506 ' [Assembly 



forehand, thin neck and narrow in the quarters, good points for 

 the dairy, but most unpromising for the shambles. An enterprising 

 dairy farmer, who has an excellent herd of milking Short- horns, 

 is about to try the cross which is said to produce the "Ayrshire." 

 It might perhaps be well were some of onr dairymen to cautious- 

 ly make the experiment with their common cows. How much 

 longer will it take our dairymen to learn, what those of Herki- 

 mer already know, that it is infinitely better to raise a few calves 

 annually from their best milkers, than to supply deficiencies from 

 the poorest cows of another man's herd ? 



Our show of oxen, which heretofore has always been one of the 

 proudest features of our /ficv// exhibitions, was not on this occa- 

 sion as good as usual. It is said that our oxen are decreasing in 

 size, and of this the drovers complain and pass on. They are as 

 handsome as they are well matched; and more finished oxen in 

 their education are not to be found the world over, but " the mar- 

 ket," say the drovers, " will have size." They are taken to the 

 rich lands of those vrho feed for the city markets, and, after a 

 year or two of labor, are put up to fat, and then it is that they 

 want weight. No county is perhaps better able to proJIuce fine 

 oxen than Otsego. She possesses in an eminent degree the mate- 

 rial, and ox labor being much used within her own borders, the ani- 

 mals readi'y pay their way, from steers up to oxen, by the work 

 they do. To remedy the conjplaint of size, we strongly urge 

 our farmers not to part with their grade Short-horn heifers, but 

 to retain them as cows ; put them to pure bred Devon bulls, to 

 secure color and facility in matching, and the grade Short-horn 

 cow will give them early maturity, size, and weight. The cross 

 between the grade Short-horns and Herefords would probably 

 produce a yet larger aninidl, but possibly not so active. The 

 Hereford bull on the '• native cow "' would undoubtedly pro- 

 duce an admirable working ox, nnd perhaps large enough to suit 

 the market ; this, however, has not yet been tried in ihis part of 

 the ounty. Some very fine grade oxen are owned in its nor- 

 thern divisions, but ihey are, ue believe, of a much high.r grade 

 than the first cross. At all rates, persevere in u^ing a grade 

 Short-horn for the dams, as a security for size and early matu- 

 rity, and either a Devon or a Hereford bull, by way of giving to 



