19G 



^■EW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Jan. 14, 



212?3fccistcv ^gn'cultural Soctcty. 



REPORTS. 



COMMITTEE ON MILCH COWS AND FAT CATTLB. 

 Oliver Fiske, of Worcester, Chairman — Jacob C'o- 

 nant, of Sterling— Henry rcr.niman, of New Brain- 

 tree — Dexter Fay, of Soiilhboroiijh — Royal Keith, 

 of Grafton. — 



Tiie Coramitlee on F;it Oxen jinrf Milch Cows 

 have perlormed the very difficult duty iis-igned 

 them, with Iheir best skill iindjud2;ment, as np- 

 plied to view of the .inimnls ofl'ered lor their 

 inspection, and to the evidence furnished them of 

 their res[)eclive merits. Ao^ricullurisls must be 

 aware that the most careful examinalion of an 

 animal may be deceptive, and the best informa- 

 tion prove incoi reel. This remark applies to 

 Blilch Cows more forcibly than to any other an- 

 imal offered for premium. The smallest and 

 most ordinary lookins^ cow in the farm-yard is 

 often the most valnaldc of the flock for a dairy. 

 She also may be the best in the pens without 

 attracting particular notice, while one of large 

 size, and commanding points and proporlioris, 

 of not half her value, may be preferred. The 

 testimony at the pens is seldom the best evi- 

 dence the nature of the case admits: not be- 

 cause the owner is an interested witness, and 

 prone, like every body else, to fancy liis own 

 possessions Ihe best ; but from the circumstance 

 that Ihe dairy is managed by the other partner of 

 the firm, and that he has not been conversant 

 with the amount and quality of milk which any 

 cow furnishes. He is satislied if she is called 

 a good cow ; and probably brings lier to the 

 Show, relying more on her fine appearance 

 than on her intrinsic worth. These difficulties 

 are inherent to the duties of the Committee. — 

 A worse impediment was in severid cases en- 

 countered. From the inattention of the owner. 

 the Committee could learn oulv his nime, and 

 ihe age of his cow, iVom the ticket furnished 

 ibr the pen. This preliminary the Committee 

 iiave deemed it important to make, that those 

 who may think they could have decided better 

 may, at least, be led to doubt whether more 

 competent judges would have come to a more 

 correct decision. 



On the other branch of (heir services, the 

 subject of Fat 0.\en, the Committee liad an ea- 

 sier task. The question of the fattest was not 

 impoitant, as it applied only to two belonging 

 to one owner. By a rule of the Society no 

 person can obtain one premium for the best, 

 and another lor the next best of the same arti- 

 cle. The premium for the fattest ov, the Com- 

 mittee must confess, was not adjudged to the 

 owner with leferenco to Ihe best and cheapest 

 mode of fattening, and in testimony of his hav- 

 ing produced good beef in a prolitable manner, 

 as a guide and stimulus ibr others ; but as in 

 part reiHunerntion for the great trouble and ex- 

 pense he must have incurred in giving attrac- 

 tion and credit to the Show, and in further de- 

 monstration to the world l!ie capacity of our 

 native breed of cattle to become enormously fat 

 and i/ninenscly lar-ge. As an article of food, the 

 Committee are of opinion that the beef by the 

 hundred weight was belter a year ago, and that 

 the owner, carefully noting the items of ex- 

 pense, will find by the result that, as an article 

 of profit, it was also better at thai time. 



There is a point in the fattening of beef cat- 

 tle, beyond which, whether i'or consumption 

 or protil, an useli^ss ex[)ense comm.°nces. This 

 point the Committee believe to be when ihe 

 fat is so interspersed with the lean as to render 

 the flesh what is termed marbled. The juices, 

 from this admixture, are then the mosi agreea- 

 bly bl'eiided, and the meat in its highest excel- 

 lence. The produclion in weight after this pe- 

 riod is forced talloxa, that can be made and pur- 

 chased at comparativel}' a much cheaper rate 

 ll is to be hoped, however, that liberal pur- 

 chasers will award lo the spirited owner a pre 

 mium price for his beef; and that the extra ex- 

 pense may be so parcelled out in the market, 

 as to be averaged upon the public-s[iiriled con- 

 sumers. 



The Fat Oxen submitted to the view of the 

 Committee were but four in number ; two own- 

 ed l)y Col. Selh Wyman, of Shrewsbury, one 

 by Stephen V/illiams, Esq. of Northboro,' and 

 one by John \V. Hubbard, Esq. of Worcester. 

 The pair offered by Col. Wyman were the 

 filtcst that Ihe Committee have ever seen ex- 

 hibited. They awarded to Col. Selh Wyman 

 the tirst premium, of 15 dollars, for his redox 

 — to John W. Hubbard the second premium, of 

 10 dollars, for his grass-fed ox. 



Mr Williams's Steer, from Denton, was un- 

 commonly large and well pro[)orlioned, and 

 exhibited Ihe excellent points in this superiour 

 breed. He is unquestionably destined at an- 

 other season to command the first rank in the 

 pens. His failure in obtaining the second pre- 

 mium was not on account of his being less val- 

 uable in any particular than his competitor; but 

 frctn the consideration that Ihe latter acquired 

 his flesh in one season, af.^r having been work- 

 ed down in a series of hard labour. 



Nineteen Cows were ofl'ered for premium, 

 and all, except one, of our native breed. They 

 generally h.id the ap[>earance.of exiraordinary 

 value, and all gave evidence ofintrinsic worlli. 



Their exhibition affordcil additional proof 

 that our own slock of cows needs no other im- 

 provement than can be obtained by a careful 

 selection and a judicious altention to Ihe Ori.n-in 

 and management of her (irogeny. 



In determining the premiums on cows, Ihe 

 Committee were governed l)y a consideration 

 of her age — the quantity and quality of the 

 milk — llie expense of her keeping — how early 

 her milk fails — and how long she is unproduc- 

 tive. From these tests, so far as they could be 

 known, Ihey formed their opinion. When a 

 cow has arrived at her prime, every succeed- 

 ing year more and more diminislics her value. 

 If a cow at four years old in ail essentia! qtiali- 

 lies is equal toone of eight years old, she will, 

 most probably, at that age be superiour. Her 

 increase in value is an annual profit lo the 

 owner, ntiile Ihe other is yearly declining. — 

 Hence, iit that age, she is deserving of liigher 

 consideration as a milch cow. The quantity 

 and quality of the milch, although, perhaps, not 

 peculiar to any age, is an essential inquiry. It 

 is a rare occurrence if a cow greatly excels in I 

 both ; for it seems lo be a fact, predicated up- 

 on the hnvs of nature, that as the quantity in- 

 creases, its quality must be diminished. The 

 propensity to drying early is an important de- 

 fect, but more easily corrected in a young cow. 

 Every farmer Icnows (lie difference in cows as ! 



well as in the rest of his slock, with respect to 

 their productiveness on the same keejdng. A 

 disposition lo do well on ordinary fare is a pe- 

 culiar good trail in a cow, especially for such 

 families as have not the means ofkeeping more 

 than one, and (hat one indifferently. 



From these premises (he Committee adjudg. 

 ed to Nathaniel Stowell, of Worcester, the 

 first premium of 15 dollars— to Nathaniel 

 Paine, of Worcester, the second premium of 10 

 dollars*-^to Benjamin F. Farnsworlh, of Wor- 

 cester, the third premiram, of 8 dollars. 



To this conclusion the Committee could not 

 arrive without great deliberation and hesitancy. 

 The essential poinis in many of (he cows were 

 so nearly balanced, (ha( another set of judges 

 might in each case have decided differently 



without any impeachment of their judgment. 



Among the unsuccessful cows particularly no- 

 ticed for jirominent good qualities was Col. Mis- 

 ter's of Ncw-Brainlree, and Col. Bush's, of 

 Boylsfon : they were of Ihe first class, but not 

 represented as uncommon in the duration of 

 their productiveness. Col. Watson's, of Prince- 

 ton, was large and one of Ihe best formed cows 

 exhibited ; but from her habitual propensity (o 

 flesh, and Ihe circumstance that she had gener- 

 ally raised her calves,- (two of wliich were pre- 

 sent to attest her value,) sufficient evidence 

 was not afforded of her superiour excellence 

 for the dairy. Mr Horalio G. Henshaw's, of 

 Worcester, was a formidable rival to Mr Earns- 

 worlh's, and in the judgmenl of the Commillee 

 was but a very little inferiour. Capt. Harring- 

 ton's, of Princeton, Mr Rainger"s and MrEarl'l, 

 of New Braintree, at any former Show would 

 have taken a commanding sland. Mr Elisha 

 Sumner's, of Rutland, had a sufficient voucher 

 in a niiMe calf by her side that she is a first 

 rate breeder ; but as she had always reared 

 her calves, no judgment could be formed of lier 

 value as a milch cow. Mr Newell's, of New- 

 Braintree, had every apj)earance of havin"- been 

 a first rate cow, but her age (10 years) had es- 

 sentially diminished lier value. Olhers, not 

 particularly recollected, in most of iheir es- 

 senlial qualities did credit to (heir judicious 

 owners ; and (he Committee regret that the 

 restriction of premiums prevented their select- 

 ing a much larger number of excellent cows as 

 objects of a more flattering and substantial no- 

 lice. 



Cows for cxhibilion only, were offered by 

 Ward N. Boylston, Esq. and the Hon. Judge Lin- 

 coln, gentlemen who have ever manifosled a 

 deep and ardent interest in the reputation and 

 prosperity of Ihe Society. Mr Boylslon's (wo 

 uncommonly large and beaTitiful cows have 

 heretolbre given celebrily to our Shows. The 

 co(vs exhibited by Judge Lincoln, the proo-eni' 

 of Denton, in their younger state, have repeat- 

 edly attracted altentiort at the pens. In their 

 present station as cows, they amply confirm 

 their early promise, and unequivocally demon- 

 strate the value of this justly celebrated breed 

 In behalf of the Committee, 



O. FISKE, Chairman. 

 Worcester, Oct. 13, 1C24. 



* The second premium v.as awarded lo Judg-e Paine, 

 under the impression that he was owner of " three 

 cows kept together." 'this not being the fact, the 

 premium cannot be receired. 



