198 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



called common cattle. We have a great amount of valuable 

 breedino; material amons; our common stock that is well wor- 

 tb}'^ of being retained and improved. It is of no use to attempt 

 to hoot down the " general-purpose cow," — the large, hearty, 

 peaceable cow, that doesn't want nursing ; that will yield, 

 when well-fed, a large pail of rich milk ; and then, when no 

 longer wanted for the dairy, will make a carcass that the 

 butchers will not turn away from. The time is coming when 

 there will be a breed of American cows that will do credit to 

 the name. It is the pride of the Yankee to improve every- 

 thing which he puts his hands to. The American general- 

 purpose cow of the future will, I trust, be a cow without 

 horns. 



The Chairmax. I think you will be satisfied, from the 

 character of the paper which you have heard read, that the 

 author is competent to answer any questions appertaining to 

 the dairy interest that you may be disiDosed to ask, and I 

 think there is enough in this subject to call out some profit- 

 able discussion. 



Mr. Paoier of Stockbridire. I would like to ask the 

 gentleman if the breeds of polled cattle are as good milkers 

 as short-horns and Holsteins. 



Mr. Cheever. The Suffolk and Norfolk red polls, bred 

 in the south of England, have a high reputation as dairy 

 cows ; and the animals that I have seen, some of them, indi- 

 cated it very much by their appearance. 



Mr. A. A. Smith of Coleraine. I do not rise to discuss 

 any subject presented in the paper, but simply to relate a 

 fact which came under my observation in regard to the docil- 

 ity and quietness of the polled Angus. I was at Waltham, 

 at the quarantine, last spring, and I saw several herds of cat- 

 tle there. Being acquainted with one of the men who had 

 charge of the cattle, I asked him about the docility of the 

 difierent breeds, and he made this statement : That among 

 the most dangerous animals that were quarantined there were 

 the polled Angus. I do not know that it is so ; but, never- 

 theless, that was the statement made by that man. I am 

 very much inclined to hope that this audience, notwithstand- 

 ing the good authority that we have had in this paper from 



