126 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



■when they will next calve ; the kind, quantity and quality of their food during 

 the season, and the weight or measure of their milk, morning and evening, of 

 each of the first ten days in June and last ten days in August. No awards are 

 to be made to animals that are unworthy of them. 



(I have submitted above " last ten days in August " for " first ten days in 

 September," as it is at present, in order to keep the milk-record before the 

 falling off in milk, caused by attending " New England," and other Fairs.) 



When other thoroughbreds than Ayrshires, Jerseys and Shorfc- 

 horns, that are worthy of being encouraged, are known to be in 

 the county in sufficient numbers, I would recommend that sep- 

 arate premiums be offered for them. Such breeds may now be 

 in the county unknown to me, and, if so, I would have separate 

 premiums offered at once. Not knowing the exact yield, cost of 

 keep, etc., of the Kerry cattle, and how numerous they are in 

 the county, I cannot personally recommend them. It would be 

 useless to appoint separate committees for each of the other 

 thoroughbreds, which are very seldom, if ever, seen at our 

 Shows at present, but I would have the society be liberal in 

 any awards that will tend to extend the show, and elevate the 

 standard of farming throughout the county. 

 • The officials in charge of the cattle-pens at Ipswich this year 

 did all they were advertised to do promptly ; but somebody was 

 at fault, in that, being obliged to stay in Ipswich the greater 

 part of the night after the show waiting for the freight train, I 

 was unable to get any hay for my cattle, except after no little 

 trouble and difficulty in searching for some place where I could 

 buy it. The society ought to provide for an emergency of this 

 sort, as this fact might deter some people from exhibiting their 

 animals, who otherwise would do so. 



There are but few herds of thoroughbred animals of each of 

 the various breeds in the county, and the owners of these ani- 

 mals are almost the only persons in the county who are capable 

 of judging of the merits of their respective breeds. But if all 

 the owners of the various breeds are to send representatives 

 from their herds every year, — and we must all hope that the in- 

 ducements will yearly be such that all will send animals, — the 

 owners of these cattle cannot, of course, serve on the commit- 

 tees ; and to have unprejudiced judges who fully understand 

 what is required of them, we must ask intelligent breeders of 

 thoroughbred cattle outside of the county to act as our judges. 



