NEAT STOCK. 341 



Three Devons were entered for premium. No question was 

 made as to the purity of the blood of either of them. The com- 

 mittee were unanimous in awarding the first premium for the 

 best Devon bull, to Paul Titcomb, of Byfield. His bull was 

 imported from the north of Devonshire. 



There were four entries of Jerseys. One of them showed no 

 marks of purity of blood, and no evidence was furnished by his 

 owner, which tended to establish the fact. His merits, if he 

 had any, were of course not considered by us. No question was 

 raised in relation to the blood of either of the others. After 

 careful examination, the committee awarded the first premium 

 for the best Jersey bull, to Richard S. Rogers, of South Dan vers, 

 for his bull, " Duke." 



The trustees of the Essex Society, from its formation to the 

 present time, have manifested great desire to improve our stock. 

 In 1823, Col. Pickering proposed to jjay " to the person who 

 should produce at the public exhibition of the society, in the 

 year 1828, any number of milch cows, not less than four, of our 

 native breeds, showing manifest improvement therein, &c.," 

 premiums of $30, -f 25 and $20 ; and for bulls raised in the 

 county and improved on the same principles, premiums of $20, 

 $15 and $10. These ofi"ers of premiums substantially in this 

 form were continued until 1834. There is no record that they 

 were ever awarded. In making the proposition, Col. Pickering 

 said : " It will readily be admitted that our live stock demand 

 great improvements ; and no one will question whether such 

 improvements are practicable. They ought then to be attempted. 

 It will avail little to bestow premiums merely for the best that 

 shall be produced ; for such premiums might be given for a 

 century, without effecting any real improvement, and thus, as 

 to live stock, defeat the object for which the society was formed." 

 It may well become us to review the field from 1823, and see if 

 we have been doing any thing but bestowing premiums " merely 

 for the best that have been produced." 



At times the trustees have seen fit to offer premiums for the 

 offspring of premium stock, such offspring to be exhibited at the 

 cattle show next after it had attained the age of one or two 

 years, and be entitled to the same premium which its dam had 

 received, but we do not recollect that a premium was ever 

 awarded to bull or heifer because descended from stock which 



