SHORT-IIORXS IN MASSACHUSETTS. 1G3 



their final sale, the bull Comet 155 brought the then un- 

 heard-of price of 1,000 guineas. One cow at the same sale 

 brought 410 guineas, and the average price received for 47 

 animals was 159 guineas. In an account of this sale in the 

 London " Times "of October 19, 1810, it is said, — " Many of 

 the cows were excellent milkers, giving twelve full quarts at 

 a milking." Daisy, a small roan cow, but a grand milker, 

 was sold to jNIajor Bower. Her dam, oldDais}^ gave thirty- 

 two quarts of milk a day. Mr. Charles Colling reserved 

 one cow from his sale, Magdalena, a great favorite, and an 

 extraordinary milker, giving sixteen quarts twice a day. 

 Mr. Whitaker, another well-known breeder, prevailed upon 

 Mr. Colling to let him have her. Mr. Whitaker produced 

 a fine milking tribe from this cow. As some of our most 

 noted early importations were from his herd, perhaps an 

 account of the milk production of his nine cows would not 

 be out. of place. I quote from a paper by Mr. "William War- 

 field, in "Breeders' Gazette " of July 17, 1884 : ' ' There was 

 probably no better herd of milk-giving short-horns in all 

 England than that of Mr. Whitaker. He kept his large herd 

 with a view to milk always. It was expected to and did 

 supply the large number of miners on his estates with milk. 

 As for as I know, all the animals from his herd kept up the 

 reputation." In the famous pamphlet of Rev. Henry Berry, 

 nine cows are named of those then at Mr. Whitaker's, as fol- 

 lows : — Yellow Rose at three years old gave four gallons 

 two quarts twice a day ; at four years old she gave four gal- 

 lons three quarts twice a day. Red Daisy gave four gal- 

 Ions twice a day ; Magdalena, upwards of four gallons twice 

 a day ; Wildair, four gallons twice a day ; Western Lady, 

 three gallons two quarts twice a day ; Venus (sixteen years 

 old), three gallons one quart twice a day; Alfreda, three 

 gallons twice a day ; Adela (first calf), three gallons twice a 

 day ; Yarm, three gallons twice a day. These nine head, 

 taken at all ages, from heifers with their first calves up to 

 old cows of sixteen years old, thus run from six gallons up 

 to nine gallons and a half per day ; or in pounds, at nine 

 pounds to the gallon, from fifty-four up to the remarkable 

 eighty-five and a half pounds per day. This was nearly 

 sixty years ago. 



