522 



XEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



186-1. She did well as a milker the first season. 

 In 1865 her milk was measured and her butter 

 weighed. She calved April 20, and from that time 

 till October 10, she averaged thirty-seven quarts 

 of milk a day, and fourteen one-half pounds of 

 butter per week ; and from October 10, to March 

 1, 1866, when she was allowed to go dry, she aver- 

 aged twenty quarts of milk a day and eight pounds 

 of butter per week. In good condition she would 

 weigh about 1700 pounds. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 KEW ENGLAND FAIR AT POKTLAND. 



The sixth exhibition of this society has been 

 held, and each State represented in its organi- 

 zation has had the honor of having one of its 

 Fairs within its limits. It is not my intention 

 to attempt at this late day a detailed report of 

 the late fair, but simply to indulge in a few 

 reflections or criticisms. 



Whenever a society holds its fairs in differ- 

 ent places, it is expected that the members 

 living in the locality where it is held will make 

 special exertions to have their section of coun- 

 try well represented. And when it came to 

 the turn of the largest and best agricultural 

 State of the six, there was every reason to be- 

 lieve this fair would excel all preceding eflforts ; 

 that the earnest co-operation of the Maine 

 State Society would have made this a grand 

 exhibition of the agriculture of New England ; 

 that visitors from other States would have a 

 fine opportunity for seeing the products of 

 Maine and comparing them with those of their 

 own localities. 



But in this hope we were disappointed. 

 The contributions of Maine, excepting in 

 horses, would not make a respectable county 

 show, and the exhibition, as a whole, was not 

 what many had been led to expect. Massa- 

 chusetts contributed to all the departments ; 

 Vermont and Connecticut, con.-iJering the dis- 

 tance, did very well in th3 stock department, 

 while New Hampshire and Rhode Island sent 

 very little. It was a noticeable fact that the 

 bulk of the stock belonged to a ^e'w individu- 

 als. Why some animals were sent, it was 

 difficult to decide, unless it was to swell the 

 numb ^r of the herd, or on account of some 

 secret or hidden excellence. However, there 

 were many valuable animals upon the grounds, 

 and their owners deserve credit for the time, 

 money and care they expended, and the risk in- 

 curred in bringing them thus before the pub- 

 lic. It is pleasant and highly instructive to 

 look at and examine the different breeds, side 

 by side. More can be learned in a few hours 

 by such ocular demonstration than can be 

 gatherei from reading pages of descriptions 

 and theorizing. 



The more we see of the different breeds, 

 the more thoroughly are we convinced that the 

 Ayrshire is the type for the greater part of 

 New England ; while the Shorn-horn families 



may be preferable for the Connecticut valley 

 and a few other favored localities. The Jer- 

 sey may rightly be called the gentleman's cow, 

 and probably will continue to be popular in 

 towns and in small rural residences where only 

 one or two cows are kept and where they re- 

 ceive the best of care and keeping. There is 

 a happy medium in the size of all our domes- 

 tic animals, below or above which it is not 

 profitable to breed. Th3 smallest and most 

 compact structure by which the desired end 

 can be attained, is the best. None will deny 

 this proposition, where work is the leading 

 object. Of two cows of unequal size, but giv- 

 ing the same amount and quality cf milk, I 

 should prefer the smaller. There is also as 

 surely a limit, where beef is desired. One 

 could not help noticing the crowds that col- 

 lected around the fat oxen of monstrous pro- 

 portions, while fat animals of ordinary size 

 apparently attracted little or no attention. 

 In one of the Farmer's weekly reports of the 

 Brighton market, last spring, the sale of sev- 

 eral of the overgrown and extra fat beeves 

 was noted. Their owner came to market with 

 an apparent air of satisfaction, fully persuaded 

 he should receive extra prices, when, after 

 much parleying, he was obliged to sell for one 

 or two cents per pound less than was paid for 

 smaller oxen. Too much tallow and bone to 

 cut up to a profit was the butcher's objection. 

 A bullock dressing about one thousand pounds 

 is the most profitable to retail. 



In the sheep pens, three classes were well 

 represented, the Merinos predominating in 

 numbers. Whatever may be the quality and 

 quantity of wool a sheep will produce, it is 

 evident, since it can be so easily transported 

 long distances, there must always be a sharp 

 competition with foreign importation. Some- 

 thing, therefore, besides great wool-producing 

 qualities is needed here, in close proximity to 

 large markets. Thin, lean mutton is, at best, 

 dry picking. Merinos are not popular with 

 butchers. The long wools, like large cattle, 

 are only adapted to rich pastures ; hence the 

 middle wool families are likely to return the 

 highest profit in New England, in the long 

 run. 



The show of swine was very small in num- 

 bers, but was meritorious in quality. No an- 

 imal improves faster, under careful manage- 

 ment, than the hog, and it deteriorates, with 

 equal rapidity, from neglect and injudicious 

 treatment. Since pork has been produced at 

 the West in such quantities and at such low 

 rates, and since the horse, the ox, sheep and 

 even poultry have received so much attention, 

 the porcine race has fallen into the back- 

 ground, and it is confidently affirmed by many 

 that there were better hogs twenty-five years 

 ago, upon our farms, than the average found 

 on them to-day. It was gratifying to meet at 

 the pens a ge.itleman who has lately entered 

 the arena of stock-breeders, and is making the 

 hog his specialty, — Dr. Calvin Cutter, of 



