Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-08-01

6he farm.
From the Rockville Sentinel.
Devon Cattle-Letter from Gov. Bowie.

From the Rockville Sentinel.
Devon Cattle-Letter from Gov. Bowie.
Montgomery, with it's resources and
situation, is destined to take a foremost
rank among the counties of the State,
and her farmers must arouse them
selves to the needs of more advanced
Agriculture. No branch of our bust
ness requires greater attention than
the improvement of oar stock.
A gentleman from the West who re-
turned to his native place after an alb
sence OF many years, was surprised
and delighted at the rapid manner in
which fields once barren had been
converted into cultivated farms, and
was particularly struck with the BEAU
ty OF our county seat, comparing it
with the thriving towns of Indiana and
Illinois. But he made one obserVa-
ton that is only too true: that we had
made no Advance, if we had not retro
graded, in our animals. The stately
Durham raised by Roger Brooke, and
the graceful Devons Of Col. Capron's
time, have nearly all disappeared, and
we are content, with the exception of
Jos. FL. Bradley, Samuel T. Stonestreet,
VIM. j. Scofield and few others, to
sell calves weighing from 80 to $50
lbs, or to raise them, and after waiting
three or four years find ourselves in
possession of a lank, diminutive steer
or cow, when the same time and care,
with proper attention to the sire, would
have given us animals amply repaying
us by their value, as we'll as delight
ing US with their beauty.
A difficulty with some has been to
decide which is the best breed of cattle
for our climate and soil. For Dairy
purposes alone, the Alderneys are with
out doubt the best, but the small size
of the calves, and of the steers when
raised, make them improbable for
general purposes.
The magnificent Durhams or Short
Horns bear off the palm where there
are natural grasses, as in the Val
ley of Virginia, and the blue grass re-
gion of Kentucky, but they are gross
feeders and soon deteriorate upon pas
lures affected by drouth. The writer
of this article crossed the Atlantic
with Mr.. Thorne, of Orange CO., N. Y,
when going to England to purchase
the Short Horns, whose descendants
became so famous under his care. He
paid as high as $4,000 for one of his
imported bulls, and of course gave his
cattle every advantage that ample
means and close attention could COM
mand. One of the family has since in
formed my father that they found it
impossible to keep them in healthy
and thriving condition upon their soil
and grasses, and the entire herd has
been disposed of, principally to gentle
men residing in the blue grass region
Of Kentucky.
The DeVons meet our wants in eve
ry respect. Hardy, good mixers. gen
tie and powerful oxen, nearly always
ready for the butcher, weighing well,
and thriving upon sun-dried pastures
where the Attorney or Short Horn
would soon loose flesh, they not only
surpass all other breeds of improved
cattle for use, but are vastly superior
to the common" cattle now almost
universally raised. It is not necessary
to have thoroughbred Devons, as 4
cross by thoroughbred bull upon
good common COWS, will greatly i'm
prove the stock upon any farm. As OK
en- they are particularly to be valued.
A yoke of grade Devons belonging to
me, are always in good condition; and
have carried go bushels of wheat to a
mill two miles distant.
Wishing to get a Devon bull calf,
wrote to ex-Gov. Oden Bowie, whose
cattle are famous, and was much graf
flied to receive letter from him con-
firming so fully my own theory and
limited observation. Believing it's con-
tents will interest my fellow-farmers
and hoping to aid in small degree in
stimulating them to give increased at.
tention to this important subject,
annex his letter to these hasty re-
marks. No part of it, I am sure, will
convey greater pleasure, than his re.
Spouse to an earnest invitation to at
tend our Fair, and to bring some oil
his beautiful cattle. H. G. II.
Sandy Spring.