STOCK. 269 



stock, the trustees tliink it quite too much to assume that this 

 stock is susceptible of no improvement by the introduction of 

 animals from abroad, belonging to races of high and long 

 established character, and they feel convinced that such im- 

 provement has taken place already, by the introduction, at dif- 

 ferent times, of foreign races ; though the improvement may 

 not have been, with respect to horned cattle, very extensive, or 

 very easy to be traced. But when we see how much has been 

 done for our sheep by the introduction of the Spanish Merino, 

 and for swine, both here and elsewhere, by importations from 

 Europe and China, it would be premature to give up all hope 

 of any benefit from the introduction of larger domestic animals 

 from the Old World. At any rate, it cannot be doubted that 

 the importation of fine specimens of neat cattle has produced 

 greater earnestness and circumspection in some districts, at 

 least, in selecting breeding animals from our native races ; a 

 practice on which there cannot well be any diversity of opin- 

 ion, and on which we must, after all, rely principally, for a long 

 time at least, for any extensive improvement in our stock. 



The above considerations have never been disregarded by 

 the trustees of this society, but they do not deem it necessary, 

 at present, to speak of anything done in pursuance of them, 

 previous to the year 1845. In that year, the trustees imported 

 several fine animals of the Ayrshire and North Devon breeds, 

 and purchased others imported by Mr. Randall, of New Bed- 

 ford. In the course of seven years they were enabled to dis- 

 tribute a full-blooded pair of one of these breeds to every 

 county agricultural society, and one pair to the State Reform 

 School. They thought that in no way could the advantages, 

 which might result from the procuring of this stock, be more 

 extensively diffused. They cannot speak with precision of the 

 result, as, notwithstanding the time which has elapsed, no re- 

 ports have been received from the county societies sufficiently 

 in detail to enable the trustees to determine the success or 

 failure of the experiment in the character of the young stock. 

 In the year 1851, the treasurer, Mr. Motley, went to England 

 for the purpose of selecting a few fine animals of the Jersey 

 (commonly called in this country the Alderney) breed, with 

 authority to expend for that purpose, a sum not exceeding 



