Old books on livestock; a reference to how things were

[cddexter]

You all might be interested in reading the Rural Cyclopedia of a General Dictionary of Agriculture, edited by the Rev. John M. Wilson, of Edinburgh, published in several volumes at London, starting in 1847. Volume 1, page 308 describes the knowledge and thoughts on the origins and development of the various breeds of cattle in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Some new info and some interesting developments to muse on...

Can't get it to provide the link instelf, you'll have to google it. Maybe Patti could add that?

cheers, c.

[cddexter]

This is the original book by Youatt, published in 1842, often quoted, but here you can read ALL of what he says, not just the bits that suit...

books.google.ca/books?id=ZRhEAAAAYAAJ Cattle: Their Breeds, Management, and Diseases

well, that didn't work.

[kansasdexters]

Here is a link to the Rural Cyclopedia of a General Dictionary of Agriculture by John M. Wilson, 1852 (free e-book):

play.google.com/store/books/details?id=bRhEAAAAYAAJ&rdid=book-bRhEAAAAYAAJ&rdot=1


Here is a link to Cattle: Their Breeds, Management, and Disease by William Youatt, 1834 (free e-book):

play.google.com/store/books/details?id=ZRhEAAAAYAAJ&rdid=book-ZRhEAAAAYAAJ&rdot=1


A very good source for "full book" access online to the old books can be found in the Core Historical Literature of Agriculture, Albert R. Mann Library, Cornell University.
Here is a link to their website: chla.mannlib.cornell.edu/

Use the search term, "Kerry cattle" and you will be amazed at the number of books and publications from the 1800's and early 1900's that are available on the subject of Kerry and Dexter cattle.


Patti

[cddexter]

Thanks, Patti. Mind telling me how to get the blue to work? I tried copy and paste, but didn't work.


One thing you all will notice is the variation of opinions once you get away from the original publications. By the time the 20th C has rolled around, expert opinion has solidified, and in many cases no longer matches what was being written 50 years earlier. Same thing occurs today, when bias and selection creates modified, or even new, opinions. Something to watch out for.

Here's some more:

Modern Husbandry, a practical and scientific Treatise on Agriculture by G. H. Andrews, Esq, published in London in 1853

Agriculture,Theoretical and Practical, a textbook of mixed farming for large and small farmers and for agricultureal students, by John Wrightson and J. C. Newsham, (second edition) London, 1919

Stephen's Book of the Farm, fifth edition, James Madonald, vol III, Farm Live Stock, London 1908

Standard Cyclopedia of Modern Agriculture and Rural Economy edited by Professor Sir Robert Patrick Wright, London, 1908

A History of British Livestock Husbandry 1700 - 1900, Robert Trow-Smith, London 1957 and 9

Morton's handbooks of the Farm, No. 11, Live-Stok, (7th edition) London published between 1882 and 1904

Live Stock Handbooks, No IV, Cattle, Breeds andManagement, William Housman, edited by James Sinclair of the Agricultural Gazette, 1905

Memoirs of British Quadrupeds, illustrative principally of their habits of life, instincts, sagacity and Uses to mankind, Rev. W. Bingsley, London 1809

Treatise of the Breeding and Manaement of Live Stock, Richard Parkinson, London, 1810

cheers, c.

PS: I keep harping on how lucky you all are today with the internet to provide this stuff for free. In the good old days, I had to copy this page by page, and pay for it.(that's my whine for today

[kansasdexters]

To open a link (in blue), move your cursor over to the link (you will see a hand icon appear when the cursor is in proper position), then left click on the link.

[cddexter]

Here's more for you to google. Sorry I can't seem to get the 'go to' link figured out so you can get to the publication direct..

Dairy Farming, being the Theory, Practice, and Methods of Dariying, by J. P. Sheldon, published in London in 1880. This one has a long reference to Kerry and Dexter, and quotes R.O Pringle, editor of the Irish Farmer's Gazeette (the first registry for Kerry and Dexrer by the way (1879-89), until the Royal Dublin Society took over the task).

The Complete Grazier and Farmer's and Cattle-breeder's Assistant, by William Youatt, Esq, published in London in 1877

Elements of Practical Agriculture, by David Low, Esq. published in London in 1843

Livestock of the Farm, edited by Professor C. Bryner Jones, published in London in 1919

The Life of Arthur Young, 1741 - 1820, by John Gazley, published in Philadelphia, 1973. I include this, as Arthur Young is one of the first to comment on the types of irish cattle, and is quoted and re-quoted ad nauseum. This will get you back to the basics.

If your french is up to it, try Races Bovines, by Paul Diffloth, published in Paris in 1908

or, this, as a precursor to Mendel: Essays Relating to Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in two parts, by 'a Farmer', published in Edinburgh, 1775
We obferve, that there are a great many varieties of each particular fpecies of animals, that are diftinguifhed from others of the fame fpecies by certain peculiarities that are on many occafions eafily perceptible. Thefe varieties among the brute animals have been ufually difinguifhed by the farmer by the appellation of different 'breeds', as they have fuppofed that their diftinguifhable qualities are, at leaft in a certain degree tranfmiffible to their defcendants; although naturalifts overlook thefe diftinctions, and confider each of thefe as only an accidental variety of the individual which hath little or no influence upon their progeny. Query, therefore,--Whether thefe different 'breeds', as they are called, of any one clafs of domsftic animals is really a diftinct tribe, endowed with the power of tranfmitting to its prftrity allits diftingui8fhing properties, fo long as it is prevented from intermixing by copulation with other breeds; or are the varieties that we perceive in this refpect to be attributed to accential caufes alone, and not immediately depending upon the nature of the parent animal?

We would imagine, that in the cafe of fo much importance as this we now treat of, with regard to which mankind have had fo many opportunities of trying experients and making particular obfervations, there could have remained no room to doubt long before this time: but, although fcience in general tends to improve knowledge, on fome occafions, it rather confounds and perplexes the under ftanding. For, when we find that the fyftems that we have invented are incapable of explaining all the phaenomena that occur, we are but too ready to defpife, with a faftidious pride of mind thofe phaenomena that would perplex our fyftem, and haftily to fay, that they owe their exiftence to inaccurate obfervations alone. This would feem in a particular manner to have been the cafe in the prefent inftance: and, although it is impoffible for any reafoning to get the better of daily experience fo far as to make a man to believe directly the reverfe of what he fees with his own eyes, fo as that nothing can convince the farmer that the nature of the animal from which he breeds, will not have fome influence upon its progeny; yet, it has fo far previaled, as to induce almoft every farmer to believe that, unlefs in the particular cafes that have occurred to himfelf, all the other varieties obferable in the breeds of animals, are either entirely occafioned or much influenced by peculiarities of foil, food or climate; fo that in no inftance do we meet with fuch an unaccountable difcordance between general opinion and particular practice as in this very cafe.

That all the qualities which ferve to diftinguifh partuclar breeds of animals from one another, can in fome cafes be tranfmitted without alteration to their profterity for ever, if they are always kept from copulatiing with other breeds of the fame kind, feems to be fully demonftrated by what we obverve with regrd to dogs; the different varieties of which are endowed with fusch remarkable peculiaties as ferve to point out the particular breed with fo much certainly anf facility, as makes it impoffible for any one not to perceive at once if the breed has been debafed: and our experience with regard to them is fo unverfal, as to leave no room for the moft ignorant to doubt that all the vrieities of these that we meet with, do inherit from their parents the peculair diftinguifhing natural talents that ehy proffefs; and that these are in no cafe to be attributed to any diverfity of food or any other circumftance whatever.

The fame thing is alfo in a great meafure remarked with regard to the hiorfe; although the differnt varieties of this animal are not fo diftingly marked as that of the dog-tribe; and therefore, the proofs of the fact in difpute are not fo palpably evident as in the other cafe. Yet we would furely laugh at the abfurdity of that man, who fhould hope to rear a large-boned weighty dray-horfe, by breeding from a fine Arabian mare and ftallion; or who fhould epect to have a ight-running horfe from a father and mother of the drawy-breed, let him feed them in whatever manner he may incline. And, although the different breeds of horfes are almoft infinite, and few of themso much differnt from each other as in the above example; yet it is obferveable, tht the prevailiong breed in any one diftrict, always continues of the fame kind, fo long as the inhabitants of that diftrict coni8nue to breed from them, whatever alterations they may make in the general culture of the country and nature of the paftures: nor do thefe horfes ever alter their qualities if they are carried to another diftrict where another breed of very pooofite qualities in general prevails; but each retains its diftinguifhing qualities to the laft, although they fhould continue to eat the fame foodl and be treated in every refpect alike to the lateft hour of their lives.

Nor is the cafe in the leaft different with regard to cattle, fheep and hogs, and perhaps all other animals. For, let a hundred different breeds of either of thefe kinds of animals be brought from as many different ploaces, and fed upon one common pafture as long as you incline, each of thefe continue to preferve every mark of diftinction from all the others sfo long as it lives; but if thefe are allowed to breed promifcuoufly,. the progeny would neceffarily be a mongrel breed, particpating of the nature of each of the parents who fhould have contibuted to produce them.

Many other arguents might be adduced to fhow, that we have the greateft reafon to believe, that each partcular breed of other animals propages its own kind with as little variation, as is acknowleged to be the cafe with dogs, fo long as they remain unmixed with others. But thefe, to avoid prolixity I omit.--I could not, however, avoid throwing out thefe obfervations on a fubject of fo much importance; as the erroneous opinions that have fo long previaled with regard to it, have been in fome cafes atttended with confequences highly detrimental to the community,--If thefe hints fhall induce others to examine the fubject with attention, I fhall be perfectly fatisfied.

Or, how about this: Dairy Cattle and Milk Production, by Clarence H. Eckles, published in New York in 1950
Kerry Cattle:
Origin: The Kerry, the smallest of all dairy breeds except the Dexter, originated in southern Ireland, where it has been bred for centureis. Very little is known of the history of this breed prior to the middle of the eighteenth centyury. The breed has been developed by the small farmers in Kerry County--tenants in the main. The Kerry is of a distictly dairy type. The color is solid black, although a small amount of white appears on the underline of some cows. The upstanding horns are rather long and slender, with black tips.
Characteristics: The Kerry cows weights not over 900 pounds, and the bull about 1,000 pounds. As a breed they are slow tomature, but they are vigorous and well adampted to severe weather conditions and are usually good grazers on scanty pastures. Kerry cows in Ireland are said to produce from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of milk yearly, while records of 10,000 pounds habe been made. In tests supervised by government authorities in Ireland several records of between 7,000 and 8,000 pounds of milk in a year have been made. The fat content averaged about 4 per cent. Few animals of this breed habve been brought to America and bred here, and these not primarily for commercial milk produ8cti8on.
Dexter Cattle
Origin: Dexter cattle are native to the same locality in Ireland as the Kerry, from which they are an offshoot, and are so closely related to the Kerry cattle that only in recent years have the two been kept distinct.
Characterisics: The characteristics of the Dexter are similar to those of the Kerry except that the type is more like that of the dual-purpose aimal. The legs are very short, the body well rounded, and the head plain, with horns similar to the Kerry. The color is solid black. In size the Dexters are about a hundred pounds below the Kerrys, the cows averaging 600 to 700 piounds. Under government supervision cows of this breed in Ireland have produced up to 8,000 poinds of milk in a year with fat content of about 4 per cent.

cd: and this from a professor of Dairy Husbandry at Minnesota and Missouri, revised by the Dean of Agriculture at Michigan State.