290 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Aug. 
Breeding Stock. 
Eds. Cultivator —I have been a reader of agricul¬ 
tural papers for many years, and frequently feel a desire 
to shed ink in the cause* but, by patiently waiting, have 
generally found my subjects ably treated by better pens. 
I dream of good cattle, and acknowledge receiving many 
a valuable hint on breeding, from the articles, with which 
the Cultivator, from time to time, has favored us, upon 
this subject. I was much interested, and have read and 
re-read the article in the May number, from the pen of 
Dr. Cleaveland, respecting “ An influence affecting the 
purity of blood in stock.” It is true much disappoint¬ 
ment is often met with in breeding animals of good pedi¬ 
gree, but this is commonly traceable to other causes, than 
that assigned by the Doctor. How common it is, in 
looking over a herd, to have some particular excellence 
©r defect pointed out, and traced to some remote pro¬ 
genitor. I have in my mind’s eye now, a celebrated bull, 
the best I ever saw, for fullness of points and depth of 
pedigree, many of whose get, for color and marking, go 
back several generations, and some of them (the taint- 
may be in the cows, of course) go-nobody knows 
where, to an inferior cross evidently. 
It is laid down as a rule, that u The mother’s system 
is influenced and changed, by the young she carries in 
her womb, and if the male parent be of adilferentbreed, 
her blood is contaminated, and she rendered similar to a 
mongrel for the remainder of her life.” 
This assertion would be startling if true* but that na¬ 
ture, in some of her freaks, should occasionally pro¬ 
duce something which would warrant the above, is noth¬ 
ing strange. All females are more or less imaginative, 
and liable to mark their young. 
The story of Jacob and his peeled rods, is familiar to 
all. A more modern instance is on record of a polled 
cow, which, while in heat, was with a red and white 
horned ox, and the same day was served by a red polled 
bull, both of pure blood; yet in due season she produced 
a red and white horned calf. 
A breeder of Devons in this state, having pastured a 
lot of marked cattle with his cows, was constrained the 
next season to veal most of his fare bred calves, for 
they were badly marked with white. I remember read¬ 
ing of the mongrel Quagga colt several years ago; it was 
then supposed that the imagination , and not the blood 
©f the dam was affected. I live in a neighborhood where 
Short-horn, Devon, and Polled cattle, are bred, and ex¬ 
tensively crossed with the native breed—some using first- 
one, then another; and in hundreds of instances of cows 
thus served, have not yet seen the first trace of the blood 
of a previous sire. I own a valuable bull, whose services 
are in good demand; now, if the Doctor’s theory is true, 
how unwise are my friends to pay me $5.00 for calves 
from old cows, whose blood has been contaminated by 
inferior bulls. The most sanguine of our breeders -can 
never hope to see the various pure breeds occupying the 
place of the common cattle of the country. The true 
course for farmers will be to send their best cows to well 
bred males. This course, steadily followed for a few 
years, will give us a stock, that for all practical purpo¬ 
ses, except bull breeding, is fully equal to any imported; 
yet were not the above theory of contamination fallacious, 
how utterly futile would be such efforts at improvement. 
In conclusion, allow me to say, that I write not as one 
having authority , but as one who six days of the seven 
wears Thick Boots. 
Exhibitions and Cattle Shows for 1852. 
National. 
American Institute , New-York.—Exhibition opens at Castle Gar¬ 
den, Oct. 5. Cattle Show, Oct. 19, 20, 21. 
American Pomological Congress .—Commences its session at Phila¬ 
delphia, Sept. 13. 
State. 
Neiv-York —At Utica, .. September 7, 8, 9, 10 
Ohio —At Cleveland,.Sept. 15, 16, 17 
Michigan —At Detroit,.....Sept. 22, 23, 24 
Indiana —At Indianapolis,. Oct. 19 
Pennsylvania —At Lancaster,. Oct. 20, 21, 22 
Georgia —At Macon,. Oct. 19 to 23 
Maryland —At Baltimore,...Oct. 26, 27, 28, 29 
Wisconsin —At Milwaukie,...Oct. 6, 7, 8 
Vermont —At Rutland,...Sept 1, 2, 3 
Rhode Island —At Providence,. Sept. 15, 16, 17 
Provincial. 
Canada West —At Toronto,.Sept. 21, 22, 23, 24 
Neiv-Bmnsioick —At Fredericklon,. Oct. 5 to 9 
County Shows—New-York. 
Cayuga—Auburn,. ..'. Oct. 6, 7 
Clinton—Keeseville,. Sept. 22, 23 
Cortland—-Cortland Village,... Sept. 15, 16 
Dutchess—Washington Hollow,...Oct. 5, 6 
Genesee—Bergen,.. Oct. 6, 7 
Greene—Cairo,. Sept. 21, 22 
Herkimer—Herkimer,. Sept. 28, 29 
Jefferson—Watertown,. Sept. 16, 17 
Madison—Eaton,..... Sept. 22, 23 
Orange—Middletown,.. Sept. 29, 30 
Oswego—Fulton,. Sept. 29, 30 
Otsego—Morris,... Sept. 22, 23 
Putnam—Carmel,.Oct. 5, 6 
Wayne—This county holds two fairs—one at Wol- 
cot,. Sept. 21, 22 
The other at Palmyra,.. Sept. 28, 29 
Saratoga—Mechauicsville,. Sept. 15, 16, 17 
Rensselaer—Troy, . Sept. 22, 23, 24 
Essex.. Sept. 20, 21 22 
Suffolk—Huntington,... Sept. 22 
Seneca—Waterloo,. Oct. 14, 15 
Monroe—Rochester,. Sept. 29, 30 
Ontario—Canandaigua,. .. Sept- 29, 30 
Town Societies. 
East Bloomfield,... Oct. 5, 6 
Cape Vincent,........Sept. 15 
Massachusetts. 
Berkshire—Pittsfield,. Oct. 6, 7 
Essex—Lawrence,. Sept. 29. 30 
Connecticut. 
Franklin—Greenfield,. Sept. 29, 30 
Middlesex—Concord,.. Oct. 6 
Middlesex—Middletown,. .Oct. 6, 7, 8 
Vermont. 
Addison—Middlebury,. Oct. 6 
Bennington—North Bennington, . Sept. 22, 23 
Franklin—St. Albans.... Sept. 8, 9 
Windham—Fayettville,. Sept. 15, 16 
New-Jersey. 
Burlington—Mount Holly,. Oct. 6 
Pennsylvania. 
Berks—Reading,.Oct. 1 
Bucks—Newtown,.. .. Oct. 7, 8 
Montgomery—Norristown,. .... . 
Philadelphia—Near Philadelphia,. Sept. 30, and Oct. 1 
Susquehanna—Montrose,. Oct. 6 
Northumberland—Northumberland, . Oct. 7, 8 
Ohio. 
Cuyahoga—Cleveland, .Oct. 6, 7 
Michigan. 
Lenawee—Adrian,. Oct. 6, 7 
Bees Robbing one another. —A correspondent of 
the Genesee Farmer says he lias tried several ways to 
prevent bees robbing each other, and all have failed but 
this: He changes their position, putting one in the place 
of the other, and vice versa , by which means he has never 
failed to stop them in legs than half an hour. 
F at Oxen.- —The Prairie Farmer maintains that nearly 
all the fat cattle of this country, are greatly over-esti¬ 
mated in weight—and states that the Rust ox of Syra¬ 
cuse was estimated at 4,000 lbs., and actually weighed 
but 3,100 alive. 
