82 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



experiments was that if we were going to grow beef in the 

 future, as some in New England might find it profitable to 

 do, we must have a better class of steers ; and Professor 

 Sanborn has well made that point. The average steer that 

 we find is something like the average cow, — a pretty poor 

 type. Another point, — at the time of our experiments 

 beef was selling at a very low price. 



I think Ave bought these steers at 3^4 or 3y2 cents per 

 pound live weight, and when ready to go to market we did 

 not get more than 4. So of course we did not make any 

 money out of it. But if beef is going to keep up in price 

 I think there is a great deal of encouragement for those who 

 are in the immediate vicinity of markets to produce beef at 

 a profit. And those who are in the immediate vicinity of 

 large markets in New England Avhere there is such a demand 

 for milk and cream will have a tendency to produce those 

 articles rather than beef. I do not suppose there is any cow 

 especially adapted to all purposes. My friend from Shel- 

 burne of course is a ver}^ enthusiastic Shorthorn man. I 

 suppose Mr. Ellis is an enthusiastic Jersey man. I think 

 it all depends upon wiiat we are going to do. I don't think 

 it would pay ]Mr. Ellis to have Shorthorn cows ; he w^ants to 

 produce a certain product, and in all probability the Jersey 

 would be the more satisfactory ; while perhaps a person way 

 back on the hills, and farming in a little diiferent way, might 

 find it advantageous to select Shorthorns. 1 think the whole 

 tendency is to specialize, to select the dairy type of animal 

 for the production of milk and cream, and Shorthorns for the 

 production of beef. 



Prof. F. S. CooLEY (of Amherst). Lest you think I 

 am a partisan against the Shorthorn, I would say that the 

 Shorthorn, I believe, is one of the best in its place of any 

 cattle we have. We had a collection of cows come into our 

 neighborhood a short time ago, and the poorest individual 

 in the w^hole bunch was a registered Shorthorn, poorest in 

 point of flesh. I have very frequently observed the same 

 thing in highly bred cattle of this or another beef breed 

 coming in from a poor pasture. Obviously, then, the place 

 for a highly bred meat-producing animal is not in our poor 



