NEAT STOCK. 345 



was in question, they would unanimously recommend judicious 

 crossing with the Devon. But the breeding of cows is a very 

 different thing. Some of the committee would undoubtedly 

 recommend crossing with those foreign breeds whose tendency 

 is to secrete milk. Others would recommend selections from 

 our own stock of such as possess in the greatest degree the 

 properties desired, and by a system of carefnl breeding give to 

 those properties a prominence and permanency, wliich should 

 be the characteristics of a distinct breed of improved native 

 American cows. In this way it is that the foreign breeds have 

 been improved. All superior short-horns claim descent nearly 

 or remotely from Mr. Ceiling's bull, Hubback. He and his dam 

 were purchased of a poor man, because they happened to pos- 

 sess just the properties which in Mr. Ceiling's judgment would 

 brine; about the results which he obtained. The cow when 

 removed to good land became so fat that she did not again 

 breed, and her son having the same feeding propensity in a high 

 degree, was useful as a bull during only a very short period. 



Pigeon and Mottle, the two cows through which the Here- 

 fords were improved, were purchased at the fair of Kingston, on 

 the confines of Wales. Mr. Tomkins remarked the very extra- 

 ordinary tendency of these cows to become fat, and his good 

 judgment convinced him that they were just the animals with 

 which to work out his theory. He succeeded, and it is a 

 remarkable fact that the peculiar marking of those two cows 

 may be distinguished in their descendants at the present day. 



If some man like Bakewell, or Charles Colling, or Benjamin 

 Tomkins, shall luckily rise up and undertake the improvement 

 of our stock for dairy purposes, we shall have a breed which 

 can have no superior. Until then we shall probably go on 

 importing cattle, raising calves, offering premiums, and talking 

 loosely about the matter — but without effecting any permanent 

 good. 



T. E. Payson, Chairman. 



44 



