THE CULTIVATOR. 
81 
a great antipathy to the company of sheep, and when they were called up 
where he was, he would go off and hide himself, and would never wil¬ 
lingly go among sheep afterwards. That a dog may be cured, and sooner 
mastered and humbled by the sheep, I would advise to tie a cord round 
one or both his hamstrings, and that the manager of the sport be provided 
with a whip to keep the dog in order, in case he should incline to quarrel 
with his new yoke fellow. If the first sheep tied to the dog should not 
butt him, tie another, till one be found that will, for butting is the very 
cap-a-pie ol both the the sport and the final cure. 
“G. D. AVERY.” 
BREEDS OF NEAT CATTLE. 
Fig. 30. 
Wc published, in our first volume, a general account of the most ap¬ 
proved breeds of cattle. To enable our readers the better to understand 
the peculiar characteristics of different breeds, we propose to give pictori¬ 
al drawings of individuals of several breeds, with such remarks upon the 
peculiarities of each, and their adaptation to particular purposes of the 
farm, as may serve to assist in making a proper selection. Cattle are 
reared tor the dairy, forlaborand for the shambles. Differentdistricts also 
require different breeds—heavy animals, which are profitable in fertile 
vallies, and upon rich pastures, not being the best adapted to hilly districts, 
or poor soils. 
We begin with the Ayreshire, a Scotch breed, of rather small size, in 
high repute as dairy stock, and also for their quick fattening properties; a 
breed which seems well adapted to our dairy zone, or hilly lands of medi¬ 
um or light quality. Fig. 30 is the drawing of an Ayreshire cow, and fig. 
81 that of an Ayreshire bull. 
Fig. 31. 
The fol'owing is given as the criteria of a good Ayreshire cow:—“ Head 
small, but rather long and narrow at the muzzle; the eye small, but 
smart and lively; the /wins 'small, clear, crooked, and their roots at con¬ 
siderable distance from each other; neck long and slender, tapering to¬ 
wards the head, wit!; no loose skin below; shoulders thin; fit e-quarters 
light; hind quarters large; back straight, broad behind, the joints rather 
loose and open; carcass deep, and pelvis capacious, and wide over the 
hips, with round fleshy buttocks. Tail long and small; legs small and 
short, with firm joints; udder capacious, broad and square, stretching for¬ 
ward, and neither fleshy, low hung nor loose; the milk veins large anu 
prominent; teats short,all pointing outwards,and at considerable distance 
from each other; skin thin and loose; hair soft and woolly. The head. 
bones, horns, and all parts of least value, small; and the general figure 
compact and well proportioned.” 
Product of the Dairy. —The fairaverage quantity of milk given by a cow, 
is stated at 600 gallons a year,which, considering her size, is very great. Five 
gallons per day, for two or three months after calving; three gallons for the 
next three months, and one gallon and a h df during the succeeding months, 
is stated as a medium proportion. Mr. Aiton,a very good authority, says, 
hundreds and thousands of these cows, when well kept, will yield 1,000 
gallons of milk in a year; that from 3| to 4 gallons of their milk will 
make 1§ lbs. avoirdupois of butter; and that 27£ gallons of their milk will 
produce 86-pounds of full milk cheese. As a mean average, it is affirmed, 
that a cow will make 257 lbs. of butter, or 514 lbs. of cheese, in a year, 
besides the value of her buttermilk, or whey, and calf. 
It is remarked, that the Ayreshire cattle will fatten on farms where 
others could not be made to thrive at all; and that they unite, perhaps to 
a greater degree than any other breed, the supposed incompatible proper¬ 
ties of yielding a great deal of milk and beef. Their superiority as milk¬ 
ers is most apparent, on the inferior soil and moist climate of the west of 
Scotland; and when transferred to rich pasture, their constitution chang¬ 
es, and they make more flesh and less milk. When dry, they take on 
flesh rapidly, which is of fine qualityr-the fat being interlarded witn the 
flesh, rather than separated in the form of tallow.— See “■Cattle," in the 
Library of Useful Knowledge, p. 126, SfC. 
MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL PREMIUMS. 
The Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agriculture, have pub¬ 
lished a list of premiums, to be awarded principally the current year, 
amounting in the aggregate to more than $2,000. We subjoin an ab¬ 
stract of these premi ums, as well for the information of our patrons in that 
state, as affording matter of general interest. 
For the best cultivated farm,.$150 
For the next best cultivated farm,.-. 100 
For the best rotation of crops on the same land, not less than two 
acres, for three or four years in succession, commencing when 
it is in grass,. 75 
For the best experiment in enriching land by turning in green crops, 
and without manure,. 75 
For the best mode of making compost, with dung muck or mud, 
with or without lime.•. 50 
The preceding premiums to be claimed in 1838-’39. 
For the greatest carrot crop on an acre,. 30 
<< half an acre,. 15 
For the best acre of common beets,. 20 
“ half acre of do. . 10 
best acre of mangold wurtzel,... 30 
“ half acre do. . 15 
best acre of parsnips,. 20 
“ half acre of do. 10 
best acre of ruta baga. 30 
“ half acre of do. 15 
best acre of common turnips. 20 
“ half acre of do. . 10 
best acre of onions,. 20 
“ half acre of dol. 10 
best acre of cabbages,. 20 
“ half acre of do. 10 
greatest quantity of sugar beets, raised on not less than two 
acres, in the current and two following years, a premium, in each 
year, of. 300 
For like premiums for the greatest quantity of sugar manufactured 
from the beet in thos$ years,. 300 
For the greatest quantity of vegetables, and a detail of the relative 
profits of feeding them to farm stock,... 30 
For the best Indian corn, wheat, rye, millet, peas, beans, mustard, 
flax and hemp, on an acre, premiums amounting in the aggregate 
to. 210 
For an effectual mode of exlirpating the locust worm,. 100 
do. the apple tree borer,... 50 
Fora newly invented and superior agricultural machine,. 20 
“ the best experiment in feeding and fattening neat cattle,. 20 
“ greatest quantify of homemade raw silk,. -... 20 
For the best plantation of oak, from seed, one acre, not less than 
1,000 trees, three years old,. 50 
For the best like plantation of white ash, larch, and yellow locust, 
each $25,. 75 
For the best 50 rods of live hedge,.. SO 
Claims for premiums to be forwarded to Benj. Guild, Esq. Boston, free 
of expense, generally belore the fast day of December next. 
Agricultural Survey of Massachusetts. —We are happy to learn, from 
the New-England Farmer, that the Governor of Massachusetts has ap¬ 
pointed the Rev. H. Colman, favorable known to the agricultural reader, 
to be commissioner for making an agricultural survey of that state. 
