Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-03-06
From the Springfield Republican.
THE HARVEST CLUB-"DURHAM
STOCK

CTnHX
o0N'
The eighth regular meeting of our Farmer
Club was held at the house of Phineas Stedman
of Chicopee, president of the club. \ larger
number than usual were present. but as the re-
suit proved, none too many for the heart and
tables Of our host. The advocates of Short Horn
stock were clearly in the majority Several of
the party upon their own confession were guilty
of buls. 1t was claimed for the Short Horns
that they were good handlers, rapid growers.
easy iattencrs, and some OF the families excel
lent mixers. 1t costs more to keep them than
smaller cattle, but then they give more milk and
flesh in return No man can afford to keep stock
poorly. One reason why little natives can live
where Short Horns would starye, may be be-
cause the former have bigger noses,-on the
principle of the cabbage whose leaves are broad
in order that it may draw nourishment from the
air. Short Horn steers usually carry more flesh
to market at two years old, than other breeds at
three, and there is full years difference in their
maturity Grazicr> and butchers prefer grade
Durhams and thorough brcds to other animals,
for growth and fattening, and consider them
worth u cent a pound more than other cattle for
beef They are said to have less ofal in pro-
portion TO their weight,-the meat is more ten
der and juicy,-thcy have more good pieces. and I
consequently cut up better Milk has general
ly been disregarded in breeding these animals.
Shape and size have been the prominent ideas.
In New England milk is ofas much consequence
uS flesh. consequently greater care has been Ia
Ken to seiect these animals from good milking
families, than at the West. Hence the prcva-
lent notion that a cross oi the Short Horn with
the native, or AYRSHIRE blood, makes good milk
erS
Choice animals are frequently found among
grade DurhamS. Short Horns, from their long
purity, are morel likely to transmit peculiar quail
iucN to their progeny, than other animals less
carefully bred. Very few good animals can be
found whose superior qualities are not traceable
to imported blood Natives. so called, will not
average for milk as well as thorough bredS. for
there are hundreds of the former to select from,
to one of the latter. The power to transmit
milking qualities to their offspring Is believed to
he equal IN the sexes.
with regard To prott' no one pretcnds that
It viii pay To give high prices for these animals, .
Tor any other purpose than breeding. While it
would not answer for all the farmers to engage
IN tins business, 1t Is thought there is little dam
ger of flooding the country with them at present.
Ii all the thorough bred Short Horns now in the
country, togethc. with their progeny, were kept
solely for breeding for the next fifty years, the
demand would not be supplied. Since about
the year 1918, when the first pure Short Horn
was imported to TINS country, people nave talk-
ed of flooding the country, and yet hese animals
never commanded higher price than now
Mr. Stone of Guelph, Canada, sold at auction
sixty ANIMALS OF tins blood, last September, for
grand total of S22, l3O' or an average of 1869
each. Some of them were mere sucking calves. |
1t Is gratifying to know that some OF the choic-
est OF these ANIMALS were brought to Massachu-
setts, and are now owned by members of this
club: John Bull is no longer exclusively
English, but feeds with Lords and Ladies'
IN true republican simplicity, IN "Brother Jona-
than's' barn.
The Durhams have been subject to great
deal of prejudice, from those having little ac-
quaintance with them Some men dislike them
because of their color, Others because they are
dainty and probably more, because OF their high |
price With regard to the first difficulty, 1t is
mere matter Of taste. Red and white and these
ntermixed are the prevailing colors. \ black
hair is never admissible in this breed The
other difficulties are more imaginary than real,
and both answered by the following statement
a gentleman had two calves, one sired by Short
Horn, the other by native They We're kept
and iatted alike, and both were Killed at the
same age They both sold at the same price
per h., but the Short Horn calf brought seven
or eight dollars the most money. Whether it
will pay, to give - for the use of thorough
bred bull, when native can be had for one tenth
OF that sum, any man IN the light of such state
ments can judge. One thing is evident, the