112 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



to get half-breeds, and commence " breeding in," as soon as 

 possible. You can now have your choice between an Ayrshire 

 and a Jersey bull, and if you have but a single cow, and she a 

 native and a good milker, the quicker you raise a half Jersey 

 or half Ayrshire calf, the sooner you will have a cow that not 

 only will give more milk than the mother, but better milk also. 



There were a number of Galloway cows, or Buffalo cows, as 

 they are called, and one took the premium as a milker. These 

 cows have been generally good, but as they are of no particular 

 breed, there is no use in any farmer breaking his neck to get 

 the calf of one, however good she may be, for like all other 

 mixed and bloodless stock, there is no certainty that the calf 

 will in any way resemble its mother, except in lack of horns. 



We will close this somewhat extended report with a quotation 

 from the report of the North Worcester committee of 1863: 

 " It is true that thoroughbred animals are yet so scarce that all 

 cannot avail themselves of the thoroughbred cows, but all or 

 nearly all can use pure-bred bulls, and no man can afford to 

 patronize a native, so-called, when he intends to rear his calves, 

 and where the services of a pure-bred can be had for a reason- 

 able advance from natives or grades. It will pay the farmer 

 when he intends his calves for veal, as the increased weight with 

 the form will generally insure a sufficient remuneration for the 

 extra outlay. Before closing, lest any undervalue a pedigree, 

 allow us to state that the value of a pedigree consists in its 

 guarantee that the animal is of the race or breed claimed, and 

 has in itself the power of transmitting the qualities for which it 

 is itself noted, and that the longer the pedigree, the quality 

 being the same, the more sure your animal is to transmit its 

 qualities. As the object of all agricultural societies is to 

 improve our agricultural interest, it becomes a question of 

 importance whether we should offer j^remiums for grade or 

 mongrel bulls at all, for, by so doing, we are encouraging the 

 rearing of inferior animals." 



Edward M. Gardner, Chairman. 



