170 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



In giving an opinion in favor of the Durhams, or their grades, in 

 answer to the q estion, What is the best breed of cattle for general 

 purposes? I wish to go a step further by saying, as a rule it is not 

 wise, or best, for the average farmer to raise or to keep pure blooded 

 animals, for the reason that unless the}' are well cared for and well 

 fed they more rapidly deteriorate their grade, and large losses are 

 the result. While good grades are cheaper, the}' at the same time 

 are equalh' good for general purposes, and I think better, for, as 

 a rule, the cows are better for milk and of hardier constitution. 

 The same is true so far as constitution, work and growth go, in 

 oxen and young animals. At the late fat stock show held in 

 Chicago, man}- of the prizes were awarded to the grades for size 

 and maturity. The sweepstakes or champion four-year-old steer, 

 was a grade Durham, and weighed 2,565 pounds. The same kind 

 of cows weighed from 1,880 to 1,815 — all certainly large animals, 

 and, of course, had received feed to make them such. 



if we wish to do our best in a matter so essential in good farming 

 as is stock keeping, it becomes important that we make as good a 

 selection as our means and ability will allow us to do. Then by a 

 course of judicious breeding, all the time giving our cat*:le the best 

 care and feed at our command, we may expect our stock to improve 

 in quality and increase in value, thus giving us not only a prolit but 

 also the satisfaction of having good cattle ; and let us never lose 

 sight of the fact that one good animal well cared for will give a 

 much better profit than will two which receive poor care and poor 

 feed. In fact, with such treatment the two will be kept at an actual 

 loss. Now, what we all desire, as farmers, is a breed or kind or 

 class of cattle that will in a seiies of years give the best returns for 

 care and keep under all the varied circumstances in which we in 

 Oxford county are placed. It is with all this in view that I have 

 given my opinion in favor of the Durham grades, yet with no 

 prejudices against any other breed in doing so. Neither do I wish 

 to be understood as meaning that all farmers should at once change 

 their stock into Durham blood of a high grade. A wiser course 

 would be (if deciding to keep stock of that blood) to pursue a 

 system of careful breeding and come into it gradually. Ceitainly 

 this is the most advisable course with those of us whose means are 

 rather limited. 



Brother farmers, in conclusion let me say that this is a day of 

 inquiry and a day of progress with farmers. There was never a 



