Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-09-20
1880 lbs.

Hide, III Hide, lis
1880 lbs. 1856 lbs.
To the above we here add a communi-
cation from gentleman of close observa.
ton and strict impariiality, and do not hesi.
tate to congratulate the readers of the A.
merican Farmer on its having attracted his
notice, in the earnes, hope that he will oc-
| casonally favor Us in the same way:
| PHILADELPHIA. 22d Aug. 1889.
To the Editor Of the American Farmer:
Sir-ln your paper ofthe l4.h inst. there
is an editorial article which has afforded me
great pleasure. allude to the one in
which you state your opinion ofthe respec~
tive merits OF different breeds ofneat cattle.
As you mention your purpose Of writing
more fully ON the subject in some future
number, | think it may not be amiss to furnish
you with extracts from the notes taken BY
me during r. residence Of some months in
England SO that you may have facts, IN
addition to those which | doubt not you al
ready possess, to sustain wha, think te.
nable position, namely, that the North Dew
ons are decidedly the best breed Of cattle
that can be introduced inio this country.
l believe 60 farther than you do in
esteeming the Devons superior to the Short
horns even for the fertile glass and corn
lands OF Kentucky and Ohio. But 4 do SO
,, esteem them, and conversation had some
months since with an eminent grazier and
cattle dealer from the Sciota wiley tended
strongly to confirm mein my opinion. He
stated that he had had much experience with
Short.horns and their crosses that there
was no d ubt of their great aptitude 10 feed
well and at an early age, and 10 acquire
great weight but there their advanta-
ges stopped ; that they did not bear u jour
ney well. In fact, he found that they lost
flesh, when in drove, about in proportion
| as they were well bred. A quarter bred
animal would drive better than half bred,
half bred than three.quarter bred, and
so on. Now, If the short. horns do not
drive we'll, where is their superiority for the
districts mentioned They have not q
home market to consume their cattle, which
must be driven. The grazier above men,.
toned said the difference in loss Of weight
was so great as forcibly to attract his at.
tention at time when the Short horns were
in very high favor with him. have for.
gotten the exact proportionate loss that he
mentioned, bu. it was SO large per cen.
age as to make him very cbary Of starting
the half.breeds in drove. There is one
point which | think the western grsziers
overlook in preferring the short.horns,
namely. the weight Of fbeef that can be raised
on given quantity Of land or food. The
preference is given to the largest animal,
the one that makes the greatest weight on
The hoof. believe the Devons will make
a great deal more beef from given quantity
Of food than the Short-horns, but it is true
there must be few more Of fthem to carry it.
But to the extracts When in Norfolk,
England, spent some time with Mr. John
Bloomfield, at Warhau, who has large
farm, part of the estate ofthe Earl of Lei.
cester (Mr. Coke. His farm is within 8 or 4
miles of Holkham, and is acknowledged
to be one ofthe best managed ofthe estate.
Mr.. Bloomfield is man ofgreat exactness +,
observation, soundness Of jud gn,ent, and the
strictest integrity. Every confidence may
be placed in his statements, and his opinions
are not to be lightly esteemed Among the
notes, Of information he gave me, made at
Wareham, find the following Medium
sized stock to be preferred as yielding more
beef, mutton, wool, milk, &c. than either
large or small stock. under similar and or.
dlnary circumstances" Again Mr..
Blomfeld's dairy of 20 COWS produced an
average of four pounds Of butter for each
COW per week during tie whole year. S.ric,
accounts were kept during several years,
and the result was nearly the same in each
year." Now although pounds week
may not at first sight appear to be a large
yield, should like any one to try II they
can find a regular farmers dairy ofan equal
number of cows yielding as mnch.
Mr.. B. frequently challenged gentlemen
attending the sheep-shearings at Hokhan
10 match it with any other breed than Dev.
ons, but he was never met. ltmay be well
to state distinctly that the average OF lbs.
per COW was the net produce from all the
30 COWS, in profit or out profit, afer suck
ling their calves for few days, and sup
plying the family with cream.
Another note "Mr. Bloom6eld's but
ter is of the bes. quality; this is attributable
TO a variety of causes.-The cattle are ol
very good breed,-Devons, and are well