68 THE CULTIVATOR. 
posed of his carcass for $62, when the well matched pair were 
not worth more than $100, for working oxen. Not so with 
the horse; if the slighest fracture or disease is discovered, down 
comes his value from 20 to 80 per cent, or if much disabled or 
seriously diseased, he becomes absolutely worthless, or even 
worse, as the expense of keep and farrier’s bill, is the only 
legacy bequeathed by the dead brute after months of atten¬ 
tion. 
JBut to the objections to an ox team, “ They cannot endure 
like the horse in hot weather.” Grant it. There is a part 
of 4 months in our climate, when they cannot do as much in 
the heat of the day, but there are parts of every day they can 
do a great deal; and probably all that might be required of 
them; and if the sluggards who drive them, would take a les¬ 
son from the feathered inmates of every copse, tree and shrub 
that surrounds them, and bestir themselves before the fading 
glimmer of the last star in the morning, and unyoke and pro¬ 
vide for their weary companions in toil through the sultriness 
of the day, and again when the excessive fervor of the sun 
had abated, they would renew their labor till dewey eve ad¬ 
monished them it was time to rest, they would find probably 
they could accomplish, without excessive fatigue to their 
teams, all that vvas necessary to perform. 
The great objection to them, however, is their “ dullness 
and inactivity.” Is the quadruped or biped in fault ? We be¬ 
lieve, with all due deference to our own species, the latter. 
If the poor dumb brute could portray his wrongs, they would 
frequendy be found to shame his more intelligent master; and 
if even handed justice could be done, compel him to change 
laces widi his abused servant. The ox is generally trained 
efore he has acquired half his strength, and Ins power at once 
tasked to the utmost. If however, he is allowed a res¬ 
pite, his burdens are for a brief time only delayed, and 
long before his strength is fully matured, he is habitually over¬ 
loaded, and that too under every privation of nutritious and 
stimulating food ; and the consequence is, as every one, not an 
ox or ass, would have predicted, he loses his spirit and ambi¬ 
tion, and becomes the stupid thing we are so accustomed to 
see, and the whole race are condemned for faults that really 
belong to another. Let light yokes or harness be adopted, suit¬ 
able four wheeled wagons, instead of the neck bruising carts, 
that are too often a full load for a team when empty; let the 
ox be well fed and curried and kept in his yoke only a reason¬ 
able time, and never overtasked, and he will in his improved cha¬ 
racter, soon retort upon his calumniators. But the real difficul¬ 
ty is, the breed of working cattle need improving throughout the 
State. In how large a portion of it are they far below the 
standard of working cattle in New-England ? Is this owing 
to the mode of rearing, or the breed ? We think the latter. 
All know the difference in the capacity for performance be¬ 
tween horses of the same bulk; that one will regularly per¬ 
form labor throughout the year, that would knock up another 
of the same weight in a week, and kill him in a month. May 
there not exist the same difference in the breeds of cattle? 
Without hesitation we would answer yes, though not perhaps 
to the same extent. We are not left to conjecture upon this 
point, however, though our unassisted reason might clearly in¬ 
dicate the truth; for we have the recorded experience of in¬ 
telligent and observing men, on both sides of the Atlantic, who 
have tried this matter fully and fairly, and whose united testi¬ 
mony is, that not only are certain individuals better adapted 
to various purposes of labor, but whose breeds are so consti¬ 
tuted in form and character, as to give them the utmost possi¬ 
ble adaptation to this object, consistent with the other import¬ 
ant one of their nature, in furnishing subsequently a carcass 
every way suited to the nutrition of man. These breeds are 
pre-eminently the Devons and Herefords, and to their unri¬ 
valled qualities for draft, Loudon, Youatt, and other distin¬ 
guished writers testify ; and their opinions are corroborated by 
thousands of experienced individuals in our own country. We 
know the Devons to be intelligent, docile, spirited and capa¬ 
ble, quick in their movements and enduring in performance, 
and in many instances, when of pure blood, well trained, and 
properly managed, rendering it no easy matter for good horses 
to out-do them. Youatt yields to the Herefords nearly the 
same meed of praise, and allows them greater strength, though 
we think them less active. Classifying them by the sports¬ 
man’s scale, we should say the Devons were the thorough 
bred, and the Hereford the stouter hunter, and though not 
possessing the speed, yet with sufficient for his object, he is 
enabled to carry greater weight than his more active rival. 
Both have good forms and constitutions, a large share of Bo¬ 
vine intelligence, a quick eye and ready ear, dense bones, 
strong joints, a large proportion of well disposed muscle, great 
strength and a rapid stride that makes it no easy matter for 
their drivers to keep pace with them; in addition to which, 
they are kind feeders,*and when turned out to grass, will take 
on flesh rapidly, and when fattened are preferred and will 
(in England at any rate, where the different breeds have been 
guaged by all the epicurean palates that have taken cognizance 
of flesh for the last two or three centuries,) bring a higher price 
than any except the Scotch cattle. Did we possess these val¬ 
uable cattle, and their descendants crossed with our best na¬ 
tives, extensively disseminated through our State, we should 
hear very little about the great inferiority of cattle. 
It may perhaps be asked if the far famed Short Horns are 
not adapted to labor ? If so, their advocates have failed to de¬ 
monstrate it, with some few exceptions; nor do we deem it 
compatible with their characters they should ever be so distin¬ 
guished. There is an anatomical and physical impossibility 
in the thing. They must combine opposite and irreconcilable 
properties in accomplishing this. Their great and paramount 
excellence is, to load on flesh in the right points at an early 
age, combined with great capacity in the cows for secreting 
milk, in which they are excelled by no other breed except the 
Long Horned Durham or Yorkshire. In conclusion, for this 
article has already been drawn out to an unwarrantable length, 
all that is necessary in compassing the great desideratum, the 
improvement of our country cattle, is to select the choicest na¬ 
tive animals we have already, that are best adapted to this 
purpose, and cross them with Devons, and perhaps Herefords, 
selected in England especially for this object, and we shall 
soon have a race not surpassed for securing to the agricultu¬ 
rist what he most demands, viz. the accomplishment of the 
greatest amount of farm labor at the least expense. 
Truly yours, R. L. ALLEN 
Buffalo , Feb. 1841. 
Preserve leached and unleached ashes which have ac¬ 
cumulated during the winter, to he applied to corn, in 
the hill 
The Short Horns and Herefords. 
Messrs. Editors —It is with deep concern that I perceive 
by a communication in your March number that Mr. So- 
tham has lost some of that comity of feeling, with which he 
professed to enter into the discussion on the relative merits of 
the Short Horns and the Herefords; more especially that he 
has, without pausing to consider the pain and injury it would 
inflict, spoken in terms falling little short of utter disrespect of 
the breeding skill, and even the knowledge of what constitutes 
the valuable points of cattle, possessed by Mr. Youatt, Hon. 
Henry Clay, Mr. Hefburn, and lastly my humble self. No 
man, I will venture to say, intimately acquainted with Mr. 
Sotham, values him more highly than. I do, and I have ever 
believed that he was by no means properly appreciated by a 
large portion of our breeders. 
I well recollect with what profound pleasure I hailed Mr. 
Sotham’s communication from England, (published in your 
October number,) that he was on nis way to this country 
“ with the best lot of stock ever seen together ,” and his modest 
challenge to the “owners of the best cattle in America,” to 
meet him at the cattle show at Niblo’s in October. It is 
an affair of more magnitude than every one may sup¬ 
pose, for one man to buy up “ the best lot of stock ever seen,” 
even in the small island of England, and I could not help 
fancying the deep mortification, the unavailing regrets of such 
men as Earl Spencer, Mr. Bates and other English breeders, 
when they ascertained the fact, and found that the broad At¬ 
lantic rolled between the aforesaid “lot” and England. What 
deep and lasting gratitude then should every American have 
felt towards so great a public benefactor! But, alas, all know 
that the “ingratitude of republics ” has passed into an adage. 
The fair day arrived at Niblo’s, and with it arrived Mr. So¬ 
tham with the Hereford cow (with the aliases ) that “ won the 
first prize at Oxford, 1839, against all England;” the cart mare 
and cart colt “ allowed by the best judges to be as good as 
England could producethe twenty-four rams that “ could 
not be beaten even in Englandand lastly, “ the pigs of va¬ 
rious descriptions, the best that could be procured in Eng¬ 
land.” Mark the astounding sequel! The cow that “ beat 
England,” was beaten by an American bred Durham, though 
rumor says that Mr. Sotham actually condescended to wait 
personally on the committee, after they had retired to their 
room for consultation, for the generous purpose of imparting 
his superior knowledge of what constituted the true excellen¬ 
cies of cattle, and to inform them in what low estimation the 
cow that subsequently proved to be the winner, would be 
held in England ! Whether any of the four and twenty rams, 
like the fiddlers of old “ all in a row,” received premiums, I 
am unable to say, though I learn that some of Mr. Sotham’s 
sheep were beaten by Mr. Clift’s. And to show at what an 
utterly low ebb the taste of our country is, in such respects, I 
will state that I am credibly informed that those splendid 
steeds, as well as those pigs, whose loss it is feared England 
will never be able to repair, were actually laughed at by two- 
thirds of the ignorant and impudent Yankees present! 
But enough of this. It only proves that men in advance of 
their age, are rarely appreciated by it. Galileo found it so; 
Copernicus found it so; Capt. Symmes found it so; and Mr. 
Wm. Henry Sotham, if he finds it so, should neither be grieved 
or disappointed. It is your empty, swaggering, conceited fel¬ 
lows, who always proclaim their own “ best,” who are most 
successful in these degenerate days ; for the modest and unas¬ 
suming there is little chance. The simple fact that the com¬ 
mittee of the American Institute decided against Mr. So¬ 
tham’s Herefords, proves nothing. That they were the “best 
lot of stock” at Niblo’s, or that “were ever seen,” we have 
the most indisputable authority—the same which the Marshal 
Montmorenci had that the Dauphin was a brave man—the 
Dauphin told him so himself! Will any man deny that this 
was 
“ Confirmation strong 
“As proof of holy writ!” 
But I must say I think it was hardly magnanimous in Mr. 
Sotham, after seducing Messrs. Clay, Hepburn, myself and 
others into this controversy by honied assurances of dealing 
gently and leniently by us, to suddenly, without a word ot 
warning, convert a merely friendly passage of arms into dead¬ 
ly strife. It might have evinced considerable nerve on the 
part of Fitz James to say to a party of wild Gael, “come one, 
come all,”—but Mr. Sotham, when he says that he is willing 
to stand a brush with Messrs. Youatt, Clay, Hepburn, etc. 
“individually or collectively,” well knows that he utters a safe 
challenge. True, Mr. Youatt is concededly the first writer 
in England on cattle; Mr. Clay is a clever man in the Senate, 
and one of the first breeders of the various kinds of improved 
cattle in the Western States; Mr. Hepburn certainly writes 
like an intelligent man—but which of these men ever “pur¬ 
chased five thousand cattle in two months,” or belonged to a 
concern “ which slaughtered from four to six thousand annu¬ 
ally for four years ?” If there be truth in the sage old apo¬ 
thegm that he 
“ Who kills fat cattle must himself be fat,” 
does it not follow by a parity of reasoning that he who buys 
and slaughters cattle must be an adept in the science of 
breeding them ? Cannot your butcher, who wields the knife 
and cleaver, manufacture these implements better than your 
mere blacksmith, who perhaps never cutup a beef in his life ! 
We doubt whether this last process was ever performed by 
Mr. Youatt, unless in the way of dissection ; and as for the 
Kentucky Senator, confess, 
“ ’An thou lovest me Hal,” 
that there’s fnany a man within half a dozen miles of Ash¬ 
land, who has bought more, killed more, barrelled more, and 
eat more beef than thyself, and argal, knows better how to 
breed it. The fierce old Hepburns, of East Lothian, were 
drovers and butchers both in a “border foray,” but we doubt 
whether their peaceable Pennsylvania descendant has ever 
drove or slaughtered 5,000 cattle in his life. If not, what 
should he presume to know about breeding fine cattle ! 
By the way, we should like to know what was the “ head 
and front” of this unfortunate manfe “offending,” that he 
should be selected as the especial victim of Mr. Sotham’s ire— 
used up—as little of him left as of the famous Kilkenny cats. 
Was it for suggesting that the recently imported Herefords 
were indebted to a Short Horn cross for their improved points? 
Mr. Hepburn undoubtedly considered this the greatest com¬ 
pliment he could pay them! Mr. Sotham in the October 
number of the Cultivator, page 161, in enumerating “ the be3t 
lot of stock ever seen together,” says, “one half blood between 
the Hereford and Durham, to show the cross, which I think 
an excellent one, probably belter than the pure breed of either , 
and from what I saw of Mr. Cother’s stock of Middle Aston, 
it may be extended much further than generally supposed, for 
his fourth cross was equal to the first—not the least sign of de¬ 
generation.” Can words be more explicit ? And what did 
Mr. Hepburn do, but follow “ in the footsteps of his illustrious 
predecessor?” Why, Mr. Sotham is as difficult to please 
(the best have their ioibles) as the drunkard, who reeling home 
at midnight, declared “ if he found his wife up, he would whip 
her for not going to bed when she ought to have done—if he 
found her abed, be would whip her for not sitting up and wait¬ 
ing for him.” Disagree with Mr. Sotham, and you incur the 
fate of Clay and Youatt—agree with him, and the shade of the 
mangled Pennsylvanian rises wamingly before you. Mr. 
Hepburn only surmised (in common with many others) that 
Mr. Sotham had been a more fortunate man than.he himself 
supposed—that instead of mere Herefords, he had actually ob¬ 
tained that cross between the Herefords and the Durhams, 
which we have Mr. Sotham’s own authority for supposing 
“better than the pure breed of either.” Why should Mr. So¬ 
tham object to having it believed that his cattle have received 
that last finishing touch, which by his own showing, will make 
perfection more perfect. Is it modesty, the fear of claiming 
for his own more than they deserve? Yet he may be mista¬ 
ken against himself. He says of the cow that was beaten at 
Niblo’s, “ I defy any man to prove there is a drop of Durham 
blood in her veins.” I presume there is not, but supposing 
there was, and a good many of them, who could testify to it 
except the breeder? I assert that my pig is a pure“landpike,” 
—now grant for the sake of the argument there are several 
drops of the “ Alligator” in him—how is Mr. Hewer or Mr. 
Sotham to ascertain that fact, if I see fit to conceal it ? 
Finally, Mr. Sotham challenges Mr. Hepburn or myself to 
exhibit a pure Short Horn, against one of his pure Herefords, 
as a milking cow in May next, for a silver cup, value $15. 
Now did Mr. Sotham ever hear of a shrewd Yankee, by the 
name of Ezekiel Peabody, who having tried in vain to dispose 
of a horse for $40, rode him one bright morning, briskly into 
the town of C-, (where several sportsmen resided,) and of¬ 
fered to wager $15, that the aforesaid horse could out-run 
any thing in C -for a mile; and how that finally he con¬ 
sented to sell “ Connecticut Eclipse” to young ’squire W., for 
$150, before the race came off? But would not Ezekiel have 
betrayed a great want of discretion, had he suffered his motive for 
making the let to leak out in the presence of a third person, who 
was under no obligation to keep it from the other parties ? I will 
merely add that this “silver cup” challenge came to my ears 
long before it was openly made to me. Verburn sap. 
In reply to that challenge, I may be pennitted to say that I 
never have paraded my own stock before the public. I have 
discussed the merits of the Short Horns and Herefords as fa¬ 
milies, without converting my communications into advertise¬ 
ments setting forth the merits of my own animals, as the ven¬ 
ders of patent medicines recount the wonderful virtues of their 
nostrums. My herd, always small, has been rendered still 
more so by recent sales, and circumstances have induced me 
to turn much of my attention to crosses between the Short 
Horn and other varieties.* But if Mr. Sotham is really in ear¬ 
nest—if he wishes to risk $50 or $100, on the milking proper¬ 
ties of a pure Short Horn and a pure Hereford, by the proper 
tests, (say the actual admeasurement of milk—or rather the 
pounds of butter made during one week of each months from 
the time of calving to the time of exhibition)—the matter to be 
decided at the annual Fair of the State Agricultural Society—■ 
I hereby distinctly inform him he shall be met. Satisfactory 
proof to be had, of course, of the milk and butter produced by 
each cow; and the bet to be forfeited in case either party 
should “ sell out.” If Mr. Sotham accepts this challenge, he 
will signify it in your next number, to enable the proper steps 
to be taken. HENRY S. RANDALL. 
Cortland Village, March, 1841. 
Ripening of the Brown Corn. 
Messrs. Editors — I noticed in the January number 
of the Cultivator, an inquiry by a “ Subscriber,” as to 
the time of ripening of the “ Brown Corn.” In answer 
to this inquiry, permit me to state briefly, my experi¬ 
ence of last year. I planted my corn on the 16th day 
of May, and on the 22d day of August, I gathered good' 
ripe seed corn from the field, wishing at that time to 
send some to a friend in the eastern country. From the 
appearance of the corn at that time, I presume I might 
have gathered good ripe seed a week earlier, had it 
been necessary. Another Subscriber. 
Hartford County, Conn., Feb. 22, 1841. 
Cure for Infected Kidneys in Hogs. 
Messrs. Editors —I see in the Cultivator, (p. 168, 
vol. 7,) that Mr. J. M. Hudson, of Va., asks for infor¬ 
mation respecting a disease among hogs, which he de¬ 
notes as infection of the kidneys, or weakness of the 
loins. I have had some acquaintance with this disease 
for many years, and suppose it to be the effect of kidney 
worms. I have often known copperas given to hogs 
with this disease, and never knew it fail to cure them 
in a few days, even after the hog was unable to get 
about but by dragging the hind legs. The copperas 
may he given to them in portions of about half a spoon¬ 
ful daily, in dough, or any thing else that they will eat. 
Pursue this course for a week or ten days, and a cure 
will be effected. A little wood ashes will do no harm, 
hut it cannot he relied upon for a certain remedy. 
Monroe, Ga., 1840. L. P. 
* Every one at all conversant with the subject, is aware 
that the thorough bred Short Horn, or any other animal of 
equal size, is not the proper stock for the hilly and thins oils 
of many of our grazing districts. The Devon, suitable in oth¬ 
er respects, fail as milkers. A breed that should engraft to a 
considerable extent the milking and feeding properties of the 
Short Horns, or that capacity for short keep possessed by some 
of the smaller varieties, would certainly be a great desider^. 
turn—and towards this I have aimed. I have young cows now 
coming in, crosses between the Short Horn and the New Lei¬ 
cester, the Ayrshire, the Devon, the Holderness, and our na¬ 
tive stock. Of these various crosses I may have occasion to 
speak hereafter. Though by no means “ the best lot ever seen 
together,” some of these animals are reckoned clever in these 
parts. 
