36 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



They also agree, that taking into consideration beef, milk, and 

 work, the Devons are the breed best suited to that part of the 

 State. For beef alone, one of these gentlemen says the Devons 

 are best ; the other makes no reply to this question. For milk, 

 they both prefer the Devons for quality, and the natives for 

 quantity. For work, they both choose Devons, being more 

 active, hardy, and gentle. Both agree that heifers should come 

 in at two years old, if of large size, and that bulls may be put 

 to service at the age of two years. 



One of these gentlemen thinks calves will do well on hay tea 

 and skimmed milk until three months old ; after that age good 

 pasture, until stabled for winter ; then good hay. The other 

 believes they should have milk four months, then grass until 

 winter, when they should have good hay and roots. 



For breeding cattle one selects good milkers, which he 

 remarks are in general loosely built. The other would select 

 those that come of good milking cows. 



In feeding cattle in winter, one begins with corn estover and 

 poor hay, and finishes off with hay and meal. The other gives 

 a variety of fodder with roots. They concur that the best 

 summer feed is good pasture, with salt once a week. In answer 

 to the question, How to feed cows to obtain from them the 

 largest profit, one replies, Feed on cut hay, roots and shorts in 

 winter. The other replies, Feed on good hay and meal in win- 

 ter. Both agree that good pasture is the best feed for summer. 

 Neither have any reliable rule for selecting cows for the dairy. 

 One has no rule for selecting cattle for the stall ; the other 

 selects cattle with round, close made bodies and hardy consti- 

 tutions. Both concur in the opinion that cows should go dry 

 three months before calving, and they agree that maturity of 

 breeding animals is essential, and that poor keeping will deteri- 

 orate any race of animals. 



The committee have replies from two gentlemen residing in 

 the same town on the easterly line of Worcester County. The 

 answers to the questions are similar in both, and we give a 

 synopsis, as follows: — 



Most of the cattle in town are crosses between the natives, 

 Ayrshires, Durhams, and Devons. The best cattle for beef, 

 milk, and work, all things considered, are the Devons. The 

 best working cattle are the Devons, they being the most docile, 



