66 THE CULTIVATOR. 
plant sufficient roots and strengh of stem to secure it againstaccidents 
of this kind, and we may aid the extension and multiplication of the 
roots best, and thus add to its security, if necessary, by stirring the 
ground, which will enable the roots to penetrate it readily in every 
direction. High hilling to potatoes is possitively injurious. It not 
only turns away the rains from the plant, but by raising a mound 
around them, prevents the sun and air from having that influence in 
aiding their growth and bearing, which are both essential to the in¬ 
surance of a good crop.— Columbia Sentinel. A. 
From a'comuiuiiit'alimi in the Farmers' Register. 
DIRECTIONS FOR BUILDING WHEAT ok OTHER GRAIN SHOCKS. 
The foundation is begun with three or four sheaves set up so as 
to form a little cone—that is, the buts on the ground set out so as 
to make a base broad enough for them to stand when the heads are 
brought together, (as they should be,) to a point. Other sheaves 
are set up in the breaks of the first, placed firmly on the earth, and 
the heads inclined to the central point. This brings the base to a 
small circle, and the heap to a con cal form. The builder (and there 
should be only one to a shock, to secure good and equal work,) now 
continues to add to this, by placing other sheaves on the ground and 
against the breaks between the preceding coarse, and thus going 
round the circular heap, until the foundation is large enough. The 
but of every sheaf should be we'l pressed to the earth, when placed, 
and its top pressed to the central point, with increased force, as the 
size of the heap will bear the pressure without danger of its being 
moved. When the foundation is finished, instead of being flat top¬ 
ped, it rises to a central point, and its whole profile is somewhat in 
the shape of the old fashioned Dutch or “ hipped” roofs of houses— 
the sides of the sheaves forming the lower slopes, and the heads, the 
upper. 
For covering the shocks the smaller sheaves should be reserved, 
and none very large there admitted. The first course of the cover 
is made by striking some of the stubble ends of the straw upon the 
band of the outer sheaves of the foundation, so that some staws go 
within the band, and thus hold the sheaf where placed. The circle 
is completed by sheaves so placed, the buts close to each other, and 
the heads leaning inwards towards the middle of the shock. A se¬ 
cond course is carried around in like manner rising on the first, and 
resting on and within the bands of its sheaves. The point is now 
nearly reached and formed ; and what it wants, is given by using 
the smallest sheaves. The heads of the last only are exposed, and 
they will be generally not more than four or five sheaves : and these 
are protected and secured in their places by a cap, formed of a large 
sheaf turned with the but upward, and the heads so spread open as 
to hang over and all around the sides of the peak. 
Calfic 1-gMsbamlry. 
THE SHORT HORNS. 
Known as Durham, Teeswaler, Holderness, Improved Short Horns, (|-c. 
The cattle of York and Durham were long celebrated, principally 
for their reputation as extraordinary milkers. This property they 
are supposed to have acquired by a cross with a fine milk breed 
from Holstein, at a remote period. These were, however, different 
from what are now termed “ Improved Short Horns.” 
“They were generally of large size, thin skinned, sleek haired, 
bad handlers, rather delicate in constitution, coarse in the offal, and 
strikingly defective in the substance of girth in the fore quarters.— 
As milkers they were most excellent, but when put to fatten, as the 
foregoing description will indicate, were found slow feeders, produc¬ 
ing an inferior quality of meat, not marbled or mixed as to fat and 
lean; in some cases, the latter was found of a dark particular hue. 
Such, also, are the unimproved Short Horns of the present day, and 
the distinction cannot be too frequently asserted, because they are 
in many cases considered as specimens of the improved breeds, and 
have actually been resorted to in trials as to the comparative apti¬ 
tude of animals to fatten,—trials which it is evident they could not 
successfully sustain. 
“A period of more than eighty years has now elapsed since the 
Short Horns, on the banks of the river Tees, hence called the Tces- 
water breed, has assumed a very different character to that contain¬ 
ed in the foregoing description. In colour they resemble the unprov¬ 
ed Short Horns, being occasionally red, red and white, and roan, 
though the last named colour was not so prevalent as now. They 
possessed a fine mellow skin and flesh, good hair, and light offal, 
particularly wide carcasses, and fore quarters of extraordinary depth 
and capacity.” 
To show how and by whom, the improvement was made in the 
Short Horned breed, and its extent, we extract, in full, the account 
before us: 
“The remarkable difference which existed between the Teeswa- 
ter and the old unimproved Short Horns may, with propriety, be as¬ 
cribed to a spirit of improvement which had some time manifested 
itselt among the breeders on the banks of the Tees, whose laudable 
efforts were well seconded by the very superior land in the vicinity 
of that river. No reasonable doubts can be entertained that they 
proceeded on a judicious system of crossing with other breeds, be¬ 
cause it was utterly impossible to raise such a stock as the Teeswa- 
ter from pure Short Horned blood. One cross to which they refer¬ 
red was, in all probability, the white wild breed ; and if this conjec¬ 
ture be well founded, it will be apparent whence the Short Horns 
derived a colour so prevalent among them. 
“ It is also asserted, that about the period in question, Sir William 
St. Q,uintin, of Scampston, imported bulls and cows from Holland, 
which were crossed with the stock of the country. It would tend 
to little advantage to proceed with conjectures, as to what other 
breeds were resorted to, if any; this much is certain, that the great 
improvement was soon manifested, and a valuable variety establish¬ 
ed, as the two following instances will prove. 
“Mr. Milbank of Birmingham, one of the leading improvers, bred 
and slaughtered an ox, which, at five years old, weighed four quar¬ 
ters, one hundred and fifty stones, of fourteen pounds to the stone, 
producing sixteen stones of tallow ; and a cow bred from his stock, 
slaughtered by Mr. Sharter, of Chilton, at twelve years old, weighed 
upwards of one hundred and ten stones. 
“ From Mr. Milbank’s time, the Teeswater cattle continued to 
sustain their excellence and celebrity in various hands, until Mr. 
Charles Colling adopted them, when he manifested a superiority of 
skill as a breeder, which, in a very brief period, secured him an am¬ 
ple fortune. 
“ Whatever had been the merit of the Teeswater cattle, it is cer¬ 
tain Mr. Charles Colling greatly improved them ; and though it has 
been asserted that his success was the result of chance, arising 
from the possession of an animal, with the merits of which, it so 
supposed, he was at one period unacquainted ; the writer of this ar¬ 
ticle is of the opinion that Mr. Coding’s success resulted from a de¬ 
liberate and well considered plan. He found the Teeswater. like 
all other extravagantly large cattle, frequently of loose make and 
disproportion. He was sensible, ako, of the difficulty of breeding, 
with any thing like certainty, large good animals; and though he 
had declined on all occassions to throw any light on his views and 
proceedings, the writer thinks he can detect, in the very outset, and 
through the progress of his practice, a resolution to reduce the size 
of this breed, and at the same time, and by that means, to improve 
its form. This he is supposed to have effected in the first instance 
through the medium of a bull called “ Hubback,” an animal, respect¬ 
ing which, there has been much controversy, principally touching 
the purity of his blood, a question now of little importance, because 
it is admitted on all hands that Mr. Colling adopted another cross, 
which prevails in a majority of superior Short Horns of the present 
day. It may notwithstanding, be matter of interest to state a few 
particulars respecting this bull. 
“ Without entering on an inquiry by what circumstances Hub- 
back’s title to be considered of pure blood]is supported or weakened, 
it may suffice to say that it appears probable he possessed, on one 
side, the imported blood. The possessor of his dam was a person 
in indigent circumstances, and grazed his cow on the highways.— 
When afterwards she was removed to good land, she became so fat 
that she did not again breed, and her son, having the same feeding 
property in a higli degree, was useful as a bull during a very short 
period. The quality of his flesh, hide and hair, are supposed to have 
been seldom equalled; and as he was smaller than the Teeswa¬ 
ter cattle, he was eminently calculated to forward Mr. Colling’s 
views. 
“ It has been remarked that we have no superior horse on the 
turf, which does not boast the blood of the Godolphin Arabian ; so it 
may be asserted that we have no superior Short Horns which do not 
claim descent nearly, or remotely, from Hubback. 
“ After the use of the bull, Mr. Charles Colling proceeded, with 
singular success, to produce, from time to time, superior animals ; 
and the number of bulls he disposed of by letting, was highly en- 
