The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-11-30

ACCLIMATION OF CATTLE.


In letter, bearing date Sept End, 1877
from Mr.. j. Nj. Foster, of Shreveport. La
he says, 81 want to get some breed or breeds
of cattle that are better than our common
lonS>horn, but am bothered to know what
KIND Is best and will suit our climate. |
bought 10 months Durham bull from Ken.
tucky last january, but he lived only about
SIX weeks, and like fatality attended a
large per cent of cattle brought here the
last winter and spring from Kentucky and
MlssouriF L hayeta stock that want to
fermsle min ,od. hn,. which T. sieh
he'd the Durham is best for beef, and Jer-
sey for butter, but how shall l proceed to
get them acclimated and get start? Do
you think to bring thom here as weanlings
say six or eight months old-would insure
much success What month do you think
most advisable to bring cattle to this climate?
What do you think of the propricty of
breeding the Jersey OH our common stock !?
What course would YOU pursue during tie
first summer-aud would you shelter or not
from the hot sun 2"
lu answer to this and similar iuouiries
and to save almost weekly the burden of
much correspondence upon the subject of
acclmation, we will ask the use of your
columns for reply. Any information we
may impart upon this subject is necessarily
Limited and very unsatisfactory Most of
the facts embraced In this were previously
published in 1874 in the Country Gcnrle
man, in correspondence at that time be-
tween A. b. Allen, of New York, and our
selves. Our entire loss of Northern pur-
chased cattle from acclmating fever has
been near fifty per cent. In opposition to
the generally received opinion, our heaviest
losses have been with the youngest animals
AMI have led us to the opinion that the
question of age does not modify or influence
the disease. OF Jersey purchases made in
1873, of those purchased of Mr.. S. w.
Robins, of Connecticut, the youngest died.
Of TWO purchased of Mr. G. S. Sargent, of
MASSACHUSETTS,, tho younger died Of six
purchased of MIR. j. Al. Mackie, Great Bar
rington, Mass, the oldest escaped the fever
entirely; The, next had the fever, bq. not
.s&S ssa Il pointof age Both dFede sass
est had very severe and protracted attacks,
but intimately recovered In the year 1872
purchased Jersey heiier calf of Thos
S. Kennedy. of Louisville, Ky, the calf
being only. to B months of age Not
withstanding her age, she came very near
dying from acclimation bull two years
old and purchased at the same time Of Col.
Waring, of Rhode Island, passed the SUM-
mcr without any attack whatever of fever,
although nearly two years older, and from
much more northern climate. These
facts III our own experience tend to estab-
lish the fact that the risk is not proper
tionatc to the age of the animals, apd do not
sustain the popular idea that the younger
the animal the more easily and readily is
it acclmatcd. The risk of acclimation is
not limited to the first summer; the fatality
often being much greater the second sum-
mer. MIR. Kennedy, above mentioned, re-
ports in his efforts to introduce cattle from
Kentucky to his plantation in Mississippi,
much the greater fatality occurred the sec
ond season. The same was true with cur
townsman, Capt. l.. A. Fort, who in 1871
purchased eight head of cattle in Kentucky,
which passed safely through the summer of
lS12-but much to his surprise seven out
OF eight died from acclimation in 1S73.-
Not only the original stock purchased, but
GIL INV S'.fSS S'Sh, oioppCu aitCl lhCiI dIIl-
val here, except one, died from acclimation.
In our own experience, Jennie Douglas
(3313,) purchased i'll New York in the
spring Of 1873, escaped fever the first sum
mor, and was not attacked with it until the
fall Of 1871. And just here we would
mention fact even more remarkable.
Jennie Douglas was bred in New York t.
the bull Hero $50 in 1872. On June
9TH, 1878, she dropped, several months
after her arrival in this county, the hcilcr
calf Nellie Curtis (337l.) In October,
1874, Jennie Douglas and her Ncw York
Jrtd INT NisSisSipi MoRpcd calf Nellie
Curtis, then If months Old, wcrc sin,uita
ncouSW tah'cm docn wHh The acclimating fc-
rcr. Could any stronger proof than this
in the case of Nellie Curtis be adduccd to
establish the fact that the question of age
does not affect or modify tho questioned
acclimation TO the above facts might be
added the heavy losses (herctoforc publish.
ed in your Journal) sustained the prcscn.
summc: by Mr.. G. G. Duffec, of Mobile,
Ala, Of young things purchased and
brought South during the past wntcr.-W
b. M.,-,So Lire iStoch .Journal
IN