SHORT-IIORNS. 235 



was 18} pounds; and on a second trial, for eleven days, 20} 

 pounds. Her average yield of milk per day, in the month 

 of June, was 28fjf quarts, beer measure; the largest yield in 

 any one day being 26£ quarts. She was kept mostly on fresh 

 grass, fed to her in the barn as soon as mowed, except on rainy 

 days, when her feed was cut hay sprinkled with water, with 

 which was mixed about three quarts of flax-seed meal. She 

 was daily turned into a small lot for exercise, and it was par- 

 ticularly noticed that she gave more milk in fair weather, on 

 fresh-mown grass alone, than when kept on cut hay and meal, 

 although well moistened. 



The grade cows belonging to the hospital, and exhibited in 

 the pens, were among the noblest looking animals at the show, 

 and the society should feel greatly indebted to Dr. Bemis, the 

 enlightened and liberal-minded superintendent of that institu- 

 tion, as to the Hon. Stephen Salisbury, Mr. Brooks, Jr., and 

 indeed all the other contributors in this department of the exhi- 

 bition, for the interest given by them to the occasion. 



Levi Lincoln, Chairman. 



Letter of Mr. Howard to the Chairman of the Committee. 



Boston, October 19, 1859. 



Hon. Levi Lincoln: — Dear Sir, — I will now endeavor to 

 reply, in part, to your inquiries. In regard to the question, 

 What is the difference between the Short-horns and the Improved 

 Short-horns, I remark that, as the terms are often used in 

 England at this time, there is no difference, both being applied 

 to the same variety of cattle. Formerly, however, there was a 

 great difference, as will appear by reference to the history 

 of the cattle referred to. 



The term Short-horn originally comprehended (and does now 

 really comprehend) a breed of cattle in which there is much 

 diversity of character. So far as regards their presence in 

 England, the best authorities consider them to have been intro- 

 duced from the Continent, and hence they were for a long 

 time known as " the Dutch breed." They occupied princi- 

 pally the counties of York and Durham. In the valley of the 

 Tees, which separates these two counties, they in process of 

 time assumed considerable superiority over the Short-horns in 



