142 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



and in more permanent form in the volume of trans- 

 actions, and no doubt contributed to the general adop- 

 tion of the apparatus, which followed. The apparatus 

 did not go into general use, however, in its original 

 form; for the new machines made here were much 

 lighter in weight and less cumbrous in operation. 



The herd of Jersey cattle imported in 1851 was kept 

 as the property of the society at the farm of Thomas 

 Motley, Jr., in West Roxbury, until 1856. The bull 

 calves were all raised and sold according to the ar- 

 rangement made with him, as his property. The pur- 

 chasers were breeders of reputation in different parts 

 of the State. In 1856 the cows and heifers were ex- 

 hibited by the society at the annual Worcester county 

 cattle show, and were there sold by auction. The 

 central situation in the State of the show-ground, and 

 the convenience of access by railroad, induced a large 

 attendance of farmers, so that the purchasers of the 

 cattle represented an extensive region, and thereby a 

 distribution was made in a manner satisfactory to the 

 trustees. 



In 1858, agreeably to a plan decided upon in the 

 preceding year, the trustees made an arrangement 

 with Sanford Howard, an expert of reputation in cattle 

 of pure blood, to visit Scotland and purchase four 

 bulls and ten heifers of Ayrshire stock, of the Swinley 

 strain. The sum of $3,500 was voted for the purpose, 

 with instructions to Mr. Howard, if it proved insuffi- 

 cient, to diminish the number but not the quality of 

 the cattle. In the course of the season they were 

 shipped in two vessels, and on arrival were placed at 

 the farm of Nathan W. Brown, in Topsfield. The 

 management of the herd was similar to that followed 

 in previous like instances. In 1859 the stock then 

 remaining was removed to Mr. Motley's farm in West 



