CATTLE HUSBANDRY. 29 



I doubt if either the Hereford or Dutch will to any extent 

 usurp the place of the Shorthorn ; and certainly for the improve- 

 ment of our native stock, the fineness and general symmetry of 

 the latter will always give it a preference among skilful breeders, 

 and the quality of its milk cause it to be desired by the dairy- 

 man and farmer. 



The dairymen of New England cannot afford, nor can the 

 ordinary husbandmen, to shift their present stock and supply its 

 place with any of these thoroughbreds, but they can select the 

 best of the native stock and breed to such bulls of pure descent 

 as will not only keep up the present average goodness of our 

 dairy stock, but improve the progeny to an indefinite extent. 

 As to what breed should be used for this purpose every farmer 

 is his own judge, looking to his needs and situation ; but con- 

 sidering all things, I should prefer the Shortliorn, selecting the 

 compact, short-limbed, milking families bred in New England, 

 for the reason that they add to the best qualities of the native 

 stock, increase their size and render them not only valuable as 

 dairy animals, but profitable to the grazier and butcher when 

 thrown aside as poor milkers or over-aged. 



We can hardly estimate the importance of thus improving our 

 stock by attention to breeding, considering it only in the light 

 of increased weight of cattle and the value thereof in money. 

 Look for a moment at the great improvement of live stock in 

 Great Britain since the Ceilings started upon the Shorthorns. 

 Then the average weight of beef cattle at Smithfield market 

 was 370 pounds each. In a report of a committee of the House 

 of Commons in 1795, it was stated that since 1732 English cattle 

 had increased in size or weight, on an average, a quarter or 

 twenty- five per cent., making the weight at that time (1795) 

 462 pounds. Thirty years later we find 656 pounds the average, 

 an increase of nearly forty per cent, in thirty-five years, and 

 instead of being fatted at five years they were considered ripe 

 for the butcher at four, thus saving a year's attendance and feed, 

 equal to another twenty-five per cent, in weight. 



According to the census of 1860 there were in the whole 

 United States and Territories about nine millions of milk cows, 

 two and a half millions working oxen, and fifteen millions other 

 cattle ; nearly six millions of these milk cows and one-half 

 million of the working oxen were in the Northern States. Give 



