108 



NEW ENClLAND FAR^fT^.R. 



JWassathusctts asrtcttUural Socfctg. 



REFOKT No. I. 

 The Commitlee on Fat Cattle, Bulls, and Bull 

 Calves, beg leave to report, that it was with i 

 much regret, they perceived but one cotnpeli-j 

 tor for the premiums lor fat cattle. It is indeed 

 extraordinary, that in tliis grazing State, and in ] 

 a market so well supplied as that of Boston 

 with the choicest beef, such a case should ever 

 occur. We are persuaded, that it arose from a 

 general but very erroneous impression, which 

 we have taken all tlie pains in our power to 

 eradicate, that our premiums are given to heav- 

 iest animals, and that it is vain to compete 

 where it is known, that very extraordinary ani- 

 mals are to be sent. It was probably well 

 known to the Western Graziers, (hat the (wo 

 fine cattle from Shrewsbury were to be offered, 

 and (hey presumed (hat (hey would carry (he 

 two first premiums. — Nothing could be more 

 erroneous than this opinion, and it is an error of 

 great moment to the interests of agriculture. — 

 Let it then hereafter be distinctly understood, 

 that we have repeatedly granted premiums for 

 fat cattle weighing 1800 pounds to (be exclusion 

 of others on the field which weighed 2000 and 

 upwards. Our principles are, to give the pre- 

 mium for fat cattle not to weight only, but upon 

 a combined consideration of form, aptitude to 

 acquire flesh, distribution of that fle=h in the 

 parts which are most valuable for food, and 

 smallness of offal. We take into consideration 

 also, the mode of feeding. 0(her tilings equal, 

 we give the preference to those which have 

 been worked till within a short period before 

 tbey are offered. I undertake to say, that a tine 

 fat heifer weighing 1000 or 1100 pounds — or a 

 fine steer of equal weight, whose forms were 

 beautiful, whose flesh was prutilable, and who«e 

 cost of fittoning had been small, — would have 

 stood a fair chance of gaining one of the premi- 

 ums against these fine large sized cattle. The 

 real object of Agricultural Societies is, as it 

 ought to be, to encourage the most profitable 

 and least expensive mode of preparing fat cattle 

 for market. 



Having made these remarks, we owe it (o the 

 excellent farmer, who obtained the prizes to 

 say, that his oxen were of the first class, as to 

 form, and useful flesh, and tallow. They were 

 excellent, and would be distinguished at nnv 

 show in any country. To the honor of the can- 

 didate we would remark, that they were raised 

 by himself, and f^ere a fair sample of his own 

 stock. 



Although no one entered (he lists with him, 

 yet he ought not to suffer from this cause, be- 

 cause they were animals which fully deserved a 

 prize. 



We award therefore to Selh Wyman of 

 ■Shrewsbury, the first premium of 25 dollars for 

 his yellow ox, weighing 2152 pounds at 7 years 

 old. 



And the second premium of 20 dollars fo the 

 same person for his brown ox of the same age, 

 weighing 24C9 pounds. In this case, it will he 

 observed, that we preferred the smallest ox, and 

 we have no doubt the butchers and consumers 

 will prefer him. 



We now come to the consideration of a part 

 of our exhibition in which it is very diflicult for 

 the Committee to say whether pleasure or pam 



predoininales or i)rcvail« — The pb^asur-j re- 

 gards (be public, the pain Ihcinsehcs. It was 

 truly grateful to (hose of us who have looked 

 forward, as we have done, to (he rapid improve- 

 ment of our stock, to bear all our numennis vis- 

 itors — many from our own s{ate, others from 

 neighbouring, and distant states — and others 

 from Europe, speak in terms of the highest com- 

 mendation of (be exhibition of our bulls, and 

 (heir young progeny, male and female. Out of 

 thirteen bulls on the field, there was not one 

 which could be called ordinary. These Shows 

 have utterly banished, that race of thick necked, 

 and loan quartered animals, of grerff but iarf pro- 

 portions, which used to be sent to them, because 

 thev were much thought of in a remote circle. 

 —On this occasion the bulls were very fine— 

 and ihe difficulty of selection was of course in- 

 creased To decide between two animals of 

 the finest proportions, is of course embarrassing, 

 and it is very possible, that no other three per- 

 sons would select precisely the same three ani- 

 mals. One Rne point would strike one individ- 

 ual, and anofher would make an impression on 

 a second. There is however one satisfaction 

 in such a case, that you are sure the choice 

 must fall on a good one. The experienced 

 farmers who were associated with me, to my 

 certain knowledge, anxiously examined every 

 animal. I have been often associated with 

 them, and it is but just praise to say of them, 

 that more candid and more upright men could 

 not be appointed to perform such an embarrass- 

 ing duty. With these necessary and proper ex- 

 planations, the Committee award the premium 

 of 30 dollars for the best bull, to Benjamin Har- 

 rington, of Princeton, 18 months old, of the Hol- 

 derness and native breed. 



The second premium of 20 dollars, fo .lohn 

 Mc Intvre .of Needham, for his bull, 2 years old, 

 of a native breed, from Westminster, called very 

 improperly the Yorkshire breed. There is, I 

 believe, no colour for this appellation. It is a 

 small breed, existing in that part of Worcester 

 t county, most remarkable for the delicacy of its 

 j limbs — the roundness of its carcase — its disfjosi- 

 tion to fatten, and especially the almost unnatur- 

 al size of its hind quarters. I cannot wilhold 

 [ my personal doubts, about the utility of ftropag- 

 aling, too extensively, a race so very small. It 

 is remarkable, that (hey preserve (hese charac- 

 ters and marks in whatever quarter df the 

 country they appear. There was a beautiful 

 bull of^Mr Boylston's, of Princeton, of the same 

 breed, and another of the same. race of H. G. 

 Buttrick, of Westminster, a town, from which 

 the first bull of this race was several years since, 

 sent to our Show. 



The "d premium of ten dollars was awarded 

 tn the Hon. William Gray, for a beaulit'ul bull 

 by Coelebs out of an imported cow, remarkable 

 for the quantity of milk she gave. It was stat- 

 ed by the attendant, who exhibited, that his dam 

 had given from 20 to 30 quarts per day. It is 

 well known, that she is very much distinguished 

 as a milch cow. 



There were many other extraordinary bulls, 

 a very beautiful one exhibited by the Hon. Bez- 

 aleel Taft, of Uxbridge. A fine and beautiful 

 bull exhibited by Mr Watson of Princeton, of 

 the same Yorkshire breed, which we should 

 prefer to call the Westminster breed, being sat- 

 lisfied that it is purely cative- 



Holderness, Coe- 



Dr. Chaplin exhibited a fine Bull (Commo- 

 dore) (rom Hnblerness and Fill Pail, shewing a 

 marked resemblance to one ancester as to col- 

 our, an) the other as to form. 



'I lipr'^ was a noble bull presented by George 

 Spurr, (mm Ccflebs, but he did not sheiv the 

 finest poinl.s of his sire. 



There was an excellent bull from Denton, 

 exhibited by J. W. Hiild)ard, Esq. of Worcester. 



There were dillicuUies, though not so embar- 

 rassing, as to bull calves. 



We award (he premium of 15 dollars for the 

 best bull calf to Nathan Nichols, of Maiden, 

 from Coelebs. 



The 'ocond premium for the next best bull 

 calf, of ten dollars, to Nathan Peirson, of West 

 Newbury— I Coelebs— i Fill Pail— and f Na- 

 tive. 



The third premium to the Hon. John Welles, 

 5 dollars, for a bull calf from 

 lebs, from Bakewell. 



AVe ought to observe that Mr. Wells exhibit- 

 ed a fine pair of twins, a bull calf and heifer, 

 from Coelebs out of a Bakewell cow, and one 

 or two other fine heifers, of which, being Chair- 

 man of the Committee on that description of 

 Stock, he could fake no notice. 



T'tr. Prince presented a beautiful bull calf La 

 Fayette, being almost wholly of French breed 

 — Alderney and Norman. — This race is not re- 

 markable for flesh, but valuable for milk. 



On the whole, it must be obvious, that Coe- 

 lebs has done much towards the amelioration of 

 our cattle. — His progeny are certainly fine. — If 

 Denton and Holderness do not exhibit as many 

 at the Brighton Show, ii may be, and probably 

 i i<^, owing to their location — It is too far to send 

 them. Yet a Holderdess, it will be seen carri- 

 I ed the first premium, and neither of the Com- 

 I mittee who decided, knew of what breed he 

 was. This suggests to me the propriety of con- 

 cealing (he breed of (he animals ofl'ered, (ill after 

 j the decision. 



I The animals presented by Admiral Sir Isaac 

 Coffin were exhibited together — None of them 

 ■ except Admiral have yet had progeny — One of 

 his calves, now owned by Mr Derby, of Salem, 

 gives us a right to ex[iecl, that he will be a 

 most valuable addition to our stock. 

 i The nerefi)rdshire breed sent by Sir Isaac 

 Coffin, is highly esteemed. It is certain that 

 (he heifer of (hat breed sent Admiral Coffin, is 

 one of the most beautiful animals ever exhibit- 

 ed at our Shows. 



Mr. Prince exhibited a A'orth Dover Bull, pro- 

 bably of the same race with those which re- 

 ceived so much praise from the Worcester 

 county Society. On the whole, we have every 

 reason to believe that we are in a fair way to 

 improve our own native breed, not only by se- 

 lecting the best of them, but by the propagation 

 of ihose which have boen most approved in Eu- 

 rope. — I repeat what I have often urged on this 

 occasion, that more is to be expected from ex- 

 cited attention to the improvement of our own 

 stock than from importation. 



JOHN LOWELL, Cnairman. 



Note. — From haste and indisposition, I omit- 

 ted to notice several fine animals sent for ex/ti- 

 liilion only. If designed, this omi>.^ion would 

 have been unpardonable, since the Society and 

 (be publick are much iiuleb(e(l (n gentlemen, 

 who, at their own expense, send hue objecte, 



