ESSEX SOCIETY. 25 



of Galloway Polled, or hornless breed of cattle into New Eng- 

 land, was about the years 1797 to 1800. A gentleman by the 

 name of Joseph Russell, then residing in Boston, imported, I 

 think six cows and a bull, and placed them on what was then 

 called Hog Island, now called Belle Isle, situated in the town 

 of Chelsea, and there bred them pure for fifteen or twenty 

 years. I visited this island frequently, and watched the pro- 

 gress of these cattle. I found them hardy, taking on flesh 

 readily, and silky in the handling or touch, and as milkers, they 

 were fair, much above the average of our native stock. The 

 calves from this imported stock were generally raised for breed- 

 ers, sold, &c. At one time, a large portion of the neat cattle 

 in Chelsea were of this Polled breed ; but the people of Chelsea 

 gave little or no attention to preserve the breed pure. I soon saw 

 their mixed bloods, — their oxen were ill-looking animals, with 

 little loose horns attached to the skin only, hanging and dand- 

 ling about their faces ; their pure blood cows were allowed to 

 go with any little runt of a bull. The late Benjamin Shurtleff, 

 M. D., soon after purchasing a farm in Chelsea, say some twen- 

 ty to thirty years since, obtained several of these cows, and 

 he always, in speaking to me, thought highly of their milking 

 properties. This breed of cattle have been spread abroad in 

 Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, &c., but I 

 think it doubtful if the pure breed, male and female, can now 

 be found in this neighborhood. I mean, possessing all the ori- 

 ginal characteristics. 



It has been said that the Galloway Polled has never been im- 

 proved by cross breeding with any other variety of stock. 



There are, it is said, two varieties of the hornless breed of 

 cattle. The Scottish Galloway Polled, and the Suff"olk Dun 

 Polled, — the last mostly originating from the former. The 

 Galloways giving the richest, and the Suffolk Duns yielding 

 the most milk. I am inclined to think that the Russell impor- 

 tation were of the Suffolk Dun variety. 



Respectfully and very truly yours, 



SAMUEL JAaUES. 

 To J. W, Proctor, Esq.. 



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