BRISTOL SOCIETY. 181 



The committee were much pleased to perceive this evidence 

 of increased desire, on the part of farmers, to improve their 

 stock. Some previous exhibitions of the society had been so in- 

 ferior to what was anticipated, that there was some doubt if any- 

 beneficial results were produced by them. In one instance, an 

 animal was exhibited, for which the only merit claimed, was, 

 that it had survived the rigid treatment to which it had been 

 subjected; at eighteen months old, the bull was about the size 

 of an ordinary calf at six months. In many instances, the ex- 

 hibitors have stated that they did not consider their animals 

 extraordinary, but had entered them on the chance of there be- 

 ing nothing better to take the premiums. 



It is desirable that the competition be as general, and bring 

 together as great a number of the farmers of the county, as 

 possible, to exhibit and compare their animals. Such a course 

 would not fail to improve their judgment, and enable them to 

 select such as will prove best adapted to their wants. 



It is needless to discuss here the characteristics of a good cow, 

 or the relative merits of the various improved breeds ; both are 

 generally well known. There are many excellent cows of the 

 native stock, which yield a large quantity of milk of good qual- 

 ity. These animals are always readily purchased by those who 

 are selecting stock for immediate profit — the breed being of little 

 consequence to them ; but the case is very different with those 

 who rear them either for their own use, or for sale, as the good 

 cows are of rather rare occurrence, and the poor ones must be 

 sold at a very low rate, or retained to the great detriment of the 

 owner. 



It is of course desirable to obtain a stock in which the proge- 

 ny will inherit the good qualities of the parents, and, in this 

 predisposition to inherit, consists the only real title to the name 

 of " breed." Almost every farmer who has owned a native 

 cow of the first class, has desired and attempted to propagate 

 the stock ; and, if the committee may judge by the result of a 

 number of these trials, which have come to their knowledge, 

 the success is not such as to encourage the continuance of the 

 practice. These failures may, doubtless, in many instances, be 

 attributed to the inferiority of the bull. A probable cause is, 



