228 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



is to this cause that the society is indebted for no better exhi- 

 bition of " milch cows and heifers," we would hope such a 

 change might be adopted as to avoid the difficulty, and that in 

 future we shall have such a show of dairy stock as is worthy 

 the reputation we have hitherto enjoyed in Plymouth County. 



Moses Bates, Chairman. 



JERSEYS. 



ESSEX. 



Statement of Richard S. Fay. 



I send for exhibition only, not wishing to compete for a 

 premium, three Jersey cows, three yearlings and three calves, 

 all pure bred, to which I beg to call your attention. My 

 farm is as little adapted for rearing stock and for the pro- 

 duction of milk as any one that can be found in the county, 

 the soil being gravelly and hungry, and the pastures, from a 

 half a century of neglect, entirely overrun with bushes and 

 wood-wax. It seemed to me that land of this description 

 afforded a favorable opportunity for testing stock of various 

 kinds as to hardiness and constitution, if for nothing else, and 

 these animals which I have sent to the exhibition are the result 

 of one of the experiments which I have been making. I do 

 not mean to boast of having good cows living upon nothing, for 

 I should feel ashamed of having any animal which was not as 

 well treated as the nature of the case will admit. I only mean 

 to say that the character of my soil will not admit of very good 

 treatment, and that no animal can do as well upon it as upon 

 land of a better character. I have treated these animals 

 precisely as I have treated others of my herd, so as to be able 

 to compare the results, and I have for this purpose selected the 

 best animals of our native stock that skill could raise or that 

 money could purchase. All this should be borne in mind in 

 looking at the dairy product of the animals. I must also ask 

 you to take my assertion, so far as comparative excellence goes, 



