Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-06-10
AqrifnItural Department.

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From the Massachusetts PlOughman.
Eleventh Agricultural Meeting.
The subject was, The management Of
neat-stock.'
Y A. Gleason, ESQ.,, from Wayland, being
requested to broach the question, said he had
been in the practice Of raising his own cows.
He selects the best cows to breed from, and
il as particular to select males that come
from good cows. He has practiced putting
two calves to farrow COW to be nursed for
four months. He then takes the COW away,
leaving the calves in the pasture. They
are acquainted there, and it is better than
to remove them and leave the COW. He
thinks it does not hurts middle aged farrow
COW to nurse pair of calves; but he never
puts very young cows to this service. If a
COW is unwilling to take the calves he calls a
dog to the pen and in short time she owns
them. He raises heifers only, except
occasionally single male. He purchases
his oxen or steers in preference to raising
them.
Mr.. G., spoke highly of the Durham
short-horns; he had raised many of them
but he could not keep them. They were
larger and handsomer than native cattle,
and purchasers got them allaway from him.
He has none on. his farm. He gave
number of marks Of good COW he likes
bright eye, small bone, small tail, small and
fiat horns Black teats are bad sign;
hard to milk cream hard to churn. His
COWS weld best when driven but short dis
tance to pasture. In winter they give more
milk when kept constantly in the barn
cannot say they last longer for it.
Speaking Of oxen, Mr. G., protested a.
gainst much whipping. He would have a
whip last six years. He judged teamster
by the wear of his whip. He would use
steers to the yoke before they are year old
breaks them when he could do it without
breaking their constitution. To cure horn
all he puts spirits of turpentine between the
horns, or jets the same into the nostrils with
a syringe. For murrain gives salts in case
of stoppage. He had lost two cattle from
some unknown cause; they would kick
violently in the pasture, bite their legs and
sides, and act strangely. He knew Of no
uncommon food that they had eaten except
acorns in the pasture. -.-a4
Mr.. Buckminster asked Mr.. Gleason il
he thought the short-horned Durhams better
for the dairy than our native cows? He
said he did not, but he could sell them
quicker.
Mr.. Calhoun, the President, said, the COW
is most important animal on a farm, and
we ought to pay more attention to breeding.
We ought to know which are best for the
dairy. In our part of the State, on the
Connecticut, we are trying to improve our
natives. Weought to make inquiry wheth-
er the. common stock of the country will
not be as good basis to build on as any
We have variety ofopinions one Of my
neighbors decidedly prefers the Durham
stock. A preference is generally given,
however, to the Ayrshires rather than Dur
hams. But most of our farmers prefer the
native stock of the country for the dairy
They think if we would but pay attention to
selecting, our own would prove superior to
any that have been imported incline to
their opinion. It costs no more to keep
good cattle than poor cattle. would like
to know more of the cattle that have been
recently imported by the Massachusetts,
Society. s9 S-. .s-fa g5@ &
Mr.. Bucklninster said the cattle were
imported by the Society last season. He
said as to the Durham stock, he had taken
much pains to knowwhat was their product
of milk and butter. He had invited the
owners Of such cattle to show the yield of
their daiiies; and though he had found
instances of very good cows of that breed,
he felt bound to say, generally, they were
not equal to the native cattle of the country.
He said we have cows in N ew England that
have made their IA, 16, ls pounds of butter
per week /; he had publishedthe particulars;
and he thought it would be easier to find
dozen such COWS than dozen Durhams that
would yield as much in proportion to their
size. ,f..f-Ewe.A ...-
i And this is the great point it is not i'm
portant to have very large cattle. We
want the greatest yield in proportion to the
size Of the animal and the nourishment she
requires: He called the attention of the
meeting to the fact that the State Agricultur-
al Society, which is making efforts to i'm
prove our neat stock, has sent for no Dur
hams. An agent was sent to Europe to Sc
iect the North Devons and the Ayrshires
and five Of each have arrived. He had not
yet seen the cattle but he liked the descrip-
ton given Of them. MIR. Phinney Of Lex
ington has the charge Of this stock.
A story is told Of an English COW that
gave SO quarts Of milk per day. Could
this be rich milk. Mr.. b., said his own
cpw, that made ffteenpounds and quarter
of butter in week last June, never gave
more than eighteen quarts Of milkper day.
If the milk of the foreign COW was as good,
she would make thirty pounds per week!
Mr.. Sheldon, Of Wilmington, who has
been very extensively conversant with
cattle, having about 100 yoke at one time
when he was removing Pemberton Hill,
said he had been benefited by imported
stock but we ought to pay more attention