Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-03
FARM AND GARDEN.
AGRICULrURAL pROGREss.

Nothing is more interesting or instrIe-
tive than the mental activity of American
farmers at this time. This unprecedented
activity is due partly 20 the teachings AID
inspiration OF the press partly to the recent
annexation of Europe by telegraph wires
and steam, with lis three hundred million
Inhabitants, to our continent; and
partly to the wonderful developments of
physical science aud their direct application
20 the vast interests Of agriculture. With
out attempting to grasp in one sketch the
progress Of agriculture on the two CONT
nents, Europe and America) let us exam
ne some features Of that Of Great Britain
and the United States as developed in COM
mon within tie last twenty years. During
the second, third, fourth and fifth decades
of this century, American farmers were
content to purch Sc the second best
short horns raised in England,
for breeding purposes in this coun-
try; the breeders there refusing to sell
at any price the pick of their herds. In
1853 this rule was departed from and pre-
MUM Dutchess bull ives bought for MIR.
Thorne, of Thonedale, near New York, for
q thousand guiness or 5000 in gold. Fe
males Of the same blood were bought and
imported at what was then regarded as fab
ulous prices; but with this practical result,
that the United States had confsssedly the
best short horn blood in the world, afSSr
these importations. Our climate, feeding
and breeding from 1858 to 1873 have not
deteriorated this costly blood, but improved
it, and thereby demonstrated the existence
of stock raising advantages of unknown and
inestlmsble value on this broad continent.
To obtain six of the Duchess blood to go
to England and Scotland, Mr.. Cambell, of
New York, was paid Sl47,l0 at public
sale.
To obtaina little Of this precious blood Mr..
Alexander of Wooburn farm, Kentucky,
paid twenty-seven thousand ,'ollsEs for 3
helfer calf born last April, aud nineteen
Thousand dollars for another some IA
months old. The fourth Duchess OF
Oneida was calved Jan. II, 1872, and was
q year and eight months old when bought
by E. G. Bedford and T. j. Megibben, OF
Kentucky at twenty-five Thousand dollars.
One COW and calf were bought by Lord
Beehive at $50,6O0-the COW at S35, 900 and
the calf at $4,000. There is q deeper
meaning to these f4cts,than appears on the
surface. The whole civilized world Is now
an open market for the bovine blood that
will return to the farmer Thousand pounds
of the best beef IN the shortest time Nth the
least food. In this strictly physiological
test Of meat organization, the short
horns beat all other improved
breeds, and the Duchess family are suppos-
ed to excel all other short horns. Only a
few farmers have carefully studied the
science Of transforming grass, roots, and
grain into beef of the best quality. Hence
to the mass, one breed of cattle is as good
rs another for grazing and breeding purpos-
es. This class is progressive, and
raises inferior stock, which sells al about
two cents pound on the scales, in an open
market. Judged by the weight Of grass,
or other feed consumed, their meat costs
more per pound than the best short horn
or Devon Beef. But wild grass may cost
little, as in Texas and Colorado, and badly
formed cattle be raised at a profit; yet blood
tells even on the plains, where two year old
out-sell four year old steers TO
beef. This saves one half in time
The annual beef crop Of Tennessee con
sumed out of the State, partly in England
should bring twenty million dollars, or al
average return of two dollars per acre OF
ten million acres of our grass land. Thi
estimate devotes only one third of our sol
to the production of this important staple
No plant is easier grown than perennial
grass, and no stock is easier kept than cat
tie. All that we really need in addition u
what we now have, is cheap transportation
TO Baltimore, Savannah, aud other seaport
to ship beef to foreign markets. At pres
ent, fat cattle sell quite as high in New
York as In London or Paris; so that Low
freight from Nashville aud Knoxville wou,t
develop an immense cattle trade in Ten
nessee. Our climate will easily produc
ten tons of corn fodder in six months on on
acre. Convert this fodder into beef, snC
MANURE to keep up the land, and sell th
beef at New York prices, less a fair price 70
cheap transportation, and you will SEQ
double the value of all the farms in th
State. There sre Scotch and English farm
ers in this country who bought corn an
grass land at $40 an acre, who raise provis
ions for English consumption, and max
their land pay good interest on valuatio
ofsl5O per acre; or seven and half time
its cost. They raise Immense crops ofcorI
and corn fodder for stock feeding; maxim
butter, cheese, beef and mutton by th
Quick process, utilizing our high summe
heat to originate big crops Of corn that wi
not grow in the cool climate of England.
Educated European farmers have learn
the important fact that American sunshin'
which produces corn, cotton and tobacco
naturally, can both feed and clctbe tho il