Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-11-28
Farm and FtreStae.
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The study of Physical Geography in It's
relation to the animaiI creation, and espec-
tally in It's bearings upon stock raising, has
not received much attention, but II Is ia
miiar fact that q change of climate often
produces an entire change in the character
istics of animals. Thel long, close, fine
wool of the sheep is given to IL by nature
as wal m covering, as protection against
cold, but if the sheep be taken from cold
regions 10 warm, the wool becomes coarse,
and in process of time will degenerate into
hair. DIR. Nicholson, of Antigua, says that
after the third generation the wool disap-
pears from the whole body of the sheep
over the loins, and similar change Is said
TO take place on the west coast OF Africa.
II Is stated that the horses kept for years in
the mines Of Belgium become coated with
velyety hair, almost like mole.
The influence of soil has not been so
much noted, but IL has been often remark
that the size and vGor of the human frame
Is affected by the geo!ogscal character of
the country in which men are born and
grow up. How much more will the lower
animals that derive their sustenance di-
rectlv from the soil be affected by lis pecul-
iarities. DR.. Sturtevant of Pennington,
Mass, atithe late State Fair Tread an inter-
esting paper on this subject, from which we
make some extracts, and we commend the
matter to,the attention of the large class OF
intelligent farmers who are guiding the ag-
ricultural interests:oi the conntry:-
"The scientific AGassiz, In referring to
the influence of soil on breeds of cattle,
says, that in those districts Of Switzerland
whlch::.,are entirely made-up of granite
rocks, with tale and mica states and,gneiss
primitive rocks, as they are called-only
cattle off small size are found, while in
those regions with q limestone subsoll, tho
cattle are large. TO allow of no mistake as
to his meaning, he proceeds: In the one
region the animal has large supply of
limestone with which to build up the heavy
frame; in the other, thu supply of lime
is small and the animal cannot build up a
large frame.
an some parts, of Ireland the influence
OF the soil is so marked that Pringle writes
that in an inland part of Connamera, the
cattle, If kept constantly in their native
pastures, become affected with a disease
reese milling rackets, owing apparently to
some defects in the soil.
ain Lanarkshire, Scotland, the Ayrshire
cattle are said to be larger sized than in
Wigton and Renfrew, owing TO the superb
or quality of the soil.
"Prof. Law states that Short Horns have
been found 10 degenerate rapidly on some
of the poorer sandy soils in Massachusetts,,
and Mr.. Thorne sold his Duchess county
herd ostensibly because of the deficiency OF
lime in the soil. On the calcareous soils OF
New York, on the other hand, and on the
bluegrass lands of Kentucky, this breed
maintains its highest qualities without ex-
ira effort.
1.-THE soil Is thus seen to influence the
size Of cattle. apparently from the increased
or diminished supply Of food drawn from
1t through the heritage. We have accounts
of other changes in animals and their prod
ucts still more important, if not quite as OBJ
vous. Prof. Law states that a damp, un-
and coarseness of the integument and hairy
covering, a laxity OF tissue, generally, and
phlegmalc constitution, qualities above all
Objectionable in the horse.
zone of the cheese factories in New York
ATTEMPTS to show statistically that cows fed
on clay soil produce larger yield of milk
than those from sandy soil. A Scotch es-
sayist states that the milk OF cows feeding
on upland and clayish pastures requires
more rennet 10 convert it into cheese, than
milk from cows feeding on more fertile,
low-lying farms.
"These illustrations will then impress on
the breeder the necessity of selecting that
breed of cattle which is suited to his soil.
He of fertile pastures may select the mas
Sive Short Horn, but he whose farm over
lies the primitive formation of geology
must be content with the smaller beeeds.
In England this is better understood, and
the West Highland OK is neither vexed by
the Short-Horn in his distact pastures, nor
does the tenant farmer of the valleys herd
the Highlander on his luXuriant meadows.
That the herd and the soil are o-related,
il well shown by the fact mentioned by
Darwin, that on the banks of the Ouse, the
Leicester sheep were so rapidly destroyed
by pleurlis that the owners could not keep
them the coarse-sknned sheep never be-
ing affected"