New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-17
Mr.. CoRNING's Farm.


ED TO OUR COUNTRY l--IMPORTANCE OF HERD
BOOKS
Mr.. CoRNING's Farm.
The comparative merits Of two leading breeds of
British cattle the ShoIt-horns and Herefords, have
been made The theme OF such earnest discussion,
both in England and in this country, that good deal
Of acrimonious feeling and psrtisanshp have been
excited. Calm and unbiased observers, observing
the heat Of the conflict, and tie varying success OF
the dsputants have naturally concluded that as both
breeds have at times borne off the highest honors in
competition with all Others both possess remark able
merit; for surely, if either quite inferior, its
friends must have soon been vanquished, and the
breed driven from the market. Hitherto our sketches
Of American herds have been confined to the Sport
horns but recent visit TO the farm OF Mr. Erastus
Cprnirg near Albany, ensbles us TO give an account
of the kind that for twenty years past ne has
bred in preference to all others. To properly INTRO
apce them to our readers il will be necessary to take
retros pectve glance at their history, and noe the
impro vements made by the leading breeders OF the
present generation.
II il an interesting fact, that although at the inva
son Of Britain by Cesar the inhabitants were almost
wholly ukained by the meat and milk OF their herds
Of cattle and since that time the horned STOCK OF the
country have been considerable source OF wealth,
vet il 10 only within the last century, or at most
century and half thai much Improvement has been
made IN the breeding OF animals.
The steady increase of population in the British
Islss and the gradual exhaustion of the soil anu con-
s.ouept decrease of incomes of the propreors, to-
gether with the discoveries OF Lebg the application
OF steam to farming and other causes have gradually
forced the higher classes 10 encourage agricultural
iuprovement. The taste once established, has
hy
her agricultural press and agricultural societies, En-
Gland eads the world in all that relates to the depart
perpof husbsndry. And perhaps in nothing he's this
Improvement been more shown than in the breeding
Of Stockton not the feeblest comparison can be
made between the perfected Short of the present
dsy and those ancestral types OF the breed that roamed
the country a century or two ago.
Itis only within the last fifty years that the prirci-
p,es of animal life have been thoroughly eucidated
and the importance Of preserving correct registers OF
pedigree properly estimated and hence 1t IS that
when we come 10 investigate the early history OF the
Hereford ard other leading breeds, we ind their
origin lot in perfect uncertainty AL We can do is to
commence with the efforts OF some wel-kno~n
breeder and trace their improve nent 10 the present
time With Short horns this is y comparatively easy
task; for the animals bred, We might almost say
created by Mr.. Charles ColliDg, stand out frsn
their ancestry with such dstinctpess IS to iurnish
oonyenien; landmark for our Investigations: while
there s not on record an early improver Of the Here
fords whose case can bs taken a. parallel. Tue
mo.t authentic account we have is that given by MI
&. Hil'yaid who Published in 1874 most excellent
treatise on "Practioal Farming and Grazing
Speakng of the Improvement in Herefords, he says
thst Benjamin Topkins of Wellington Court was
famed for a superior herd Of that breed msny AM
msls Of which getting into the bands OF John Pnoe OF
RIVAL near Up,on- on Severn, ne in few years had
herd that at his sale in 1916 brouh wonderful prices
Cows sold as high as f2o0 $1,000 TO f2oc 81 800
each; and bulls for 600 $1,000 TO $500 SiSoo)
each. Lord Talbot purchased twenty.taree anih'.s
for - 800 1912 J00)-sn average of $40 esch. Dur
ing .even years Mr.. Price sold one hundred Here
fords for $1,000, or a gross amount of s"3,ooo'
Among the earlier breeders OF note the names OF
Tnly, Yeom an, Skyrene Willisms snd Weymsn are
on record; aud in 1874 Esrls Talbot and Oxford, Sir
Francis Lawley, Sir Hurgerf,d Hoskyn', Sir Frsues
GoodeIicke, SIR Robt. Price Jno. ikwrght, jeffrey,
Turner Yield, Heser, Rsyner, Knight, snd Snlthies,
led tie van Mr.. Illysrd says that a 'his period
"they were breeding too 6ne too YIN the chine,
"the oro legs TOO close together and not capariou'
enough in chest too thin in thighs, with want OF
mus lie, end therefore, when well-fed there was
want of due proportion Of lean to fa' meat
This was, no dopbt, true; FOR the treatise OF MF.
HiDyurd bears the marks Of having been composed