Lucy, (pedigree doubtful,) sold to George Ratcliff, of Pickaway county, O., for.. Illustrious, sold to Abraham Renick, of Kentucky, for...... Lady Abernethy, sold to Thomas Huston, of Pickaway county, O., for........ JOHN L. TAYLOR, $505 1,200 930 1,005 775 815 Secretary of the Ohio Importing Company. On the 1st of April, 1837, at a meeting of said company, at Chillicothe, upon a settlement of the business of the company, a dividend of $280 per share was declared on the 92 shares of the stock of said company, amounting to $25,760. This company held their last meeting on the 15th April, 1837, and settled finally the business thereof, so far as was practicable, by ordering a second sale, which was held as follows: "THE HIGHEST PRICES YET." A sale of seventeen head of improved short-horned cattle, belonging to the Ohio Company, being mostly of this year's importation, and the produce of others, took place at the Sugar Grove, in this town, on Tuesday last. The attendance was numerous, comprising a larger number of actual bidders than the previous sale. Among the individuals present who are pre-eminently noted for their agricultural enterprise, were Governor Vance, Ex-Governor Trimble, the Messrs. Renick, Mr. Sullivant-and, indeed nearly all the large farmers of this valley and the adjacent country. The bidding was, consequently, very spirited, and the prices obtained for the cattle plainly show that the kind of stock sold is rapidly advancing in public estimation. By the following list from the auctioneer's book, our brethren of the press will discover that the cattle enumerated were even more highly valued than those of the sham sale they were of late parading in their columns, copied from the "Cincinnati Gazette:" BULLS. Acmon, three years eight months, M. L. Sullivant & Co., Columbus... $2,500 Comet Halley, five years, George Renick & Co, Chillicothe...... 2,500 700 Bouncer, one year seven months, John Walke, Pickaway county, Ohio................. 453 Powhattan, one year nineteen days, Harness Renick, Pickaway county, Ohio...... 500 425 COWS. Flora, seven years six months, M. L Sullivant, Columbus..... Matilda, six years six months, Allen Trimble, Highland county, Ohio.... $1,300 1,220 Fidella, seven months eighteen days, Allen Trimble, Highland county, Ohio...... $610 1,450 630 1,200 1,015 875 700 Very great benefits have resulted to the country by the introduction of this improved English Durham stock into the State of Ohio by this company. An improved breed of cattle throughout the State has resulted from crossing the English stock with the common stock existing at that time; and a very fine, large and thrifty race of cattle in many parts of Ohio has been bred by this laudable enterprise. Some of their full blood bulls and cows have been sold to farmers of the adjoining States; and thus the benefits of their importations have contributed largely to improve the stock of cattle in the western country. Mr. George Renick, of Ross county, has bred, from a portion of the stock imported by said company, and the common cows of Ohio, a very fine race of cattle; and for the last six years, as he states, he has annually sold about 50 or 60; the average weight of which, at from three to four years old, was about 1,000 pounds net. Some of them weighed as much as 3,000 pounds, and one (older) as high as 3,400 pounds, gross. Ex-Governor Allen Trimble, of Highland county; Doctor Arthur Watts, of Ross county; M. L. Sullivant, Esq., of Franklin county-all well known as amongst the most successful farmers and stock growers in Ohio-besides many others of this company-have contributed largely, by their skill and enterprise, to increase and diffuse the improved breed of cattle, resulting from the importations of the company, into every part of this State. Doctor Watts, at the agricultural exhibition in Ross county, in 1849, exhibited eight two-years old steers, averaging 1,526 pounds each; and at the State agricultural fair at Cincinnati, held in 1850, he exhibited, amongst other cattle, one four years old steer, (full-blood Durham,) weighing 2,550 pounds, gross; and one three years old steer, weighing 2,220 pounds, gross. These weights are given to show the enormous weight which this Durham stock of English cattle attain at an early age when bred by skilful and intelligent farmers; and they show, also, the great value of breeding from this stock to those who are engaged in furnishing the beef markets of our country. There have been several importations since that time, one by the Clark County Importing Company, in 1854, and another by the Madison County Importing Company, during the same year. The great proportion of the Short-horn stock in Ohio are the descendants of the stock imported by these several companies. The Devons and Herefords find encouragement in proportion to the estimation in which they are held. There were apprehensions that our very dry climate, very warm sum mers, and excessively cold winters would prove great obstacles to the acclimatization of cattle imported from the moist and more uniform climate of England; but I am not aware that in the hands of a careful and judicious breeder any deterioration has taken place. That the Short-horn or Durham thrives as well, and attains as ample proportions in Ohio as in any other State in the Union, may be safely inferred from the following: In 1846, Mr. L. F. Allen, of Black Rock, N. Y., published the first volume of the American Herd-Book; this volume contains the pedigrees of 502 animals-192 bulls and 410 females; of which Ohio contributed the pedigrees of 60 bulls and 103 females, or a fraction less than one-third of the whole list registered for the entire United States. In 1855 the second volume of the Herd-Book was published, containing the pedigrees of 978 bulls and 1718 females; of these pedigrees of bulls Ohio furnished 239, and of the females 466, or a fraction more than one-fourth of the entire amount recorded. In 1857 the third volume was published, in which the previous proportion of pedigree sfurnished by Ohio is fully sustained. When it is remembered that New York contains some of the finest herds in the Union, and that many of the most successful breeders in America may be found within the boundaries of that State; that Kentucky enjoys the reputation of producing the finest specimens of cattle in the Union; that Virginia has all the facilities of being a first-class cattle growing State; that Indiana and Illinois have entered the lists to compete with Ohio; that Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa have made great progress in this direction, we would be untrue to ourselves did we not congratulate the breeders of Ohio upon the success which has crowned their every effort to introduce better strains and improve the cattle of the State. Much of this success is due to the well-sustained efforts of the State Board at the annual Fairs, as well as to the Fairs held by county organizations. In fact, many counties ascribe the introduction and improvement in the breeds of cattle to the successful organization and conduct of county agricultural societies. The following, gleaned from the reports of county agricultural societies, present a fair indication of the condition of the State in respect to the improvement in cattle. For statistics of cattle in this State the reader is referred to the tabular statement on page 50 of this report. CONDITION OF STATE IN RESPECT TO FINE CATTLE. Ashland-Great improvement by importation, Durhams, Devons, and their crosses. Belmont Durhams are the best for beef; great improvement in this respect. Brown--Durhams are being introduced. Carroll-Little improvement; Short-horns are sparingly introduced. Champaign-Much improvement; Durhams are preferred on account of size and fattening qualities. Clark-Much improvement by importation; short-horns preferred. Clermont The interest in this branch of agricultural wealth is certainly established, and our farmers are fairly awake to the profit of raising animals that will make as much beef at two or three years old as a native will at double the age. Since our last Fair quite a large number of Shorthorns have been brought into the county from the herds of the Shakers, and other noted breeders in Ohio and Kentucky, making a valuable acquisition to the several good herds already among us. The Short-horns, on account of their size, early maturity, and capability for profitably converting food into either beef or milk, are the favorites in our county, to the exclusion of any other improved breeds. Columbiana-Marked improvement-Short-horns are preferred for beef qualities. About 10,000 cattle are raised annually; a great portion of these are sold to the eastern markets. Coshocton-The cattle interest is a great one in this county; our breeders prefer the Durham. Among the fine herds existing for many years in this county may be mentioned those of A. Medbury, Geo. Wolf, F. McGuire, T. Darling and A. G. Wood, and more recently established S. Burrill, W. P. Wheeler, D. Miller, and others. Darke-Great improvement, the best qualities are being introduced. Defiance-Short-horns and Devons are being introduced-great im provement. Delaware-There has been in some sections of the county a very decided improvement in the breed of cattle, by the introduction of thorough-bred and high grade Short-horns; this breed of cattle seeming to be most generally approved. I know of no accurately noted experiments in feeding. But the general impression is that the Short-horn cattle take on flesh earlier, and yield a much greater return for feed than any others. There are few, if any, thorough-bred Devons, Herefords or Ayreshires in the county. Erie-Decided improvement. Durhams preferred for beef, and cross of Durham and Devon for Dairy. Fairfield-Improvement by importation of Short-horns. Franklin-Great improvement. Durhams preferred on account of size, easy feeders and early maturity. Geauga Constant improvement by importations of Short-horns and Devons, and attention to breeding. Many beef cattle fatted and exported. Greene-The annual exhibition of cattle showed a growing diffusion of the Short-horn breed, and that the pure blood now makes up a portion of the stock of a great number of our farmers, who are not raising for speculation, but for the improvement of their herds. Durhams are preferred and are pretty well introduced throughout the county. The preference is based on their early maturity, good milking and readily fattening qualities. Guernsey-Improvement by importing Durhams from the Scioto valley. Devons are also introduced. Hamilton-Great improvement. Hancock-Durhams and Devons largely imported-give much satisfac tion. Hardin-Great improvements have been made by attention to breeding. Harrison-Improved breeds eagerly sought after. Highland-Great improvement by attention to breeding and feeding. Hocking-Great improvement by importation of Short-horns. Holmes-Some improvement. Huron-Durhams and Devons preferred for their fattening qualities. Jackson-Durhams imported from Kentucky are preferred for beef, on account of size and early maturity. Jefferson-Some improvement--Short-horns and Devons introduced as much as thirty years ago. Knox-Of late there has been quite an improvement in cattle. The Durhams have been introduced on account of their easy keeping, early maturity, large size and fattening qualities-the Devon because of their beauty and neatness in appearance, their superiority as working cattle and extra milking qualities. There are no Herefords or Ayreshires in the county. Lake-Durhams are preferred, because they are more constitutionally inclined to become fat and lazy. |