26 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
From the Genesee Farmer. 
CULTURE OF BARLEY. 
I send the following account of a crop of barley, not that it was 
a very large one, but that it afforded a handsome remuneration for 
the labor bestowed, and left the ground in beautiful condition for 
sowing wheat. 
Three acres—strong gravelly loam—eastern exposure—year pre¬ 
ceding in wheat. 
1834, 4 mo. 8th—commenced ploughing—too late by a week. 
Dr. 
Ploughing, 3 days,.12s.$4 50 
Harrowing, before sowing, | day, 12s. 0 75 
4 mo. 13th—Sowing, | day,.6s... 0 38 
4 mo. 13th—Harrowing, 1 day,. .12s. 1 50 
4 mo. 14th—Rolling, j day,.12s. 0 75 
Seed, 6 bu. 3 pecks, 4s. 3 38 
7 mo. 18th—Cutting.12s. 1 50 
7 mo. 22d—Drawing, 2 days,-12s. 3 00 
12 month—Threshing, . 6 12 
Interest on land, at $50 per acre, 4 months. 1 16 
$23 04 
Cr.—By 122 bushels barley, (by measure,) 4s. $61 00 
Nett gain,. $37 96 
I have not taken the straw in account, though I think it much 
more valuable than wheat straw. 
WILLIAM R. SMITH. 
Macedon, 2 mo. 10th, 1835. 
Cattle and Sheep Husbandry. 
From the JNew-York Farmer. 
Albany, Jan. 27, 1835. 
D. K. Minor —Sir—Your favor of the 24th inst. came to hand 
last evening, soliciting some account of my stock, experience in 
farming, &.c. Now, 1 would cheerfully comply with your request 
were my abilities adequate to the task. My experience in farming 
matters must necessarily be very limited, for I have only had pos¬ 
session of one since April last, and that one was considered none of 
the best, having been skinned and fleeced to that extent that it would 
hardly produce half crops. Notwithstanding the situation of the 
farm, and the lateness at which my crops were necessarily put in, 
and the excessive drought, still they were tolerably fair. I cut 
about sixty-five tons of hay on the same ground that only yielded 
about, thirty tons the year previous. This great difference of pro¬ 
duct I attribute to the free use of plaster. With the aid of plaster 
and manure, of which 1 have a plentiful supply, I am in hopes of 
doing better for the ensuing season. 
My cattle suffered very much in the fore part of the summer for 
the want of shade, as the skinning had even been extended to the 
trees, for there are only about five small ones left on about eighty 
acres ! After harvest they were turned into my grain stubble, 
which had received in the spring a plentiful supply of clover and 
other grass seed designed entirely for pasture with about twenty 
acres of pine wood, where they improved with astonishing rapidity, 
notwithstanding the excessive drought the latter part of the season, 
and went into winter quarters in as good condition as I could wish. 
On the first of December I had thirty-one head tied up in my 
stable, of which twenty-four were of the “ Durham Short Horn” 
breed, consisting of bulls, cows heifers and calves, of various ages, 
and some of them imported. Since then I have sold one cow and 
calf, one bull, and two heifers, leaving now on hand nineteen head 
of the Durham cattle. The others were my working oxen, and one 
cow and calf of the Polled breed. 
Having all my cattle in stables, and chained up separately, it 
has given me a fair opportunity of testing their qualities in keep¬ 
ing, contrasted with our native breed. The stronger has no ad¬ 
vantage over the weaker; each animal gets its allowance. The 
usual allowance for full grown animals is 1 bushel of cut hay, straw, 
and corn stalks, mixed with half a bushel of brewers’ grains, one 
half in the morning, and the other half at night, with a little long 
hay at noon, by way of relish. The smaller animals were fed in 
proportion to their age and size ; and with this feed the Durhams 
have improved, while the native, (though smaller,) have not held 
their own. Another cicumstance leads to the same result. 
A friend of mine wishing to raise a calf from a very superior 
milker of our native breed, applied in the fall to me to keep her 
through the winter with my calves, to which I consented. On the 
first of December she was received at my farm, and put in the sta¬ 
ble by the side of my own animals, was fed at the same time, and 
with the same kind of feed; still she does not grow so fast, and is 
far behind them in condition and appearance. It is contended by 
many, that it requires more food to keep the Durham than our na¬ 
tive cattle, owing to the greater size, &c. &c. of the former. In 
answer to this I can only say, such has not been the case with 
my herd. 
I will now, at your request, proceed to give you a description of 
some of my animals, and begin with 
“ Carlos,” a red and white bull, six years old, got in England by 
Mr. Whittaker’s Charles; dam Galatea, bred by Mr. Whittaker, 
and got by Frederick, sire of the “ Duke of York,” lately imported 
by a company in Ohio, for which they paid j£170 sterling in Eng¬ 
land, and must have cost them about $800 at the Sciota. Carlos 
is not large, but beautiful; fine in the head and horns ; short and 
clean neck ; deep and broad chest; large round barrel; great 
breadth of loin ; small and short in the legs ; fine and silky hair, 
with a soft and mellow skin. 
“Superior,” a roan bull, three years old, got by Frederick, a son 
of Wye-Comet, dam Yellow Rose. Superior is not large, but very 
compact and well made ; of fine symmerry and form, straight and 
fine in the leg, remarkably deep and broad in the chest, deep and 
heavy carcase, straight in the back, and wide across the hips and 
loin. His stock, though young, promises well. Great prices for 
some of his calves, from native cows, have been refused. 
“ Damon,” a red and white bull calf, three months old, got by Su¬ 
perior ; dam, imported cow Dulcibella. Damon is a calf of great 
promise, having in an eminent degree all the good points generally 
found in calves of his age. 
“ Dulcibella,” wiiite, with some red on her head and neck ; eight 
years old; bred in England by Mr. Whittaker; got by Frederick; 
dam, Delicia. She is a part of my capital, from which I expect 
large dividends. She is a large animal in a small compass; she 
is of great length, deep, and round in body, immense breadth across 
the hips and Joins, large and capacious chest, brisket dropping 
within 15 inches of the ground, straight on the back, short neck, 
and good head ; keeps in good condition, and gives a good mess of 
very rich milk. 
“Dorinda” is white, with a red neck and head ; three years old ; 
got by Carlos; dam, Dew Drop ; grand-dam, Dulcibella. She is a 
heifer of good promise, of fine size and form, has had only one calf. 
A good milker. 
“Georgiana,” “Delia,” “Gertrude,” are from ten to eighteen 
months old ; all got by Carlos; and are very superior animals of 
their age. 
The above are all “ Herd Book,” and high bred animals. My 
other cattle are all very good, but nothing very peculiar or superior 
to the others, therefore a description is superfluous. 
My swine consists of the “improved China,” introduced here 
by the late Christopher Dunn, Esq., of this city ; also, the Berkshire 
breed, imported and introduced in this vicinity by S. Hawes, Esq., 
who removed from England, and settled about three miles west of 
this city. This, [ think, is the farmer’s hog, for they are of great 
length, round body, short in the leg, and a little larger bodied, than 
the China ; easy keepers ; and may, I am informed, be fatted to 5 
or 600 pounds ! And though last, not least, is a beautiful sow, eight 
months old—a combination of all the good points that are required 
in the hog, being long and round in body, short and small legs, 
short, small head, with very small upright ears, &c., &c. She 
is one of three that took the first premium at the Berkshire Agri¬ 
cultural Fair held at Pittsfield in October last. When I applied 
to the owner to ascertain what particular breed they were of, he 
said, “ They were the best breed he could find." They will attain with 
ordinary care, at nine months, about 200 lbs., and with a little extra 
care, 225 to 250 lbs. This sow I intend to cross with myjavorite 
little China. 
My sheep are few in number, but some of them very superior, es¬ 
pecially the New Leicesters. The others are two South-down 
bucks, some half blood South-down ewes, &c. &c. 
, Very respectfully yours, 
CALEB N. BEMENT. 
