The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-05-22
agricultural Goluulll.
BREEDS OF CATTLE.

1OTUtu Cdtlle are KEPT CulcLy Iva
their milk, their labor, and for the pro-
duction of beef. They also consume
and thus make useful many products OF
the farm which would otherwise be
lost, and furnish manure for the en-
richmcnt of the soil.
They are divided into certain races,
breeds or families, distinguished by DIFF
ferent qualities or characteristics which
have been produced Or developed by
varieties Of climate and soil, and by the
manner in which they have been re-
quired to live by man.
There are FIVE distinct races or breeds
in this country, known as Ayrshires,
Jerseys, Shorthorns, Devons and Here
fords. Individuals Of other breeds have
been imported from time to time, but
their number has been so small that
they have had little effect On tie stock
of the country.
No one Of these breeds unite, in a
very high degree, all desirable qualities.
Some are best fitted for giving milk,
others for beef or labor. Cattle should
therefore be selected with regard to the
specific objecl for which tuey are want
ed, and that object should be had in
their keeping.
The Ayrshircs take their name from
The county Of Ayr, in Scotland, where
they originated seventy or eighty years
ago. They are kept chiefly for dairy
purposes. for which they are admirably
adapted, on account Of the large
quantity of milk they give in proportion
to their size and the amount of food
consumed. Their milk is Of good
quality, though not, usually, so rich in
butter qualities as that of the Jerseys or
the Dcvons. They are well adapted
both for beef and for labor, though in
these qualities they are probably sur
passed by the Deyons or the llerefords.
The Jerseys are celebrated for the
richness of their milk, and the excellence
of butter made from it. They come
from the islands Of jersey and Guern-
sey in the British Channel, where they
have been highly priced for dairy quail
tiles for many years. They are ILL.,
adapted for labor, and their beef pro-
ducing qualities do not compare very
favorably with those Of some other
breeds, although they ale easily eatten-
cd, and their flesh is Of good quality.
Improved Short-horns are large in
size, and, in rich and fertile section
of country, are well adapted for the
production of beef, as they come to
maturity at an earlier age than any
other family of neat cattle, and attain
4 greater weight.
They first became known in the lux
uriant valley of the river Tees, England,
and first really celebrated in the neigh
borhood Of Durham. Hence they were
for many years called Durhams or Tees
waters. They have been extensively
introduced into this country, and have
had great influence upon our stock.
The North Devons are remarkable
for great uniformity of color and size.
and are kept chiefly for beef and as
working cattle they come from Dew
onshire, in the Southern part Of Eng
land /; they are small, hardy and easily
adapt themselves to short pastures
their milk is rich in quality, but deficient
in quantity.
Hcrefords, so called from the county
of Hereford in England, where they
originated, have nearly thesame quality
as the North Devons, but their size is
considerably larger. They are kept
mainly for their beef, which is Of OF
peculiar excellence -.7gI Rerie,c.