The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-11-03

ishes. Singular as it may appear,
agriculture has advanced only as
the art Of war has advanced. The
improved implements of agriculture
have kept pace with the improved
implements of war. For ages sue
ceeding the dawn of history-when
wealth and power resided within
walled cities, the sword, spear, sling,
bow and arrow and battering ram
were contemporary with the sickle
and other primitive and rude imple-
ments of agriculture. The grain was
threshed either 10y tramping it with
oxen or horses or with the fail.
The history of this era is the history
Of wharf.-the life, liberty and property
of the agriculturist was so insecure
that it is no wonder to us that no
progress was made. After the inven-
ton of gunpowder, the smooth bore
cannon and muSket changed the art
of war, walled cities disappeared
and Notifications upon the frontier
gave the agriculturist the same pro-
lection as the most favored cities.
The sickle was supplanted by the
cradle and many new and improved
implements were introduced. The
last thirty years has witnessed the
greatest revolution in the d~estruc-
tive engines of war and it has wit
messed the greatest revolution in the
implements Of agriculture. The
mower, reaper, harvester, separator,
sulky pillow, smoothing and disk
harrOws are contemporaries of the
ri1ed cannon, breach leaders, Gatling
gun, needle gun and torpedos. Is
the dream of Bulwer coming true
will man discover the mighty
power that is so destructive of life
that war will cease forever? If
so, agriculture and the mechanic arts
will attain that degree of perfection
that will cause those who may live
in the near future to look upon us
as we look upon those people who
lived when the dawn of history
began.
The division Of labor is one Of the
greatest blessings to nan The lack
of all trades" has been supplanted
by the "specialist." Agriculture is
now divided into umerou divisions
and subdivisions, among them none
rank higher than the breeding of
cattle. The breeding of cattle may
be classed in three subdivisions:
Beef, milk and butter. The young
cattle breeder of to day must deter
mine which of the subdivisions is
best suited to his surroundings. If
beef is his aim, he should select the
grand Shorthorns, whose early ma
turity and exceeding heavy weight
of valuable flesh in their hind quar-
ters are not equaled by any other
breed. If milk should be his aim he
should select the Holsteins. They
have proven by their enormous flow
of milk Gin n Or two instances
reaching to eleven and one-half to
twelve gallons per day. that the
expectation of the originators of this
variety has been surpassed. If but
ter should be his aim, the beautiful
Jersey is without a rival. The origin
of this breed of cattle is not known
or at least is SO obscure that those
best informed do not agree. Some
think they came from Normandy
or Brittany a thousand years ago,
others think they are descendants
of cattle brought to the Island by
the Gauls or Romans. | am indebted
for the following description of the
Island of Jersey and it's climate to
an address of Col. George E. War
ring, Jr., prominent cattle
breeder Of Rhode Island, who has
frequently visited the Island and
imported from it some of the finest
specimens to be found in America:
"The group known under the
general name of the Channel Islands
lies in the English channel, north of
Brittany and opposite the west coast
of Normandy, from which they are
but little removed. They originally
formed a part of the duchy of
Normandy, and were a part of the
possessions of William the Conqueror
when he became King Of England.
When Normandy was restored to
France, these rename English
possessions. The largest and south
ernmost Island is jersey, which is
forty miles north of the coast Of
Brittany and sixteen miles west Of
the coast of Normandy. The strong
tides by which it is washed are
greatly tempered by the influence
of tho Grlf Stroan which