(J 



original stock, uliicli ;jre adapted to special localities and pnr- 

 ])oses, until now we have a. t^tock for milk, J'or beef, for 

 butter, and for cheese. Tiie Ayrshire is the representative of 

 the milk and cheese breed, the improved short horn is tlie ani- 

 mal for beef, the Dover and Jersey, but especially the latter, iri 

 the l)reed for butter. The Jersey is probaljly the l)est butter 

 cow in the world ; but the Ayrshire gives more milk. The milk 

 of the Jersey is not the richest, but all its oily globules Avhiclj 

 form butter, separate quickly and completely leaving the skiin 

 milk poor ; on the contrary, the milk of the Ayrshire, does not 

 separate complet^^ly and the skim milk is rich. The short liorn 

 and.Devons, or crosses of them and our so called native cattle^, 

 make our finest workers. These different pure breeds, if h)ng 

 bred have attained the power to transmit with great certainty 

 their distinctive qualities to their descendants : and the longer 

 l)red the greater their poAver of transmission. A single animal 

 of an unkiioAvn stock, may possess remarkable and desirable 

 (]ualities, but they are from chance, or a combination of circum- 

 stances, Avhich cannot be traced and from Avhich no laAV of breed- 

 ing can be reduced, and the animal does not possess the poAver 

 to transmit them. In breeding for a specific purpose, it is ab- 

 solutely essential to use such animals as have been long bre<;l 

 for that purpose, and have the poAver of transmission fixed ; and 

 there can be no certainty in any other method, though a good 

 animal may be occasionally })roduced. Your committee ieel 

 compelled to say that this mode of Ijreeding is not so exten- 

 sively practiced by the stock groAvers of the society as Avould 

 be commendable or profitable. Compared Avith our Avliole stock 

 there are fcAV thorough breds of any bi-eed ; yet Ave are grati- 

 fied to find on our exhibition grounds, s[)lendid specimens of the 

 short horn, Jersey, Ayrshire and DeA'on stock. Nothing couM 

 exceed the beauty, symmetry and perfect build of the shoi't 

 horn bull of Mr. Arthur Norcross of Monson, or the majestic 

 animal of Mr. Kimball of Enfield. It Avould be a blessing to 

 our farmers if they could be extensively used, and leave a nu- 

 merous progeny carrying their qualities. Mr. Cobb exhibited 



