Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-04-08
WHITE MOUNTAIN STOCK FARM.

A
pleasure last week of visiting the White
Mountain Stock Farm in Shelburne. the
property of Col. r. l. Burbank. The
name of Col. Burbank of Boston has
been steadily coming to the front during
the last ten years as breeder of several
classes of domestic animals, until at pres
ent this gentleman occupies a foremost
position among the energetic, systematic
and intelligent breeders of the State.
Commencing some years ago in a modest
way just for the love of it, since then he
has been constantly enlarging his opera
tons and efforts until they have reached
in some directions proportions which place
them alongside those of the largest breed
ers in New England. The breeding farm
of Col. Burbank, which all told numbers
some eleven hundred acres, is situated
close to the Grand Trunk X. r., ten miles
this side of Gorham, bordering on the
Androscoggin river, along which stretches
an intervale of a hundred acres belonging
to the farm and hemmed in on the north
and south by mountains. This farm cut
last season two hundred and fifty tons of
hay, and the yearly yield fills his extern
sive barns sufficient to feed his large stock
of one hundred and two head of cattle,
and leave for sale annually large guam
tity, which brings at all times the highest
market prices.
He showed me pair of yearling
Dutch steers, for which he has been Of
fercd $50, an Ayrshire calf about two
weeks old, S35 He explained to me
his manner of working the land, simple
and easy, when you know how, and cx-
ceedingly profitable, as the result of his
study and practice plainly shows. Mr..
b. informed me he uses three hundred
casks Of oyster lime on his farm annual
| ". In the month Of September usually
he breaks up some ten acres, sows on
some ten casks Of lime, cultiyateS It in,
and just before the ground shuts up seeds
it down. The result is, he will cut the
next season from two to three tons per
acre. lie purchases the lime by the car
load, costing him about 80 cents per cask,
and ten casks will give the same result as
twenty-five loads of manure The farm
crs Of Maine will surely appreciate and
in time fully reward Judge Burbank for
his great efforts in their behalf.
Now comes the exhibition of the stock,
and TO commence let me say We acknOwl-
edge ourselves unable to do justice to the
subject. We never saw anything before
equal to it. His breeds consist of choice
strains of the Ayrshire, Dutch, Durham,
and jersey full bloods. We note the fol
lowing breeds which came under our
notice: a thoroughbred Holstein Bull
twelfth Highland Chief, calved April II,
1876: bred by Winthrop W Chcnery,
Belmont. Mass; sire Sth Highland
Chief 90; grand sire Sd Lord OF Tex
cluar 49,. A thoroughbred Short horn
bull Santa Fe ID, calyed FEB. 18th,
1876, and owned by Judge X. |. Burbank,
p. O. 81 Court Street, Boston, Mass;
got by Santa Fe ,24773, dam Lady Ann
2d. Short-horn bull Prince Of Wales
2O70l1. bred by $. j. Pomcroy, Comp
ton. Quebec: calvcd May sth, 1874: got
bv Star of Promise 9l49,; dam, Straw
berry ID: bred by Mr. Lyon Of Scotland.
Short horn hcifer Victoria, born in Queen
Vic,oria's stable; got by Santa Fe; dam,
Lady Ann I'd, by imp. Topeka ,li0iGl,
fine representation of one of Bates
very best and rarcst tribes. Ayrshire
bull Mars, bred BY Judge Burbank; got
by Harry ais; dam, Selcna 1880,
descendants of the imported animals Tar
bolton 1872, Tibcr l79l), and White
Lily SID. Shor, horn COW Maud I'd,
bred by Judge Burbank; got by Santa
Fe Short-h horn COW Alice 5th, bred by
Peter W. Jones, Amherst, y. II. Jersey
bull Duke Of Shelbume, bred by J. and
y. Dane, jr; sire, Standard jr. ll252);
out of imported Pet of Clifton. Short
horn heifcr Strawberry Sd. calved July
18th, 1876; got by Prince of Wales
2O702,: bred by Mr. Lyon Of Scotland.
Jennie l25lO), bred by Dr. George b.
| Loring. Salem, Mass; sire, General 55S) Il
dam. Madge Wildfre .27S9), by Tam
IO'Shanter 500. Ayrshire heiter Lady
Mary I'd; got by Lochiel .243) bred by
Hon. q. W Lyman; imported in 1858;
out of imported Swinley. Selena 1889,
calved 1865; bred in Scotland; imported
Dec. 9th, 1869.
Mr.. Burbank has cleared up within a
few wears several hundred acres on the
east slope of the mountain for pasture.
1t Is rocky, but still very productive, CIV
ing evidence Of the moisture contained IN
the rocks. We have not spent day more
pleasantly for a long time. Our farming
interest needs encouragement, and IN all
cases should keep the best of stock, and
We don't see why every farmer may not
even in this climate make farming a sue
cess. The chief design of the owner be-
ING in the direction of stock breeding, the
operations of the farm are principally
devoted to the production of hay and
roots. Last season several hundred bush
els of beets and turnips were raised,
which were consumed by the farm stock
during the past winter As the amount
of dressing made at the establishment IS
in the neighborhood of one thousand cords
YEARLY, beside the three hundred casks OF
lime and large quantity of ashes, it will
be seen that the capacity of the farm to
maintain itself is abundant in this par