140 MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 



In judging of the Ayrshires, they being best qualified for 

 the dairy, the most attention was paid to the points which are 

 best adapted to make them valuable for that purpose, such as 

 light fore quarters, and the hind quarters broad, capacious and 

 deep, legs small and short, &c. 



And in judging the native stock and the Devon crosses with 

 it, they were governed by the same rules that controlled them in 

 judging the Devons, supposing that a portion of Devon blood 

 flows in the veins of the native stock. 



The exhibition of native bulls, with few exceptions, was 

 very good, and speaks much for the skill and enterprise of the 

 farmers of Middlesex. Some of the crosses were very supe- 

 rior, which shows the great importance of breeding from tho- 

 rough bred bulls, as the cross-bred bulls cannot be depended 

 upon, and the greater the mixture the more uncertain is the 

 result. 



The committee think that in the breeding of stock much 

 more attention is paid to the female than the male animals, as 

 we more frequently hear of the dam than the sire of any re- 

 markable animal. But they are of opinion that, in carrying 

 out the improvement of the stock of the country to the great- 

 est possible perfection, great attention should be paid to the 

 breeding of bulls ; for, whether the opinion be correct or not, 

 that the male exerts a greater influence on the offspring than 

 the female, it is certain that the offspring of the former is fifty, 

 and often an hundred fold more numerous than that of the lat- 

 ter, and, of course, the stock of the country is influenced to 

 that extent, which is a fact of great importance to the farmer. 

 And where the good breeding qualities of a bull have been 

 tested, he should be kept in the country, " for the country's 

 good." Such animals are oftentimes invaluable, as may be 

 proved by consulting the pedigree of the race horse, or that of 

 the short horned cattle. The great improvement in the former 

 is attributed to the " Godolphin Arabian," and in the latter to 

 Mr. Collins's bull, " Hubuck :" and of what great value to New 

 England has been the " Morgan Horse," is too well known for 

 comment. 



PETER LAWSON, Chairman. 



