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14 NORTH KENNEBEC SOCIETY. 



cattle there are, and the cows, I think, give the richest of milk, 

 and the oxen are the best of workers. I know it is a general 

 opinion that the cows are poor milkers, but I have the evidence 

 before me to prove to the contrary. We do not expect one breed 

 of cattle to excell all others in every point, but I do think that the 

 Herefords have more good qualities than any other breed. 



There seems to be less known of the Herefords in this county 

 than of the other large breeds of cattle. A Hereford ox took the 

 first prize at the London Cattle Show, at its first exhibition, also 

 for twenty years in succession, in competition against all breeds. 

 They are very heavy; " Cotmore" (3*76) weighed 3500 pounds. 

 The steer that took the Gold Medal at the Smithfield (Eng.) Show, 

 in 1859, at 2^ years old, girted 8 feet T inches, and I could g6 on 

 and tell of others of mammoth dimensions ; the Westcar ox that 

 girted 10 feet 6 inches. "The Buck's steer at 4| years girted 12 

 feet 4 inches. 



My aim has been, and now is, to obtain a stock of cattle, that 

 with my feed and treatment, (namely, hay and grassj will befit 

 for the butcher at 2| years old, and will be of good weight — that 

 the cows will give a fair quantity of rich milk and the oxen will 

 grow to large, compact and good workers. 



My method of feeding is somewhat different from the most of 

 farmers. During the seven months of feeding in the barns I never 

 feed before light or after dark if I can possibly avoid it, except 

 working teams, of course they must be fed early and late. If a 

 farmer has fifteen or twenty cattle it will pay to hire a good boy 

 or man to tend them, rather than have them fed before light and 

 turned out in the yards to shiver in the cold all day. Feed twice 

 in the morning, water at 9 A. M. ; feed at noon^ water again at 

 3 P. M., then feed twice after giving all a good bedding of straw, 

 and let them lie still and take on flesh. 



H. C. Burleigh. 



P. S. — In speaking of hay, I moan early cut, well cw.ed grass. 

 Not hay that has stood until it has formed seed. I always intend 

 to finish haying before the 20th of July, ■although there are years 

 that I don't get quite done by that time. I think the heaviest 

 grass and swales sliould be the first cut. Well, a great many will 

 say it costs too much to make hay wliea it takes three days to do 

 it. I admit it costs more than it does three weeks later, but I 

 think we can aflbrd to expend a little more labor when a ton of 



