exclusive of" beef fattened here and sent away for slaugliter ; 

 if the vahie of this Ijeef were added it w^ould increase the an- 

 nual income of this branch of industry to more than three 

 fourths of a million of dollars. This, however, is only one and 

 the smallest item of profit of cattle husbandry. Its greatest 

 source of advantage and ultimate yearly profit, is in the in- 

 creased value and fertility of our farms. Our lands cannot be 

 cropped, and the elements of fertility thus taken off be carried 

 to a distant market, without reducing their capacity for suc- 

 ceeding crops. These crops, however, fed to animals on the 

 flirm judiciously, Trill return a satisfactory profit, and give us 

 the means for further croping, while with care the soil Avill in- 

 crease in fertility. For this purpose mature animals to fatten 

 are undoubtedly the best. Young growing stock are taking 

 from the soil its nitrogenous elements to form muscle, its min- 

 eral elements for their bones, and these must in the end be lost 

 to the farm. Milch cows by the production of butter and 

 cheese for market, but especially the butter, also are the agents 

 to remove the same materials in large quantities. Mature stock 

 fattened carry off very little but carbonaceous matter, which is 

 abundantly supplied by nature, and can be cheaply obtained by 

 the farmer himself. Hence farms used for dairying, should be 

 supplied from outside sources, with mineral elements of fertil- 

 •ity, or they will eventually deteriorate in producing power. In 

 view of the increased number and quality of cattle exhibited, 

 we feel sure that our farmers are advancing in the right direc- 

 tion, but hope their forward steps w^ill be accelerated, for it is 

 true now as ever, that there is much increase by the strength 

 of the ox. 



For the Committee, 



LEVI STOCKBRIDGE. 



