Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents

In considering the social conditions of nations long congregated and civilized, and necessarily existing under the impulses of utilitarianism, it is not surprising that man, whether possessing a permanent abode, or having emigrated to a distant land, should become attached to those animals which have proffered to him their perfect obedience, sagacity, courage, strength, and other kind offices, and should regard them with admiration, gratitude, and even affection. Such, doubtless, was the case with most of the carly adventurers who sought a new home on our shores, and brought with them those animals which would render them the most assistance or protection, and subserve the best purposes for labor, pleasure, clothing, and food.

Some of the principal facts relative to the introduction, increase, breeding, and management of the domestic animals of the United States will be found under their respective heads, as follows:

HORNED CATTLE,

The first cattle brought to America from Europe were imported by Columbus in his second voyage, in 1493. He left Spain as admiral of seventeen ships, bringing a collection of trees, plants, and seeds of various kinds, a number of horses, a bull, and several cows.

The Portuguese took cattle and swine to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in the year 1553. Thirty years after, they had multiplied to such an extent that Sir Richard Gilbert attempted to land there to obtain supplies of cattle and hogs for his crew, but was wrecked.

Cattle and other domestic animals were brought into Acadia by M. L'Escarbot, a French lawyer, in 1604, the year that country was settled. In 1608, the French extended their settlement into Canada, and soon after introduced various animals.

The first cattle introduced into Virginia was previous to 1609. In 1610, Sir Ralph Lane brought cows to that colony from the West Indies. The same year an edict was issued prohibiting the killing of domestic animals of any kind on penalty of death to the principal, burning the hand and loss of the ears to the accessary, and twentyfour hours' whipping to the concealer. In 1611, Sir Thomas Gates

brought into the same settlement one hundred cows, besides other cattle. The number of horned cattle in Virginia in 1620, was about five hundred; in 1639, thirty thousand; in 1648, only twenty thousand, including bulls, cows, and calves.

The first cattle introduced into the Plymouth colony were imported by Edward Winslow in the ship "Charity," in 1624, consisting of three heifers and a bull. From other accounts, they came in the ship "Ann," which made her first voyage in 1623. In 1626, twelve cows were sent to Cape Ann, and thirty more in 1629. In 1627, the cattle and goats of the "Plymouth Company" were divided among the colonists in a manner to remain for ten years, the old stock to be kept for common, and the new animals to be appropriated to their own use. Among them are mentioned "black heifers," "black cows," "red cows," and a "whitebacked cow." In 1629, one hundred animals were imported under the direction of Francis Higginson, formerly of Leicestershire, for the "Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England," among which were sixty or seventy oxen and cows. Most of the latter arrived safe. Owing to the loss of cattle by the Indians and wolves, and the expenses of importation and keeping, the price at first was so high as to put them beyond the reach of many of the colonists. A red calf, however, soon became cheaper than a black one, on account of the greater probability of its being mistaken for a deer and killed by the wolves. In 1636, when cows were so high as to be sold from £25 to £30 each, and oxen for £40 a pair, a quart of new milk or four eggs could be bought for a penny; a pound of butter for 6d; and a pound of Cheshire cheese for 5d.

The first cattle introduced into New Hampshire were from Denmark, procured by Captain John Mason and his associates, in about the year 1631 or 1632, to stock their plantations, and to become employed in drawing lumber. These cattle were of a large size and of a yellowish color. The calves were allowed to run with their dams at pleasure. Their owners were ambitious to be distinguished by the strength and size of their oxen, on which bets and prizes were often made. This breed of cattle remained pure and unmixed near Agamenticus, in Maine, down to about the year 1820. In 1645, they had so multiplied that one hundred oxen belonging to Mason's plantation, near Portsmouth, were driven to Charlestown, Massachusetts, and there sold for £20 a head. In 1652, the number of cattle in Charlestown was four hundred. In the inventory of Piscataqua and Norridgewock, in 1635, there were two bulls, twenty-four cows, twenty-two heifers and steers, and ten calves. In 1636, one hundred and sixty cattle were driven from Newton, Massachusetts, to Hartford, Connecticut, the emigrants feeding on their milk on the way.

The first importation into New Netherland was made from the island of Texel, in Holland, by the "Dutch West India Company," in 1625, comprising one hundred and three animals, consisting of horses and cattle for breeding. In 1637, an ox in that colony was worth from $32 to $56; in 1646, the price of a cow was from $20 to $48; a bull calf, $3 20; in 1650, a milch cow, with her second or third calf, was valued at $40. At this period of settlement, the West India Company

not only furnished each tenant with land, a house, barn, and farming implements and tools, but four cows, four horses, sheep, and pigs, for the term of six years, at the expiration of which he was required to return the number of animals received. The entire increase remained with each farmer, who was bound to pay yearly $40 and 80 pounds of butter, rent for the cleared land. Afterwards the cattle belonging to the company were distributed for some years among those who had no means to purchase stock.

Cattle were introduced into the settlements on the Delaware by the "Swedish West India Company," from Sweden, in 1627.

The first cattle introduced into Carolina were brought from England, by William Sayle, in 1670, to Old Charleston, on the south side of Ashley river. General Wade Hampton and Colonel William Singleton were both engaged in importing cattle, as well as horses, before the Revolution.

The Indians on the Red river, in Louisiana, possessed cattle as early as the year 1690.

Cattle were first brought to the Savannah settlement, in Georgia, by Oglethorpe, in 1732. Others were introduced into the same colony in 1735.

In 1750, the best dairy farms in Rhode Island contained upwards of one hundred cows, annually producing 100 loads of hay, and sold 13,000 pounds of cheese, besides butter, bullocks, and calves. On one farm seventy-three cows made 10,000 pounds of butter in five months. Two acres of good land sustained one cow.

In 1750, the French of Illinois were in possession of considerable numbers of cattle, horses, and swine.

In 1783, Messrs. Goff, Ringold and Patton, of Baltimore, sent an order to England for superior cattle, for the purpose of improving the breed in the United States; and in 1785, Mr. Patton, junior, carried a bull from that importation to Clarke county, Kentucky. Mr. Patton, senior, some time afterwards followed his son, taking with him another portion of the same lot of stock. This old bull, then eighteen years old, was sold at public auction for $133 33. Mr. Harrison, a brotherin-law of Mr. Patton, also carried a short-horned bull to the same. county, in 1804. This is said to have been a very fine animal, and greatly improved the stock of that region. Messrs. Hutchcroft and Welton also carried another descendant of the short-horned stock to Kentucky from the same importation.

About the year 1797, a Mr. Heaton, of Dutchess county, New York, imported from England a short-horned bull, which was afterwards hired by General Morgan Lewis and others for public use in that county.

From entering at large and minutely on the circumstances connected with the importation of all the domestic animals brought into this country since the commencement of the present century, we are prevented as much by the want of the necessary information as by the immediate object and limited length of these papers. We will, therefore, leave the subject for a future occasion, after giving a short sketch of the other animals early introduced, and the statistics of the animals and their products exported at various periods of our history.

« iepriekšējā Turpināt »

Grāmatas

Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents, 2. daļa