MILCH COWS. 159 



the descendants of the herd are now in the possession of Ben- 

 jamin Shurtlefif, Esq., of North Chelsea. A cow was also 

 brought to this country from Ireland, several years since, in the 

 ship Jamestown, and hence was called the " Jamestown Cow," 

 which closely resembled the Suffolk I have seen in England. 

 A bull from this cow by a Jersey bull has been kept in Dedham 

 several years, and has left a progeny which in general appears 

 to possess superior dairy properties." 



In preparing this report your Committee are under obliga- 

 tions to Dr. Wight and Col. Stone, of Dedham, for most of the 

 history of the Jamestown stock. 



In answer to inquiries. Col. Stone writes, Nov. 12, 1867, to 

 the Committee on Herds, as follows : — 



" Sir : — I have, at this moment, received from Dr. Ebea Wight, the 

 account of the stock of cattle known, in this vicinity, as the Jamestown. 

 It is a cross between two thoroughbreeds — the Suffolk (no horned) 

 on the part of the female, and the Jersey on the part of the male. 



"In 1847, Capt. R. B. Forbes, as commander of the U. S. ship 

 Jamestown, went to Ireland with a cargo of provisions for her starving 

 inhabitants. On his return, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, wishing to 

 confer some favor on the commander, made him a present of a fine 

 Suffolk heifer, which proved to be one of the deepest milkers, giving 

 in her flow, twenty-six quarts beer measure of the richest milk. She 

 was a remarkably fine specimen of this superior stock, which stands 

 high and prominent for the dairy in that country. 



" Every one knows with what alacrity Capt. Forbes undertook this 

 voyage of mercy, and on his return, he disposed of the cow, and gave 

 the proceeds to the Irish Charity Fund. John Marland, of Andover, 

 Mass., was the purchaser, and when he disposed of his farm she passed 

 into the hands of John D. Bates, of Swampscott, Mass., and afterwards 

 into the hands of Mi\ Osborne, of Danvers, Mass. 



" We are not aware that she ever had more than one heifer calf. 

 This one was owned by Mr. Wallace Thaxter, of Boston, and proved a 

 superior dairy cow. Several of her bull calves were raised in this 

 vicinity ; one that I have seen, by Benjamin Shurtleff, Esq., of Chelsea 

 Mass. Nearly all her progeny are without horns, showing the remark- 

 able strength of the Suffolk strain. 



"In 1854, this remarkable cow dropped a bull calf, which was 

 secured by Dr. Wight, and brought to this town, and raised by Thomas 

 Smith and named Jamestown, after (he noble ship that brought his 

 mother to this country. He proved himself as remarkable in his 



