176 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
HEREFORD COW ii MATCHLESS,” IMPORTED BY Messrs. CORNING & SOTHAM—[Fig. 89.] 
Messrs. Gaylord &. Tucker— It is with reluctance with him or his quotations on Herefords. 
on account of my inability of 
that I again address you 
language to support the desire I have for the advancement 
of agriculture in all its branches. This I hope is an apo¬ 
logy for my errors and defects, as what I advance is from 
my own practice, experience and observation. I shall 
always be open to correction; without prejudice yield to 
conviction, and will thank the more enlightened and intel¬ 
ligent, with the best feelings of a man, for the improve¬ 
ment they render me. Every person must be perfectly 
aware that his interest depends on the flourishing state 
of agriculture. No branch of the human family can live 
happily or comfortably when the farmer is depressed, for 
he is their parent and support; and it is a received opinion 
with me, that the farmer whose mind, soil and stock is 
improving daily by his own good management and skill 
in good breeding , keeping his eye on perfection, and copy¬ 
ing from it, is a station that cannot be surpassed. 
I will now endeavor to give you a description of our second 
importation, which I hope will have the desired effect, and 
afford equal assistance to the country, as my most san¬ 
guine anticipations. The following are the names of 
horses, cattle, sheep and pigs : 
Stallion, cart colt, one year old, Samson. 
Cart mare, six years old, Flower. 
Matchless, (fig. 89.) formerly Spot, six years old, Here 
ford. This cow won the first prize at the Royal Agricul¬ 
tural Society at Oxford, 1839, against all England. 
Young Prize, son of Matchless, one year old, Hereford. 
Martha, four years old, Hereford. 
Ellen, five do. do. 
Lucy, one do. do. 
Primrose, one do. do. 
Rarity, one do. do. 
Perfection, one do. do. 
Catharine, one do. do. 
Eliza, one do. half-bred, between the Here¬ 
ford and Durham. 
Cherry, six years old, Durham. 
Mary, two do. do. 
Neapolitan sow, Mrs. Trollope, and her family of eight. 
Berkshire boar, Capt. Marryat. 
Berkshire sow, Molly, in pig. 
Do. 
Betty, 
do. 
Do. 
Susan, 
do. 
Do. 
Sally, 
do. 
Neapolitan sow, Hannah, do. 
Nineteen Cotswold shearling rams, all from the flock of 
Messrs. Wm. and Joseph Hewer, Northleach, Gloucester¬ 
shire, England. The horses and three heifers (Hereford) 
from Mr. John Hewer, Northleach. 
Two Hereford cows and bull from Mr. James Walker, 
Northleach. 
One Hereford heifer, Mr. George Hewer, Northleach. 
One Hereford cow and yearling heifer from Mr. Joseph 
Hewer, Northleach. 
One half-bred Hereford and Durham, from Mr. Wm. 
Cother, Middle Aston, Oxfordshire. 
One Durham cow and heifer from Mr. Lovell, Edgcott 
Lodge, Warwickshire—imported expressly for J. & B. 
Knqwer of Albany. 
The pedigrees of these animals are as good as can be 
procured in England, and may be referred to whenever 
necessary. I will not fill your paper up with it, as my 
lengthened account will take more of it than its merit de¬ 
serves. The horses look like substantial, durable and use¬ 
ful animals ; strength and steadiness is shown in their 
shape and movements; they denote business on a good 
foundation, sufficient activity for heavy loads, and a mo¬ 
derate spirit to endure. I firmly believe we cannot get a 
better cross for farm horses, than the largest kind of Ame¬ 
rican mares crossed with this kind of cart horse; it will 
produce the right kind for utility and profit; they have 
short legs, much bone, with a very heavy carcass. I feel 
assured they will be a welcome addition to improved stock. 
In perusing your valuable paper, I noticed an article 
from Mr. Randall on cattle, which differed widely from 
my opinion in manv instances. I cannot say I agree 
I am sorry to 
dispute a person who has so much zeal for his country; 
but I know his good sense will hark back to a fault if 
caught on a bad scent; when he catches me running the 
same course, I will hail his correction with pleasure, and 
profit from his good intention. He says: “ They are 
larger bone, usually of a darker red, or browner color, than 
the Devon, and even worse milkers; indeed, a Hereford 
cow is rarely seen in an English dairy.” Probably he 
might. have made these assertions twenty or thirty years 
ago without fear of contradiction, but no practical man of 
the present day will allow them to pass with impunity unno¬ 
ticed ; the Herefords, like every thing else that is looking 
toward perfection, have met many unjust accusations, and 
I may say that breed, and the Cotswold sheep have had to 
contend against prejudice and abuse in England, more 
than any other breeds ever exhibited; but they have 
fought their up-hill course with great credit; their good 
qualities have triumphed even over the most prejudicial, 
and have won a permanent standing in the estimation of 
the first breeders, that will not be easily forestalled. The 
Hereford oxen have taken the first prizes in each class at 
the Smithfield shows for the last two years. Good judges, 
that aim at reputation, must now make thorough exami¬ 
nation, and render a true account to their conscience, be¬ 
fore they decide on any breed, for the generality of farm¬ 
ers are better capable of judging for themselves than for¬ 
merly. Herefords and Durhams are contending fairly for 
the ascendancy, and I trust the perseverance of each own¬ 
er will continue, for they are both very valuable breeds, 
and we shall reap much benefit from their crosses. 
I must say to Mr. Randall, that the pure Herefords are 
not larger and heavier in their bone; there is as much 
good breeding shown in their limbs as any breed in exis¬ 
tence ; the working oxen are as docile and as good as any, 
and I think I can bring forward a Hereford cow that will 
fill the pail as high as most Durhams or Devons, and if 
Mr. Randall will take an occular survey of English dairies, 
he will find in them more Herefords and crosses from them 
than any other breed, though the best breeds of cattle are 
far between, even in England. This condemnation has 
arisen more from theory and heresay than practice ; the 
best proof of this is to refer Mr. Randall to class five of 
of the Royal Agricultural Society at Oxford, 1839, and he 
will there find that the Hereford cow won the first prize, 
against all England, in the opinion of the judges, as the 
best calculated for dairy purposes ; the Durham obtained 
the second. This is a quotation that cannot be disputed, 
and one much calculated to retrieve the injured character 
of the Herefords as milkers, though an animal that can be 
fattened with facility is sufficient recommendation, as the 
steer, the ox, and the cow must ultimately come to the 
shambles. A full bred Hereford bull will cross well with 
any breed, and I shall be much disappointed if they do not 
afford more actual benefit to the United States than any 
other breed ever imported ; it was this impression that 
induced me to give them the decided preference. Tlie fe¬ 
male Durham is thought to be a better cross with other 
breeds than the bull. Mr. Randall, in extolling the Dur¬ 
hams, quotes from the Farmers’ Series the following : “In 
early maturity they have, confessedly, no rivals, being 
ready for the butcher from two to four years earlier than 
the other English breeds.” I should imagine his author 
meant Herefords when he advanced this; if not, practice 
and experience will admit them to have one year in ad¬ 
vance of all others; beyond this would look too much like 
fiction, for it must be deemed unprofitable to keep steers 
over three years old, unless for the use of the yoke. Here¬ 
fords decidedly hold the first place in England for early 
maturity and a tendency to the secretion of fat; they of¬ 
ten go to market at two years old. Though our opinions 
clash on this subject, I hope Mr. Randall will continue to 
bring forward the Durhams in their brighest coloring, for 
they deserve the praise of approved ability. The-following 
prices will uphold him : 150 guineas, 150 do. 320 do. 415 
do. 110 do. were obtained at the Earl of Carlisle’s sale last 
Sept., Short Horns; 170 guineas, 105 do. 150 do. 300 do. 
135 do. at M?, Henry Edward’s Short Horns ; and attfohn 
Colling’s, Esq., Sept. 12, 105 guineas, 100 do. 170 do. 200 
do. 140 do. is sufficient proof that Short Horns are valua¬ 
ble. I shall read with much pleasure any article he may 
insert, and shall glory in seeing them defended whenever 
abused, and will assist him in his efforts with my utmost 
ability. I shall also be most happy to consult with him 
personally on both breeds, and make friendly comparisons 
with each under the eye and hand. I do not praise the 
Herefords with an interested design to depreciate the Dur¬ 
hams ; we have four of the latter to one of the former, 
near one hundred head, of a very good quality, and we 
hope in a few years to be able to supply the wants of those 
who may wish them, and will do them justice. We have 
a five years old cow and two years old heifer of the im¬ 
proved Short Horn, that I think would not have disgraced 
the breeder, (Mr. R. Lovell,) had they appeared at the 
Royal Agricultural show at Cambridge, nor do I think 
his Durhams far behind the best of them. 
We have a cross bred yearling heifer by young Sove¬ 
reign, a superior Hereford bull, from a very superior Dur¬ 
ham cow ; probably she may be considered one of the best 
animals we have, when recovered from her voyage ; she is 
in calf by young Cotmore, a son of the bull that won the 
first prize at Oxford, 1839, as the best bull of any age. It 
is my opinion that this cross cannot fail to be good, both for 
the dairy and shambles, and may be pursued and attended 
with many beneficial results. Mr. Cother has promised to 
report to me his success in continuing this cross. I had 
the satisfaction to see in London, six beautiful Here 
fords, three splendid Durhams and ten good Cotswold sheep, 
bound for Australia, and was much gratified to find it a 
similar importation to the one I had selected. It is no 
small matter to take cattle and sheep 13,000 miles. Ame¬ 
rica must look at this, and proceed ; there are more than 
double the quantity of cattle and sheep exported to that 
country than America. 
I shall now change the subject to that of our sheep. I 
am at a loss what name to call them ; English breeders 
are so frequently changing it, as they improve by cross¬ 
ing. Such as New Cotswolds, New Leicesters, New 
Gloucester, New Oxfords, New Lincolns, &c. &c. as if 
the word new could add value to a beast. This I do know, 
that new things have often led farmers into errors. These 
breeds are so much mixed together, that it is difficult to 
know which breed they are mostly descended from ; nor 
do I care, as long as I approve of the sheep. My idea of 
name and color of any animal is, that it weighs but light 
in the scale of profit, therefore on consideration, shall call 
them the Old Northleach Cotswolds. I cannot answer for 
Mr. Hewer’s crosses with other breeds, as I did not inquire ; 
the sheep spoke for themselves, and drew numerous pur¬ 
chasers from all parts of the world ; the superior quality 
induced good breeders to give high prices, which is a suf¬ 
ficient criterion of their goodness. We have purchased 
fifty ewes in lamb from Mr. Hewer, and twenty from Mr. 
Cother, of Middle Aston ; Capt. Morgan will bring them 
in January next. 
I perused with much pleasure a communication from 
Mr. Clift on Lincolns, though I cannot say I agree with 
him, as being the best sheep for the country, or can I be¬ 
lieve that length, height, breadth, or girth, denotes a good 
animal; they do not strike me as any criterion to good¬ 
ness, though the novelty induced Captain Morgan to mea¬ 
sure the length of one of our sheep, eighteen months old : 
from nose to root of tail was five feet two inches, while 
that of Mr. Clift’s, at four years old, measured four feet 
seven and a half inches ; and I have no hesitation in say¬ 
ing this sheep weighed, when put on the vessel in London, 
45 pounds per quarter. He has a good face and ears, 
well filled behind the shoulders, a level fat back, an excel¬ 
lent rump, a good leg of mutton, and I have no doubt, 
when he is sheared next June, that he will cut twelve 
pounds of wool; these are essential points, though I do 
not think him deficient in many ; and I will cheerfully 
sell him to Mr. Clift at a reasonable profit, should he ap¬ 
prove of his good qualities. I am thoroughly convinced 
there are no sheep in the world with more hardy consti¬ 
tutions or aptness to fatten. 
Mr. Clift again remarks : “ That his wether sheep are 
fit for the stall, if you choose, at two, and at the farthest, 
three years old.” The Messrs. Hewers never think of 
keeping their wethers over one year; they go to Smithfield 
market, 95 miles, from turneps, bare shorn, about the same 
time the lambs begin to drop, and weigh from eighteen to 
twenty pounds per quarter ; these are culls his rams are 
taken from. I saw a lot of them sold in April last at £2 
3s. 6d. each, and the butcher told me the mutton was almost 
equal to the best South Down. If sheep are kept beyond 
twm years, the necks, loins and breasts are excellent to salt, 
and as economical and palatable food as the best bacon 
or pork. English farmers and laborers consume a great 
quantity of two and three years old wethers and old ewe 
mutton, and prefer it to many other kinds of meat. The 
general average of tegs fleeces shorn at this time are from 
eight to eleven pounds. 
It is totally impossible for any person to seek eminence 
in ram breeding, unless he is a first-rate j«dge. In the 
first place he must be able to distinguish each ewe in his 
flock; there is as much difference in feature, as in the hu¬ 
man family, and as easily known by it, by constant ex¬ 
amination ; he remembers accurately the deficient points 
of each, and his memory serves him to select a sire to im¬ 
prove them, though it is extremely difficult to obtain ex¬ 
actly the sheep required ; in that case he must enrbraceas 
many good points as possible in which the majority of his 
cw r es fail. England has a wide field for selection, and ha» 
the deckled advantage over America in this respect; they 
