, 1859-01-21
AgricVIiurs.


that tniS SuOleCt u Ohe VI soHio H''l"''"''S
to the public, who have right to all the
information that breeders and others can give
them
Icannot say tha: ! have had very long
experience, though for few years past |
have had large number of cattle under my
observation.
In the outset, preferred the color of the
roam cattle, merely because it pleased my
fancy, butIhadno prejudice against either the
whites or reds, though rather fancying the
latter on account Of their color. had the
curiosity q short time ago to classify accord.
ing to color, and count the cows and heifers
Of my herd Of thoroughbred Short horns,
and found that there were at that time s.
roam, 4S red or red-and-white, and 20 white
animals, which win probably be something
like the proportion Of females of each color
now IN The herd. This will show you that !
have q sufficient number of each color to en-
able me 70 form some opinion as to the re-
lative hardness or value of animals of the
different colors, and, as far as my own OBJ
servations will allow me to judge, should
say that hardness or delieacy of cOnstitu-
ton IS not peculiar to, is not influenced in
any degree by color.
The diseases 10 which my cattle have been
most subject are those Of the lungs, caused
b our frequent, rapid, and extreme changes
Of weather and temperature during winter,
and my imported cattle have suffered more
Eomthe fact (as suppose that they are un-
accustomed to such vicissitudes.
Ihave heard il said by some o. our old.
fashioned observing farmers, that white OK
could not do as much work in the yoke as
one Of different color. OF this matter |
cannot speak from experience, but am dis
posed 70 think that the assertion was founded
upon observation; but this goes very little
way toward proving that the white OK
wanted constitution.
Ihnve known man to set off with a
drove Of hogs for market, composed of
vafieiyof breeds; some Of theold-fashiOned,
longlegged sort, some Of mixed blood, and
olhprs parsaking largely Of the improved
breeds now 30 much in request; as might
have been expected, the longlegged fellows
were fr the best travellers; and, were the
hog driver the man to choose the breed, he
might perhaps prefer the old sort Of stock,
butue should not be disposed on that ac-
count o admit that they had better eonstitu-
ions
Nov the most Of the white cattle through
out this part Of the country have cOusid-
6able portion Of shorthoru blood in them,
nnd he Short horns though excellent for
beef and good dairy stock, are unsuited to
f1c yoke. and any man who breeds Short
hofns for work oxen can scarcely understand
l|s own interest Though breed large
number Of short.horned steers annually,
tllo always get ny work oxen from some
Of he billy counties. finding these far more
active han he short-horns.
Your correspondent J. W. c., wishes to
draw bis conclusions from general laws,
which he presames 70 operate equally in the
human ilmily, IS with horses, cattle, Sc. /
Am disposed 70 agree with him in the main,
dIai there are general laws operating almost
universally, when not modified by circum
stances. but would ask Is It general
Law Of nature that llght-colored animals are
les hardy than those that are darkerl For
instance do We end he white man less
hardy ilIau he negrol Ibelieve il is uni.
yti.alIy admitted that the white is the har.
der Of The two. Again, If ii be a general
Jaw ofuature that the darker colored animals
have better constitutions than the lighter
coIored We should expect to find this general
Jaw extending its influence to the sexes of
tbn same species; that IS, the males should
g1nernlly be found Of . darker color than
~ females lam not aware that this can
b n1id % be he case; on the contrary, we
fnl IN some few cases that the males are the
lighter ooIored o. he two. Such is the
c'so with iho common goose. Anoiher in
aanoo favorable 70 the hardness Of the
lighter eolored species may be given from
the fsaiheIed tribe. Tho Piarmigan, spe
c'es q CROSSE resembling the ordinary
Scotch grouse IN most respects, except
ih,i they are white, are nearly 50. are much
iae most hardy Of their kind, inhabiting the
tops and bleakest parts Of the mountains Of
Scotland and the north Of Europe 1t may