NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



83 



SIXTH AGRICITLTURAL MEETING 



At the State House, Feb. 19, 1851. 



Mr. Proctor, Pres. of Essex Agricultural Society, in 

 the Chair,— Subject, "The Best Cattle for 



New England." 



The chairman remarked that he was called up- 

 on unexpectedly to preside, and was not prepared 

 to address the meeting. He announced the subject 

 for discussion, and said that it was of great impor- 

 tance, as some farmers gave most of their attention 

 to cattle. As to our native cattle, some contended 

 that we had none, as all had been originally im- 

 ported; but they might as well say that we have 

 not a native race of men, possessing peculiar prop- 

 erties. Now shall we improve our native cattle, 

 or reject them and take the foreign breeds ? But 

 few of these foreign cattle can be found in the coun- 

 try, and farmers cannot supply themselves with 

 them without paying high prices. Col. Pickering, 

 who was distinguished for correct observation, 

 thought that our native cattle were the best for our 

 climate and feed. They are good for the stall, for 

 labor, and for ordinary purposes. The Durham 

 breed is good where raised particularly for beef. 



Mr. Asa G. Sheldon, of Wilmington, said that 

 for oxen and beef, the Durhams were very good, 

 and a cross with them and the native, was good. 

 Their beef was not superior, but they produce more 

 beef according to the feed than other breeds. He 

 never saw a good cow of the Devon breed, and for 

 labor, they are rather deficient; they want putting 

 up in the team. He preferred a more active race 

 for labor. Our native cows are as good as any. 

 He had not generally been successful in crossing 

 them with the Ayrshire. He has one very supe- 

 rior cow from this cross. Finally he cared noth- 

 ing about the breed; he would choose an animal for 

 its good points, as he would judge of a j)iece of 

 machinery; no matter who made it; he should 

 choose it for its construction and workmanship. A 

 cow should have a long tail, hazle eyes, small flat 

 horn, full bosom, good chest, back ribs wide apart, 

 bag well forward and dark, not long, nor long 

 teats. He had a cow with long bags and teats, 

 and when laying down she so pressed her legs and 

 feet on her teats that they were so much injured 

 that he sold her less by $25; and after he sold 

 her, she was injured in this way so that she cut 

 through the side of the teat. 



Dr. Hogan, of Boston, said that it was necessary 

 to have cattle adapted to the climate. He thought 

 that of the foreign breeds the Welsh cattle were 

 best adapted to New England. They are of a me- 

 dial size. Mr. Prentice, near Albany, has some 

 fine imported animals of large size, but in tliat re- 

 gion the soil is more fertile than in New England. 

 Large cattle will fail on short feed. Another good 

 breed is the Polish. 



Prof. Fowler, of Amherst, would make some 

 susfo-estions as to the failure of foreign breeds. 

 Some fine animals had been imported at great ex- 

 pense, but they had not answered the expectations 

 of their owners. Men generally degenerate by 

 colonization, so it may be with cattle; there may 

 not be suitable adaptation to climate, feed, soil, 

 &c. But by a long course of years, a foreign breed 

 may be improved even on our own soil, where at 

 first they degenerated. In this way our native race 

 may have been improved after they become accli- 

 mated. He remarked that long since some fir\e for- 

 eign cattle were brought to Guilford, Ct., where 

 the race had continued pure, and they were fine ani- 

 mals. They resemble the Devons. 



Hon. Mr. Brooks, of Princeton, said that a great 

 improvement had been made in the cattle of that 

 county by a bull imported by Gov. Gore about 50 

 years ago, which resembled the Hereford race. 

 He remarked that the Herefords and Devons were 

 races and would produce their like, but the Durhams, 

 Ayrshire and others were only breeds, and their 

 progeny often differ from the parents. For nearly 

 30 years he had raised heifers from the finest native 

 cows, and he had crossed these with the Ayrshires, 

 and he generally got excellent luilkers. Durhams 

 are not so good for milk as the Ayrshires. The De- 

 vons are not so good milkers, nor so good for work 

 as theAyrshires. The Ayrshires are hardier and bet- 

 ter feeders (less difficult about their food) than the 

 Devons and are more spirited. Mr. B. then presented 

 a memorandum showing the expense of raising heif- 

 ers, by which it appeared that he could sell them 

 so as to make 16 per cent, profit on his investment. 

 By keeping them till four years old, the income on 

 the cow paid all the expense of raising her, except- 

 ing $10 53. Some of his neighbors got an income 

 of $50 on each cow, making a clear profit of $25. 

 In answer to a question, he said that if heifers came 

 in at two years they were not so large, but will give 

 more milk, and be more profitable than those that 

 come in at three. 



Hon. Mr. Sprague, of Duxbury, lived near Dan- 

 iel Welister, and that gentleman has no good milk- 

 ers, though he has various breeds of foreign cattle. 

 But he has fine oxen. 



]\Ir. Brooks said that he did not raise heifers from 

 good milkers, but from a male which is from a good 

 milker. The good properties of the female de- 

 scend through the male, and his progeny will ex- 

 hibit the traits of the grand-dam. 



Hon. Mr. French said that it was an object to 

 get a breed adapted to the farm. He found that 

 the heifers he raised were worth more than tliose 

 he bought, because they were at home, while oth- 

 ers were strangers. He had had the Durliiims, 

 and after trying them four years, he sold tlitni. 

 As milkers, they were a failure. He suggested 

 that we had not the true Durham stock, as it was 

 not like that which he had seen in other States. 



