Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-09-17
CATTLE TRADE.

The curious fact in S,cineology is affirmed by q
Kentucky drover that his hogs which weighed one
hundred and fifty Mt starting reached an average of
one hundred and eighty on arriving at New York
being nearly half pound day while on the jour
ney On the other hand, the loss of weight-or
drift" as It is called-of cattle is equal to one
hundred aud fifty pounds, which bullock Of one
thousand pounds weight at leaving home lessons on
his way 10 the Atlantic butcher This drift, or
loss, it is observed, is chiefly first in the kidneyfat
and fat OF ontruils. 1t has been ascerained that
hog will set out on his journey to that bourne whence
no sub traveller returns, fat as to have no cavity
or vacuum in his corporation. If, as he journeys
on, you don't feed him. he lives first upon and con-
sumes his gut fat, then his kidney fat, and, lastly,
his carcass wastes awey
In driving cattle, the practice is to stop but not
TO feed for an hour at mid day, when the cattle in
less than five minutes all lie down to rest.
A drove of one hundred and twenty cattle, as
easily driven as small number, is usually attend
ed by "maneger" on horseback aud Two footmen
One footman goes ahead, leading OK the whole
way, say eight hundred miles. The manager on
horseback takes his station behind the first forty
headSsnd the third man on foot brings up the rear.
There are stations along the whole route -country
taverns often kept by the owner of the adjoining
farm, who thus finds market for his own produce,
and keeps at any rate constant supply of what is
needed for the drover. Vending their way through
Ohio, the farmer supplies them with that glorious
plant, the pride OF our country, Indian corn, they
have Toasted on it at home, stalk, blade, and grain
altogether; but, when on their melancholy Journey
they touch the line Of Pennsylvania Mynheer brings
forth his fragrant hay and corn already shucked,
and finally when they come late enough to market
they are turned at night into grass lots, prepared
and kept for the purpose.
The cattle reared in the corn regions of the West,
especially in Ohio and Kentucky, have been heavily
dashed with the short horn blood, by which their
average weight has been increased it is said about
two hundred pounds, with great improvement in
their fattenlng properties and the quality Of the
meat.
A Kentucky farmer would now be very 10th to
let bull Of the much Wanted old BLACKWELL breed,
with his straight back and long horns and fat all to
itself OVERLAPPING the carcass, como within a ten
foot pole Of his heard of COWS. Cattle with strong
infusion of the improved short horn blood, are still
esteemed to be preferable to the full-blood as being
more thrifty and active.
For obvious reasons, cattle are not so much trans
ported on railroads in this country as in England,
where the distances from the feeding place to the
market are so much shorter Cattle will 90 very
well a railroad for twelve hours together, but
then they must lie down, which they cannot do in
the cars like hog, that lets himself down and
sleeps on the space upon which he stands. The
charge, too, on the railroad in our country is too
high For lame bullocks that sometimes sent
from Harrisburg 10 the Philadelphia market, they
charge half as much it costs 10 drive them all
the way--750 or 500 miles, from Kentucky to New
the one being $500 the other estimated at
about SIG.
The last of the Western cattle arrive in New
York about the first of August, when they are
driven out Of the market by the grassfed herds of
more neghboring regions. The cost of road ex-
penses of a drove Of one hundred head from Ken
lucky is about 81 800 Some of the latter droves
come in on grass at less expense; but, as before
iniimatea, the DECLINE or "drft" is greater than
when feu hay and coru, and the beef not so good
TURNER'S Library.