58 THE CULTIVATOR. Feb. 
“ Old Justin Morgan horse,” was foaled at West Spring- 
field, (Mass.,) or that neighborhood, in 1793: that his 
sire was a horse called “ True Briton, or Beautiful 
Bay,” said to have been formerly owned by Gen, James 
De Lancy, of New-York, (see Cultivator, vol. ix., p. 
110:) that his dam was owned by Justin Morgan 
that she was got by a horse called Diamond; he by 
the “ Church horse;” and he by the imported Wild-air. 
The last named horse was much celebrated as the 
sire of valuable stock. He was imported by Gen. De 
Lancy, in 1760 or ’61, and after having been used as a 
stallion in this country, was re-shipped to England, in 
3773. In the New-York Sporting Magazine, vol. i., p. 
5, we find the following: 
“ He [Wild-air] was the property [previous to his 
coming to this country,] of William Swiaburn, and Jen- 
nison Shafto, Esquires: was foaled in 1753; by Old 
Cade, son of the Godolphin Arabian; his dam by Sfeady, 
a son of Flying Childers, out of the famous Miss Bel- 
voir; his grandam by Old Partner; great grandam by 
^Greyhound-—Makeless—Counsellor—Brimmer, out of a 
daughter of Mr. Place’s White Turk.” 
“ True Briton, or Beautiful Bay,” above mentioned,* 
was said to have been got by the imported horse 
Traveller, or, (as sometimes called,) Morton’s Travel¬ 
ler. In the American Turf Register, vol. vi., p. 423, 
his pedigree is given as follows: 
“ Morton’s Traveller, (imported,) was got by the cele¬ 
brated O’Kellv’s, [or English] Eclipse—King Herod— 
Blank—Old Cade—by the Godolphin Arabian. King 
Herod "was by Tartar, his dam Cypron, by Blaze, a son 
of the Great Flying Childers. Blank was by the Go- 
dolphin Arabian.” 
Thus it appears that the origin of the “ Justin Mor¬ 
gan horse,” was a mixture of the Wild-air and Travel¬ 
ler blood with “ country” mares, whose blood cannot 
he fully traced. 
The animals from which our figures were taken, are 
now' the property of Gen. Sii.as M. Burroughs, of 
Medina, Orleans county, N. Y. In reference to their 
qualities, we have the following communication. 
!Messrs. Editors — I have read with interest seve¬ 
ral articles in your valuable journal relating to the 
Morgan horse Black Hawk, owned by Mr. Hill, of 
Bridport, Vermont. You will doubtless be gratified to 
learn that Gen. Silas M. Burroughs, of Medina, in this 
county, has recently procured from Vermont four colts 
got by Black Hawk. One, a year old last spring, bred 
by S. W. Jewett, Esq., of Weybridge, Vermont, out of 
“ Lady Messenger,” a descendant of the imported horse 
Messenger, whose stock is so justly celebrated for many 
valuable qualities: “Lady Messenger” is a beautiful 
animal, possessing the peculiar qualities of the Messen¬ 
ger blood in a very marked degree. I knew her when 
my uncle used her in his carriage, and she was the best 
performer on the road I ever saw r . Mr. Jewett showed 
me the likeness of this noble animal, and the colt now 
owned by Gen. Burroughs. The likeness of the mare 
is remarkably faithful and correct. 
The other three colts brought by Gen. B. from Ver¬ 
mont, are last spring’s colts, one of which took the first 
premium at the Addison county fair in October last, and 
is the very' best colt I ever saw'. He has the remarka¬ 
ble proportions of the sire “ Black Hawk,” as described 
by Mr. Jewett, in his letter published in the Cultivator, 
vol. n., (new* series,) p. 196. This colt, which has the 
* This “ True Briton, or Beautiful Bay.” is supposed t tot to be 
the horse registered under the name of Tm* Briton, which was 
got by the imported Othello, &e- The horse now under considera¬ 
tion w'as a racer of celebrity, and won a great match near Phila¬ 
delphia. in 1765.’6. It is not probable that he was the sire of the 
“ Old Morgan,” because, supposing him to have been only five 
years old at the time of the race mentioned, lie w r onld have been 
thirty-two at the time the “ Old Morgan” was begotten, in 1792. 
most marked expression of intelligence imaginable, and 
which cannot fail to impress every observer, was bred 
by Mr. D. E. Hill, of Bridport. 
The other two colts show evident marks of the Mor¬ 
gan blood, and are very beautiful and promising ani¬ 
mals. Gen. B., I am informed, has sold the two last 
mentioned colts—one to Mr. Andrew Ellicott, of Shel¬ 
by, in this county, w'ho is esteemed as an excellent 
judge and connoisseur of the horse. The other w r as ta¬ 
ken by r Mr. William Gilson, of Shelby', who is a skilful 
horseman, of considerable reputation. An infusion of 
the Morgan blood cannot fail to produce great im¬ 
provement in eur present stock. 
I will add that Mr. William V. Wilson, of Ridge¬ 
way, in this county, one of our most intelligent and 
enterprising farmers purchased at (lie State Fair at 
Utica, in 1845, the “Sir Henry,” who took the 
2d premium in the class of blood horses. This is a 
noble animal, combining the rare qualities of strength, 
elegance of action, beauty, and the very purest blood. 
The farmers of Orleans are beginning to realize the 
importance of attending to the improvement of their 
stock of horses, and will, in due season, reap a hand¬ 
some profit for their well directed enterprize. 
Indeed, they are already beginning to command the 
attention of dealers in horses, and supply a very conside¬ 
rable number for eastern markets. 
At the State Fair at Auburn, a premium was award¬ 
ed to Messrs Gould, of Gaines, in this county, for the 
2d best pair of matched horses; and the “ Young Em¬ 
peror,” bred by Mr. Wm. Gilson, of Shelby, attracted 
deserved attention, receiving a discretionary premium 
of $10. Peter Saxe. 
Yates, N. YJan., 1847. 
POTATO DISEASE. 
All our observations in regard to this mysterious mal¬ 
ady, confirm us more and more in the opinion some time 
since expressed, that nothing of any consequence has 
yet been ascertained as to its cause or prevention. 
The opinion seems to be gaining ground in Europe, as 
well as here, that it is an epidemic. In our December 
number we alluded to the fact, that other kinds of ve¬ 
getation appeared, last season, to be attacked with 
blight in a similar manner to potatoes. The same ap¬ 
pearance was noticed in the British islands. In the 
Gardeners’ Chronicle of November 7th last, is a com¬ 
munication in reference to the potato crop in the Isle of 
Man. The writer says—“when the potato haulm 
was affected by the blight, the fern, rag-wort, nettles, 
and even part of the heath on the hills, were entirely 
destroyed.” 
The (Edinburgh) Quarterly Journal of Agriculture 
for October, in reference to this subject observes— 
“The recurrence of the disease this season excited 
much surprise, for the potato plant has not shown so much 
vigor, and exhibited so beautiful and healthy a display 
of blossom for many years.” * * * “ Whatever may 
be the nature of this affection which has overtaken the 
potato, it does not seem to be confined this season to 
that crop. The beans have had their leaves blackened, 
and their stems shrivelled by apparently the same cause, 
and the rottenness in the turnep may be safely ascribed 
to the same influence. The products of the flower 
garden have not escaped the affection, for the leaves of 
the poeony seem to us to have suffered from the same 
source. Even the forest trees are affected, as the ap¬ 
pearance of the balsam poplar clearly indicated. And 
wild plants have been observed to suffer in a similar 
manner, as is instanced in the case of the common fern. 
So far as we can discern, the mysterious cause of this 
universal affection, is very much Mike the pestilence 
that walketh in darkness, and that wastcth at noon- 
, day. 5 ” 
