MARTHA'S VINEYARD. 401 



There were in 1879 upon the island 1,381 head of neat 

 stock, 557 of which were milch cows, and 274 oxen and 

 steers, which, as working animals, I was glad to see, had not 

 entirely gone out of use. In 1845 the islanders had 1,820 

 neat cattle; in 1850, 1,709 ; in 1855, 1,690, and so on, de- 

 creasing at every decade to the present time, or rather to the 

 time of taking the last census for the year 1879. Since 

 that, I find hy the State valuation returns that the milch cows 

 have increased to 738 — a very satisfactory gain for three 

 years. 



As butter is a large and profitable product here, the Vine- 

 yarders are very properly cultivating the Ayrshires and the 

 Jerseys. 



I would most strongly urge upon the members of this 

 society to bring into the island one or more pure-bred Jer- 

 sey bulls, as I learned that they were quite commonly breed- 

 ing to grade bulls, a practice Avhich will surely run out their 

 stock, and certainly will not permanently increase their good 

 milk and butter cows, which are what they want. 



Of swine there were but four entries. There are but 265 

 swine on the island anyhow, not one for each farm, let alone 

 the 1,473 other dwelling-houses. The Vineyarders have 

 something to learn about the profitableness of keeping pigs. 

 With such an extent of pasture land, the best place for them 

 on the farm in summer ; and for winter, with sea-weed to 

 be had for the hauling, and 390 tons of salt hay, which 

 might be largely increased, and with inexhaustible beds 

 of real muck, how easily they could grow and fatten pigs ; 

 especially as they have from their butter-making about 

 270,000 quarts of skimmed milk, and from their cheese about 

 2,800 quarts of whey, with which the young pigs can be most 

 successfully started. What they do with all their skimmed 

 milk I don't see. The 20 calves they vealed, and the 212 

 they raised in 1875, couldn't use it all, for they made in that 

 year 313,388 quarts of milk, from which they made 15,416 

 lbs. of butter. In 1880 they sold 183,584 quarts, and also 

 made 22,782 lbs. of butter, which, at even twelve quarts to 

 a pound of butter, would require the skimming of 273,384 

 quarts of milk. So much for pigs. 



Of sheep there were twenty-four entries, covering forty- 



