1851 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
195 
ken of this matter. Many persons seem to think them¬ 
selves fully qualified to set up as breeders of fine stock; 
but a few years experience generally brings disappoint¬ 
ment, and convinces them that more knowledge and skill 
are required in the business, than they had supposed. 
The usefulness of improved stock, in increasing the 
profits of the farmer, is too obvious to require argument 
here. It is, therefore, a question for consideration,— 
What are the best means of providing suitable animals 
of the various species and breeds, for popagation? We 
are clearly of the opinion that this can be best done by 
encouraging a class of men as breeders, who shall make 
this branch of business their constant care and study. 
This is the mode which has, chiefly, produced the im¬ 
provement of the live stock of Great Britain, and we are 
confident as to its expediency here. It is no aid to ac¬ 
tual improvement for every man who keeps stock to at¬ 
tempt to breed his own male animals. In fact, it is this 
attempt which has been one of the main causes of fail¬ 
ure. The same error formerly prevailed in Britain, but 
has been generally corrected and a better course adopted. 
In illustration of this subject, we will refer to a paper 
by Mr. Wilson, in the Transactions of the Highland 
Agricultural Society, on “ Rearing Cattle with a view 
to Early Maturity.” It is remarked: 
“ It may be well to notice that it is in general highly 
inexpedient for the beef-grower—the farmer who de¬ 
pends on his regular cast of fat cattle—to attempt breed¬ 
ing his own bull. It is only a few individuals in any dis¬ 
trict, who have the taste and skill requisite for this dif¬ 
ficult department of the business, not to mention the 
large capital which must necessarily be invested in it. 
Made wise on this point, the farmer of the Border, pur¬ 
chases from some breeder of established reputation, a 
good yearling bull, which he uses two or three seasons, 
and then replaces by another in like manner.” 
It will not be advisable for one breeder to attempt to 
rear all kinds of stock. In general, it will be found the 
best course for each to confine himself to one breed only, 
of each of the different kinds—as horses, cattle, &c. 
This will guard against the liability of chance mixtures, 
which may sometimes occur where several breeds are 
kept on the same farm. Purchasers would prefer taking 
their breeding animals from herds or flocks where there 
was the greatest certainty of the blood being what it 
was represented to be, and where no circumstances ex¬ 
isted which would give rise to any doubts on this point. 
It is desirable that there should be some point in each 
district, where the breed or breeds which are there re¬ 
quired, could be obtained in their greatest perfection. 
A dairy farmer might raise his own cows, or if he did 
not, would be induced to purchase of such breeders as 
could supply him with him those best adapted to his 
purpose. But a farmer whose cows were of the best 
breed for the dairy, would naturally prefer obtaining his 
working oxen, should he want any, from a stock which 
had been selected and bred with reference to a capacity 
for labor. The same rule would apply to stock for fat¬ 
tening. It would be a great point gained, if herds could 
be established where animals should be bred especially 
for these different objects. At present, there are but 
few herds from which the purchaser can obtain animals 
of the particular character he wants. Hence the ne¬ 
cessity for the establishment of breeding stations, where 
may be obtained the best horses for travel and for draft, 
the best cattle for beef, work, and the dairy, the best 
sheep for mutton and for the production of various 
kinds of wool, the best swine, &c. 
It is not to be expected that the benefits of the sys¬ 
tem here proposed, will be fully realized until it has been 
in operation for a considerable length of time. As has 
been observed, the science of breeding has yet to be 
learned by most of our farmers, and mistakes, more or 
less,will be unavoidable ; but the observing and intelligent, 
will profit by the errors of themselves and others, and 
those who perseveringly apply to the business the great¬ 
est amount of •practical skill, will ultimately meet with 
proportionate success and reward. 
iitggtBtinns far €.iptrimrats 
TO DETERMINE THE MODE OP 
Action, and Value of Gypsum as a Manure. 
Editors of the Cultivator. —Few substances used 
as manure have produced more widely different results 
than gypsum, or have given rise to more numerous and 
discordant attempts to explain their mode of action. 
In some districts, farmers have derived little or no be¬ 
nefit from its use; in others it has proved highly benefi¬ 
cial to a certain class of plants—while in others, again, 
it seems to have been applied to almost all crops with 
advantage. If it is a difficult matter to arrive at any 
satisfactory general conclusion regarding the action of 
gypsum on plants, from a study of facts recorded by 
practical men, the inquiry becomes much more perplex¬ 
ing when we consider the explanations which have been 
advanced by chemists and o hers, with a view to account 
for the eccentricity of the action of this manure. Some 
have supposed that gypsum does not, of itself, afford 
food to plants, but that its fertilising power depends up¬ 
on the influence which it is said to exercise on other sub¬ 
stances ; that it merely improves the physical properties 
of the soil—that it hastens the decay of organic matter 
—that it fixes ammonia which would otherwise be dissi¬ 
pated in the air. Others contend, that some one of its 
constituents is the sole active agent,—water, sulphur and 
lime, having each their advocates. While by others, 
gypsum is considered to be an essential constituent of 
some plants, without which they cannot grow in a heal¬ 
thy condition. 
The experiments and observations which have hitherto 
been made, do not seem to have been sufficiently exten¬ 
sive or accurate, to enable any one to point out with 
certainty, the means by which gypsum contributes to the 
growth of different plants, nor to which plants, on which 
soils, or in what manner, it can be applied with the great¬ 
est advantage. Our knowledge on these important points 
being so unsatisfactory, I have thought it may be well to 
invite the attention of the readers of the Cultivator to 
the subject, in order that they may see that the inquiry 
is an interesting one, and likely to afford useful results, 
and that it stands much in need of, and well deserves 
a more extended chemical and practical investigation. 
The least plausible of the hypothesis mentioned, seem 
to be those which ascribe the action of gypsum to its 
