T4I 



rence and Danvers have their their parks where the Society 

 would find excellent accommodation, with the addition of cover- 

 ed pens, and I doubt not that Newburyport could provide equal- 

 ly p;ood accommodation should they be willing to attempt it. 



Another matter of great importance was brought prominently 

 to my notice this year when serving on tlie Committee on Bulls* 

 All County Societies, recieving the State bounty of S6oo, are 

 compelled to award premiums only to thoroughbred bulls. I 

 found that few of the owners of cattle know rightly what a thor- 

 oughbred animal is. Several grade bulls were entered this year 

 as thoroughbreds, their owners confidentialy believing them to be 

 such. I know of cases where our Committee in the past, have 

 awarded prizes to grade animals in the thoroughbred classes. 

 Such cases should not occur and our Committee should be in- 

 structed, in accordance with printed authority from the State 

 Board of Agriculture, exactly how it shall be ascertained whether 



an animal is thoroughbred. 



When all the ancesters of an animal can be proved to have 



been imported from Ayrshire, or to be descended from animals 

 imported Ayrshire, said animal is a thoroughbred Ayrshire. 

 When in this case an ancestor cannot be proved to be a thor- 

 oughbred said animal is a grade. The same rule applies to all 

 important breeds of cattle. 



Imported stock has been of the greatest value to this Country 

 the Massachusetts State Board ot Agriculture, as I have said, 

 encourage the use of thoroughbred bulls only and it is best that 

 only such should be used, that their ancestry may be readily 

 traceable and that the quality of their descendants be assured. 



The only thoroughbred stock that we have in this Country is 

 all imported from abroad. The imported breeds should be kept 

 pure ; but must we always be advised by the highest Agricul- 

 tural authority in the State to use none but thoroughbred bulls 

 from imported stock ? 



