76 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



make it nutritions. I have wondered how you got nutriment 

 out of poor food by steaming it ; but the idea came into my 

 head yesterday that it was possible that by steaming, you got it 

 into such a state that the animal could draw more nutriment 

 out of it. That I gathered from some of the discussion yester- 

 day. I have no doubt whatever that warm food and drink are 

 better for an animal than cold ; they will produce a greater 

 flow of milk. But in order to get the best milk or the best 

 meat, we must feed the best food. That everybody will admit. 

 I think Mr. Horsfall does not agree with some of the statements 

 that were made here yesterday. I was reading an account of 

 the controversy, a few days ago, upon this very subject, and the 

 testimony of Mr. Horsfall was, that pork that was fed upon light 

 substances would " stink in the pot," (that is his expression,) 

 and that beef, fed upon steamed food, had not the hardness, 

 .had not the substantial qualities that characterize beef fed upon 

 more substantial articles of food. I have considerable doubt 

 whether you can produce so good meat upon steamed food as 

 you can upon dry food. 



Mr,. Meriam. In reference to the views expressed by the 

 President (Dr. Loring) yesterday, in regard to in-and-in breed- 

 ing, I have no doubt that all the breeds of animals in which 

 great excellence has been attained — we will take the Durham, 

 for instance, among cattle, Ave will take the Leicester and the 

 Southdown among sheep — it has been due to in-and-in breeding. 

 The arguments and prejudices against in-and-in breeding have 

 grown out of divine and human laws, and the supposed analogy 

 between the human race and animals. My own conviction is, 

 that the deterioration in highly improved herds, which has been 

 ascribed to in-and-in breeding, has originated in another cause. 

 I believe that where highly improved herds have deteriorated, it 

 will be found to have arisen from the fact that the cattle have 

 been luxuriously fed and kept idle. If you wanted to find a 

 family of children, robust, vigorous and full of life, you would 

 not go among the rich and luxurious, those who fare sumptu- 

 ously every day, and take no physical exercise, but you would 

 go to some family in the comfortable middle class, where they 

 enjoy the comforts of life, and where the physique is fully and 

 perfectly developed by exercise. Now, I believe that where 

 improved animals have deteriorated, it has arisen, not from 



