140 



THE FARMERS' REGISTEK. 



THE FOURTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING. — 

 LIVE STOCK. 



From the Boston Courier. 



The fourlli atrriciilmral meetinir w!ir held at the 

 Slate House, on the evening ofthe 4th inst., Hon. 

 1). P. King in the chair. 'I'he subjecl of dls- 

 cuppion was live siocl<. 



Mr. Colman inirochiceJ the suhject by a suc- 

 cinct account of the various breeds which liad been 

 and were to be found in the country; etmiDerating 

 find desc.-ibinrr the naiive stock, the Devon, the 

 Hereford, liie Yorkshire, the Holderness, tlie Al- 

 ilerney, the improved Durham Siiort Horn, the 

 Ayrsliire, and lastly a new race, which, by the 

 skill and perseverance of a <rentleman from whom 

 the meeting would hear presently, had been form- 

 ed in our vicinity; and in some respects was not 

 surpassed by any breed known amongr us, or in 

 the world, particularly (or the richness of their 

 milk and the amount of butter obtained from it. 



He proceeded to speak of some remarkable 

 animals of our native breed which had fallen un- 

 der his observation. The O^kes cow, which in 

 one instance made 19^ lbs. butter per week ; an 

 averajre of more than 16 lbs. per week for three 

 months in succession, and 484 lbs. from 1st May 

 to .SOih December in one year, htsides suckling a 

 calff()r six5 weeks; of the Nourse cow, formerly 

 owned by Col. Pickerinff, from which more than 

 14 lbs. per week were obtained for four successive 

 months ; of a cow at Stockliridfre, which, in three 

 successive years, made 900 lbs. butter; of a cow 

 owned in Shelburn, which produced 33-5 lhs. but- 

 ler in one j'ear; and a cow in North-Adams, 

 which produced 425 lbs. buKer in one year. 



These were extraordinary examples. Others 

 might be found. But they are individual instan- 

 ces; and among our native stock we have no es- 

 tablished race of animals, whose excellent quali- 

 ties may be pronounced fixed by always breeding 

 from the very best, unless it be in the case alrea- 

 dy relerred to. 



In Kngland, great atlenlion for more than half 

 a century had been paid to this subject, and by the 

 highest skill and the most determined persever- 

 ance, vali-jable races had been formed. Bnkewell 

 may be said to liave begun these improvements. 

 The Messrs. Collins pursued it with distinfruished 

 ability and liberality. The country patronized 

 and encourasred such improvements by the most 

 liberal prices paid for the improved slock; 1000 

 guineas having been aiven at a public sale 'or the 

 Messrs. Collins's celebrated bull Comet; and 400 

 and GOO guineas having been sometimes jjiven 

 for a cow, and more than 100 izuineas (bra calf. 



Mr. Colman proceeded to say that no perma- 

 nent improvement can be made but by inlellifjence 

 of observFiiion and long continued perseverance 

 in seleclinu the best from the best, and breeding 

 animals with a special reference to the most de- 

 sirable qualities. We have great advantatres in 

 this country, inasmuch as we can at once avail 

 ourselves of the improvements made in Great 

 Britain ; and if the introduction of their stock would 

 be an advantaore, the best animals could be ob- 

 tained at once. 



Mr. Colman spoke of the various importations 

 which had been made by ditierent public-spirited 

 individuals, many of which he had had the plea- 



sure of seeing, eef.ecially some ofthe splendid 

 importations made by spirited citizens from Ohio, 

 the beauty of which animals, their admirable 

 symmetry, and the perfection to which art, guided 

 liy the most philosophical principles, had carried 

 these improvements, excited the highest admira- 

 tion. He then proceeded to speak ofthe disiin- 

 iXiii-^hed liberality of a gentleman in the vicinity 

 of Boston, who, with a view to obtain the beet 

 milking siock known abroad, had imported large- 

 ly oljihe Ayrshire, a slock deemed abroad Ihebes't 

 slock known liir dairy purposes. This same gen- 

 tleman, with his customary public spirit, had gi- 

 ven away many of these animals with a view to 

 the improvement of the stock and had in the most 

 liberal manner rendered these improvements ac- 

 cessible lo any farmers who chose to avail them- 

 selveA)f them. The Massachuselts Agricultu- 

 ral Socieiy, with iheir usual liberality, had done 

 the same. 



Mr. Colman having iione to some extent inio 

 the characteristics ol the uiHerent breeds, from 

 personal observation, inquiry, and experiment, 

 concluded by saying thai a gentleman present by 

 his invitation, who was well skilled in the subject 

 now under d'scusssion, and was himself the found- 

 er of the race of animals to which he had re- 

 ferred, would detail fully his progress and success 

 in Ibrming this new race of animals; and would 

 give them, before the meeting closed, ocular de- 

 monstration of the superlative quality of their 

 creain. 



Col. Samuel Jaques of Cbarlestown, the well 

 known superintendent of the Stock Farm at Ten 

 Hills, then addressed the meeting at some length, 

 but with much good sense, and excellent humor. 



He had long personal experience in this case. 

 He deemed ihe improvement ofthe livestock of 

 our country matter of the hishest moment to the 

 agricultural and the whole community. There 

 were several varieties of animals, as already re- 

 ferred to. He was particularly desirous of finding 

 a race exactly suited tc our soil and climate. 



We may, perhaps, form a breed belter adapted 

 to our purposes than any foreign breed now 

 known. But as any great improvement could not 

 be carried through and established under half a 

 century, it would be wise to avail ourselves of 

 what had been done abroad, as far as it might 

 meet our pur|)oses. 



In 1B19, he gave 8600 for a bull calf, in order 

 to make across with some of our best cows. — 

 Mu'-.h skill is requi.-^ite in sglectins the cow, as well 

 as the bull: but out of a thousand brought to him, 

 there was not one, which he (bund suitable. 



Ralph Haskins of Dorchester had obtained, 

 from a farmer's yard in Groton, a cow distin- 

 guished (or the extraordinary richness of her m.ilk. 

 She was of a deep red; resembling, in some re- 

 spects, the Devon race ; but not known to have 

 any (breign blood in her. She had a capacious 

 body, and" fine silky feel. This cow was crossed 

 wiih CQ?lebs, an imported bull, ofthe Durham 

 blood. CcElebs had produced some remarkable 

 milkers. It was in this way, Mr. Jaijues thought, 

 best to lay the foundation of an improved stock. 

 His object was to obtain a stock eminent for their 

 dairy properties. 



Having succeeded, acccording lo his expeeta- 



