The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-06-13
Ghf farmer.
DEVON CATTLE.

the Short-Horns and Jerseys for beef and
butter Yet this Is fate not deserved by
this excellent breed Of cattle, whose merits
are not comprised in any single good
quality; and we look to see, at no distant
day, a reawakening as to their value.
Handsome in form, wonderfully tractabIe
and almost as swift as horse under the
yoke, of great vigor Of constitution, easy
keepers, docile in disposition, good produc-
ers of milk Of quality second perhaps only
to the Jerseys,--these would seem to be
points in their favor emitting them to re-
cognition as the most generally useful class
Of our cattle, to say nothing Of the beef
which they afford, and which in fneness
OF grain, richness Of favor, and juiciness
of texture, is unequalled the world over.
For certain districts Of country, as those
for instance where the pasturage is unsui-
table for Short Horns, Deyons thrive and
such is their hardness that they endure
equally well the cold Of the North and the
heat Of the South. In the southern part
Of our own land they have always been
favorites, seeming TO endure without dis
comfort the extreme warmth Of summer.
In our own State we know of at least one
herd which in the severest winters receives
no shelter whatever. The Devons do well
on short pasturage, being good foragers.
As mixers they vary, as do other breeds,
in individuals and families. As with the
Short Horns, certain strains run to milk.
others to beef, and the disposition in either
direction is capable of development. In
the Patterson herd Of this State, for in
stance, great pains have always been taken
to perpetuate the milking quality; and, as
an illustration of the results to be reached
by selection and care, we give an extract
from letter of Mr.. W. H. Jones, Of Sus-
quehanna county, Pa, who, in writing to
the Country Gentleman, says
II give you herewith a statement of tho
yield Of my Devons. | did not test them
all, but tested one 5-year old in the month
of June, on grass alone, and she yielded
40 lbs. of milk per day. In the eight days
her milk was kept separate, the result was
III lbs. of butter at two churnings.
have another heifer that was years old
the 18th of June, 1878, which yielded last
summer "a lbs. per day of milk, and very
rich. / had another of the same age that
gave only 23i lbs. per day of milk, but it
was extremely rich milk for her age My
old COWS yielded much more-one Of them
from 4S to 81 lbs. per day. Average
yield Of butter per COW for the year 1872,
243a lbs. fed nothing but pasture from
May IL until October 6, when they re
ceived some sowed corn and pumkins while
they lasted. ! believe their milk and but
ter are superior in quality, color and favor
to all other breeds, and so is their beef.
They are always gentle; | never had one of
them raise foot to kick. They are the
most hardy of all cattle; always keep nice,
feshing up in the winter and milking off
during summer, My ueighboT accuse me
of feeding them grain in the winter, when
they receive none at all.
| Maryland has long been the home Of
the Devons; they were originally first in
troduced here from their native habitat,
and from the herds Of Patterson and Cation
they spread over the whole country. We
were ourselves instrumental in distributing
great number through the South before
the war, and from the inquiries we are
receiving we look for a renewed demand
for them. Our readers are probably IA
miliar by name with the Patterson herd
of tbs State, alluded to above, and we
have had occasion in giving an account of
the annual shows held near Baltimore to
refer to the handsome display made by
Mr.. Brown, its present owner, Of large
number of such symmetrical, well-condi-
toned Devons, that from their appearance
they might have almost been supposed to
be turned out from sets of moulds,-so
much alike in shape, as well as color, were
the animals of corresponding ages
In a recent number Of Col. Colman's
Rural World (St. Louis, Mo } we find the
following from a correspondent, and all
that is said Of Mr.. Brown and his herd
will be fully endorsed here at home
| 81 noticed an inquiry in late number,
for Devon cattle, BY subscriber Having
owned and bred them for a number Of
years, allow me to make few suggestions.
While there are, no doubt, good herds Of
this breed In the West, il wished to start
= herd of pure Devons for breeding pur-
poses, l should apply to S. T. @. Brown
of Sykesville, Md. who now owns or con-
trols, the Patterson herd, than which there
is none better, few so good, and should he
-or any one else--apply to Mr.. Brown
either by letter or personally, they may be
assured Of straightforward fairdealing. III
he wishes to raise Devons for farm use
only, if he win procure pure Devon bull
from good milking family, and breed
him 70 good milking cows, in two or three
crosses, so surely does the Devon bull leave
his impress on his progeny, his stock win
very closely resemble the pure-bred and be |
quite as valuable for all practicable pur-
poses. This was the advice Of Mr.. Pat
terson to the writer, over twenty. years
since, and years of practice convinced him
of its correctness. Ny own Devons, both
pure and grade, have been uniformly good
milkpre OiTinO n fair ouanf,ts, ~ .,eh mill