124 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the people of the State: Notwithstanding the abundant sneers 

 and prejudices with which they were at first received, they gradu- 

 ally became highly esteemed, more of them have been introduced 

 than of any other breed, and probably as much, if not more, of the 

 improvement which has taken place in the cattle of the State for the 

 last thirty years is due to these, as to any other ; yet it may be 

 true (as I believe it to be) that as a pure breed they are nol adapted 

 to our ivanls. Their size is bej^ond the ability of most Maine farm- 

 ers to support profitably : crossed upon such as through neglect in 

 breeding, scanty fare and exposure were bad feeders, too small in 

 size, and too slow in growth, they effected great improvement in 

 all these respects ; and this improvement demanded and encour- 

 aged the bestowal of more food and better treatment, and so they 

 prospered ; — inheriting their constitutions chiefly from the hardy and 

 acclimated dams, the grades were by no means so delicate and 

 sensitive as the pure bred animals to the cold and changes of our 

 severe climate so utterly unlike that of the mild and fertile region 

 where they originated. 



The lethargic temperament so characteristic of the Short-horn 

 and which in the grades results in the greater quietness and docility 

 so highly valued, necessarily unfits them for active work ; pure 

 bred animals being altogether too sluggish for profitable labor. 

 This temperament is inseiDarably connected with their aptitude to 

 fatten and early maturity, and these both demand abundant and 

 nutritious food beyond the ability of most to supply and at the 

 same time are incompatible with tlie activity of habit and hard 

 service demanded of the working ox. 



Now if we could be always sure of a supply of such dams as the 

 Short-horns were first crossed with, at no more than they are 

 worth, and if we could do no better, it would be advisible to keep 

 on rearing grades or first crosses with this breed, but this would 

 necessitate keeping up the "natives," Avhich would not pay; and 

 as all experience has shown that it is next to impossible to breed 

 crosses among tliemselves without deterioration "running out" as 

 it is called, and " breeding back," so as to reproduce the undesira- 

 ble traits of former dams, the only safe course in breeding is to 

 have constant recourse to a pure bred male and so be steadily 

 approximating full blood ; and these in the case now under consid- 

 eration are objectionable as a general stock for the State, for the 

 reasons already given. If we could find a sort of cattle to cross 

 upon our common stock, which should itself, when pure bred or 



