THE CULTIVATOR. 
321 
highest degree the properties which constitute their 
value? From our own observation we have no hesita¬ 
tion in saying that a proper attention to this subject for 
a period of twenty years would double the nett income 
of their cows. 
We cannot avoid remarking here, that we noticed in 
many instances, a very inveterate, and we must think, 
unreasonable prejudice, against all colors in eattle but 
red. In some instances we heard farmers say they found 
no fault with the Durhams, “except the color.” We 
put the interrogatory, whether the intrinsic value of the 
cattle depended on color? They could not say that it did; 
but they did not like , in other words, did not fancy such 
and such colors! It is passing strange that among peo¬ 
ple who in general claim to discard the influence of fan¬ 
cy, at least in agricultural operations, a prejudice like 
this should be allowed to control the judgment. Why 
should not that breed be chosen which is best adapted to 
the purposes of the farmer, without regard to qualities of 
mere fanciful value? Let this be done, whether the 
breed found most suitable be the Durham, Hereford, 
Devon, Ayrshire, or any other. There can be no spe¬ 
cial excellence in one color more than another—the only 
advantage resulting from attention to this point, is, that 
as each particular breed has a color more or less pecu 
liar, that color, whatever it may be, is an indication of 
the purity or genuineness of the blood. 
Messrs. S. and L. Hurlbut, Winchester, have a fine 
herd of Devons. There are some twelve or fifteen head 
of full-bloods, and perhaps as many more which are so 
nearly full-blood that an ordinary observer would scarce¬ 
ly be able to distinguish the difference. Messrs. H. 
have been breeding this stock for more than twenty-five 
years. They purchased of Wm. Patterson, Esq., ofj 
Baltimore, in 1819, the bull Holkham, whose immediate 
progenitors were sent as a present to Messrs. Patterson 
& Caton, by Mr. Coke, late Earl of Leicester. Holkham 
was kept by Messrs. H. till he was fifteen or sixteen 
years of age. He was then sold, and subsequently came 
into the state of New-York. He continued to be a vig¬ 
orous and sure stock-getter till he was twenty years old. 
His progeny in Connecticut were very numerous, and 
their deserved popularity did much to establish the repu¬ 
tation of the Devons in that state. 
Messrs. H. have sold many bulls and bull calves, of the 
Devon blood—either pure or of different grades. We 
understood them to say that they had sold over fifty 
which came to the state of New-York. Their present 
herd is certainly a beautiful one, and seems exceedingly 
well adapted to the climate, soil, and purposes of that 
section. They are hardy, active and tractable, making 
the most capital working cattle, especially where quick 
and spirited teams are required. They also fatten well, 
and their beef is represented as of superior quality. 
Their points and appearance for dairy qualities is gene¬ 
rally superior to what we expected to see. Several of 
the cows are evidently superior milkers. Two or three 
of them, nearly full-bloods, have, on special trials, made 
from twelve to fourteen pounds of butter each per week, 
on grass feed only. 
There is no doubt that certain families of the Devons 
are good milkers. In England, Mr. Bloomeeld, a tenant 
of the Earl of Leicester’s, obtained a high prize for his 
herd of Devon cows, on account of their superiority as 
butter stock. Mr. George Patterson, of Baltimore, has 
made several purchases of stock from Mr. Bloomfield, 
and we believe their reputation for the dairy is fully 
sustained in this country. Messrs Hurlbut have now a 
bull and several young cows which they purchased of 
Mr. Patterson, of the stock derived from Mr. Bloomfield. 
They are beautiful animals. The bull is a very supe¬ 
rior one—far superior in symmetry, handling, and in 
deed in every good point, to any other Devon we ever 
saw. 
At Farmington we saw very good cattle. We are 
particularly indebted to Timothy Cowles, Esq., and to 
Dr. Carrington, of this place, for their polite attentions 
in showing us the fine farms and slock of this rich and 
beautiful neighborhood, and several of the neighboring 
towns. Mr. Cowles is an extensive farmer. He has 
for many years been in the practice of fatting oxen in the 
winter season, to be sold at the New-York and Boston 
markets in the spring. Hay is the most important arti¬ 
cle in fattening, though corn meal and sometimes pota¬ 
toes are used to finish the process. But the hay is made 
with great nicety—the grass is cut while it is green, not 
past bloom—carefully kept from rains and dews, and 
put in the barn in the most perfect condition. This hay 
is so nutritive that animals thrive as fast on it as on the 
best of grass feed. 
Mr. Cowles is one of the very few farmers we have 
met with, who in selecting stock for fattening, regard the 
important quality of handling. Mr. Cowle’s observation 
early taught him the importance of this quality, and for 
nearly forty years he has been in a great degree govern¬ 
ed by it in selecting his stock. He showed us several 
yoke of very fine oxen, belonging to himself, some of 
which he intends for slaughter next winter, and also 
pointed out to us in an adjoining pasture, several other 
yokes of oxen, belonging to Mr. Deming, and some of 
his other neighbors. In general, the best of these oxen 
showed marks of a high Devon cross; but a few of them 
were half and quarter blood Durhams, crossed with the 
mixed Devon and native. One of these, belonging to 
Mr. Cowles, was on the whole, the finest ox we saw in 
Connecticut. Mr. Cowles had also a very large, though 
rather coarse ox, a cross of the Durham, which was bred 
and reared by his brother, the late Richard Cowles. He 
has likewise an excellent cow of the same breed, which 
took the first premium at the show at Hartford last year. 
Mr. John T. Norton has a fine dairy of twenty select¬ 
ed cows. He is crossing these with a Durham bull of a 
noted milking family, bred by Mr. Prentice, of this city. 
Dr. Carrington has also some very pretty stock—a bull 
and some heifers—some of which show in a good de¬ 
gree the leading points of the Durhams. 
[To be continued.'] 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 
Cooking Tomatoes _Mr. Beecher, of the Indiana 
Farmer, speaks with the enthusiasm of an epicure on the 
subject of tomatoes. He says whoever does not love 
them, “ is an object of pity.” There’s no accounting 
for taste. The editor of the Boston Courier, for instance, 
repudiates Mr. Beecher’s taste, and compares tomatoes 
to “ rotten potatoe-balls”! But we give Mr. Beecher’s 
directions for cooking tomatoes. We have long been ac¬ 
customed to eating those cooked in a similar way, except¬ 
ing adding the eggs, and cheerfully endorse his opinion 
of the excellence of the mode. What he says about 
cooking them “ enough,” is important. The directions 
are said to be for a mess amounting to about three pints 
when cooked. 
«Begin by parboiling two onions. While this is 
doing peel the tomatoes, which is easily done after hot 
water has been poured over them; cut them up and add 
the onions, also a teacupful and a half of bread crumbled 
fine, a table spoonful of salt, a heaping teaspoonful of 
black pepper, a lump of butter of the size of a turkey’s 
egg, or about four table spoonsful. Beat these thorough¬ 
ly together and set them over a slow fire to stew. They 
should cook slowly and for a long time; never less than 
three hours, but the longer the better. About fifteen 
minutes before they are to be used, beat up six eggs and 
stir them in, and put them on fresh coals and give them 
one grand boil up, stirring them all the time. When so 
cooked, no directions will be needed how to eat them. 
The art of cooking the tomato lies mostly in cooking 
them enough. They should be put to work the first 
thing after the breakfast things are out of the way, even 
if you do not dine till three.” 
Washing Butter. —We are aware that good butter 
makers disagree as to the propriety of working butter in 
water. In times past, we have made some experiments 
in this line. We have also persuaded others to make 
fair trials, by washing a part of a churning in cold water, 
working the other part thoroughly without water. The 
result in all cases has been, that that from which the buf- 
er-milk was expelled without water, kept best. We 
notice some pointed remarks on this subject in the Indi¬ 
ana Farmer & Gardener, edited by Rev. H. W. Beecher 
