66 DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 



Ill xMiiy, at the Chicago sale of T. 0. Anderson, of Side View, Keutuoky, we 

 pur(lia.<ed a ten months old Shortliorn bull, Fennel Duke '^d, of Side View, 

 We think him a very promising animal and hope he may prove a worthy suo- 

 cessor to Col. Aconib 2d, who has headed the herd for the past four years. 

 These purchases, with the many good animals on hand, has put our Shorthorn 

 herd in vcr}' creditable shape. 



The members of the State Board of Agriculture, recognizing the increasing 

 attention paid to the Hereford breed of cattle in our State, thought tliey should 

 be rci)resented here in a small herd. Mr. Wells and myself were authorized to 

 attend the sale of Burleigh & Bodwell, held at Chicago in May, and jiurchase 

 in our discretion t^ro or three good females. 



The imported cows Daisy and Lady Agincourt, (the latter with bull calf Ar- 

 gyle) and Dove, a two year old heifer, were i)urchased. Daisy and Dove have 

 dro])pcd calves since the purchase. This gives us, witli the cow Lemon, seven 

 head of Herefords. 



A Polled Angus calf was [lurcliased at the same time for experimental feed- 



mg. 



The six Shorthorns cost iiri.OOO •)0 



The four Herefords 1,();5U 00 



The Polled Angus _ . . 85 00 



'O 



We have added to our stock of Poland China swine, by purchases from 

 Barnes Bros., , Byron, Mich., and to the Berkshires from the herd of Messrs. 

 Turner & Hudson, Lansing. 



Tour im])orrcd Shropshire ewes bred by H. Lovatt, Esq., were purchased 

 from Mr. C Hills & Sons, Delaware, Ohio, who brought them over last season. 

 They have just reached us and seem to be fine specimens of this popular breed. 



A pair of grade Clydesdale mares three years old and weighing 3,000lb was 

 purchased of Mr. J. M. Turner, of Lansing, in April last. They are active for 

 large horses, gentle and hardy, possessing ajl of the qualities needed in a good 

 farm horse. 



This gives us a pair of grade Clydes to work by the side of the grade 

 Percherons secured by cxchangea year ago and is in accordance with the wishes 

 and instructions of the Board, who thought it desirable to test in this way the 

 comparative merits of these two popular breeds of draft and all work horses. 



PUBLIC CATTLE SALE. 



In my last report I suggested to the State Board of Agriculture the feasibility 

 of disposing of our surplus stock at public sale. In the nature of the case ifc 

 must be an experiment, but there were many things about the plan that 

 seemed to warrant the trial. After due consideration the Board authorized 

 the sale and appointed President Wells and myself as committee in charge to 

 make the neecled arrangements. We decided to hold the sale March 25. I 

 compiled a catalogue of the stock offered and had eight hundred copies printed. 



The day was pro])itious and the sale was largely attended by intending pur- 

 chasers from different parts of the State. Gov. K. A. Alger and a large num- 

 ber of the members of the Legislature were present during a part of the after- 

 noon. It called together a large number of persons, who had never visited the 

 college and knew very little of its work. And while it proved to be a very 

 satisfactory way of disposing of our surplus animals, the members of the State 

 Board of Agriculture, who were all present, were unanimous in their expression 



