salesmaster, for his friends and 
customers, rH where in less than half an hour, I was 
introduced > some 40 or 50 of the elite of the Lein¬ 
ster graziers. I shall also astonish you with an account 
of Mr. Rorke’s farm, where under one roof, he has 350 
cows tied up, giving milk, and 200 heifers tied up fatten¬ 
ing. Think of that for an Irish farmer! 
Adieu. F. I. F. 
LETTERS FROM MR. HORSFORD—No. VII. 
Having failed to receive our regular letter from Mr. 
Horsford, our correspondent in Germany, we have 
been kindly permitted to make the following extracts 
from one of his private letters, addressed to a gentleman 
of this city, dated Heidelberg, April 7, 1845: 
“ Through the kindness of the friend who has accom¬ 
panied me constantly in my tour, I was introduced to the 
Grand Dukes’ Director of Agriculture for the Duchy of 
Baden. A presentation of several numbers of the Culti¬ 
vator, opened his heart to the show of every thing that 
he thought could interest me. Precisely what he is in 
office, I have not yet learned sufficiently well, to-define. 
The University of Heidleberg has a professor of Botany, 
and also a professor of Agriculture and a professor of 
what is called Forest Science. Besides these,—(from all 
of whom an econom, or perhaps generally teachers of 
agriculture only, receive a three years’ course of instruc¬ 
tion,)—there is the so called Director. He watches over 
seeds, fruits, roots, and the various implements that are 
introduced among the peasantry, and is manifestly a man 
of vast service to the nation. 1 could not help remark¬ 
ing in my excursions with him, that all the peasantry lis¬ 
tened to what he said as to an oracle. His residence is 
in one of the University gardens, which includes per¬ 
haps four acres. The grounds are covered with every 
variety of horticultural product, anil immediately in the 
rear of his house, enjoying a southern exposure, is an 
extensive green house, abounding in tropical plants. His 
salary, like those of the professors generally, is paid di¬ 
rectly from the government, and he has nothing to do 
but make science practical—an avocation to which he 
has devoted himself with genuine German assiduity. He 
is the author of several works, two little ones of which 
I intend to translate, if I can find time. They are upon 
gardening and fruit-growing, written in a beautiful, sim¬ 
ple style, for children, and are employed throughout the 
