158 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



" Wilder Cup," there was but one entry made. Mr. J. "W. 

 Gay, of West Dedham, entered his fine herd of fifteen cows, as 

 follows : One native, from New Hampshire ; one grade Devon, 

 from Vermont ; one native, raised in Dedham ; one Ayrshire 

 grade, also raised in Dedham. The remaining eleven were all 

 raised in Dedham, and are Jamestowns, varying from three to 

 eight years old. Like most of the cows owned by regular milk 

 farmers, these were part dry, and others nearly so, the herd 

 giving from two to eighteen quarts each per day. According to 

 Mr. Gay's statement, their feed has been rather short pasture 

 with one peck of brewers' grains per day, and after-feed in its 

 season. He feeds for profit rather than for fancy ; is not a 

 breeder and has no stock for sale ; but he has drawn together 

 such a herd of cows for use, as it would be very difficult to 

 match. 



As this herd was so largely made up of Jamestowns, and so 

 few farmers know precisely what Jamestown means, when 

 applied to stock, the Committee felt it a duty to gather what 

 information they might in relation to the history of this breed, 

 hoping the society would see the importance of making a record 

 of the facts in its Transactions. This seemed the more important 

 as it is luiderstood that this society has acknowledged the 

 Jamestown as a distinct breed. 



In looking over the back volumes of the Norfolk Transactions 

 we have found but one allusion to the Jamestown stock. Mr. 

 Sanford Howard, in an essay on Cattle Breeding, published in 

 the volume for 1859, says : " The Suffolk breed is without 

 horns. It was formerly somewhat noted for dairy properties, 

 but it is not extensively kept at the present lime. It is not 

 absolutely known that any of this breed have ever been imported 

 into this part of the country ; but polled or hornless cattle, 

 which were formerly quite common here, bear more resemblance 

 to the Suffolk than to any other breed. They certainly have no 

 claim to the title of Galloway, which is sometimes applied to 

 them, being different in color (the Galloways are almost 

 invariably black,) shape and characteristics. Near the close 

 of the last century Joseph Russell, Esq., of Boston, imported 

 from England several hornless cattle, which the late Col. 

 Jacques, who was well acquainted with them, believed to be of 

 the Suffolk breed. They were kept in Chelsea, and some of 



