188 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



no breed, or of well-bred and native cattle. Both the natives 

 and the thorough-breds have their advocates and their con- 

 temptnous revilers. Now, what every enterprising farmer wants 

 to know is, whether it is better for him to invest in native or 

 well-bred stock, or both ; also, to inqnire concerning the different 

 breeds, all of which have their enthnsiastic advocates ; whether 

 it is better to keep them pure, or to cross with natives. Instead 

 of fully discussing these various topics, as the committee would 

 gladly do, it can only make a few suggestions, which it is confi- 

 dently hoped will serve to awaken a greater interest and desire 

 in the Hampshire society farmers, to improve their stock, and 

 thus receive more liberal dividends for money thus invested. 



Notwithstanding the intention of the committee to enumerate 

 the various breeds of cattle in England, giving their general 

 characteristics, &c., it is deemed inexpedient to do so now. 

 Those most popular in this country are the Jerseys, (some- 

 times called Alderneys,) Devons, Ayrshires, Herefords and Dur- 

 hams, names indicating that part of England where the breeds 

 were cultivated and improved. In determining which of these 

 is best, or which is most desirable, the inquiries come up, wheth- 

 er you want to breed cattle for the shambles, the dairy, or for 

 work, or for all these purposes. 



Of these different breeds, the Durhams, or short-horns, are 

 by far the most elegant and beautiful of the cattle kind. They 

 are the dukes, or the first order of nobility of all the well-bred 

 animals of the bovine races. For the shambles they have no 

 equals ; for work and travel they are not excelled. Says a gentle- 

 man who purchases oxen for quarry work, in a neighboring State, 

 after an experience of twenty years, " I have never seen the 

 grade short-horns excelled." "As a breed," says another, 

 " the short-horns are remarkable for their milching qualities." 

 "Grade short-horns are almost universally good milchers." 

 Yet it is said, by the advocates of other breeds, that the Dur- 

 hams are deficient in both milching and working qualities. The 

 milching qualities of a breed may be transmitted to their prog- 

 eny, with as much certainty as those of form or color. This 

 may have been neglected by some Durham breeders, and thus 

 have furnished occasion for this remark. Yet every well- 

 informed stock breeder knows that there are excellent milchers 

 anions; the short-horns. In fine, there is no doubt that the 



