MILK AND BEEF COMBINED. 2G5 



tion. It may take a long period of time for the breeders of 

 Shorthorns and Herefords to produce cows that are just as 

 sure to produce animals of good milking qualities as some of 

 the other breeds, but Mr. Page, of Fitchburg, claims that he 

 has one or two pure-bloods that are very large milkers, and 

 the Winslows, of Putney, Vt., claim to have one or two 

 cows that will yield as large quantities of milk as any other 

 breed, native, mixed or pure. The question with me is, 

 cannot the two qualities be combined, in the race of Short- 

 horns and Herefords, for those are the two great races that 

 are valuable for beef. That is my specialty in farming ; I 

 fatten cattle in the old town of Princeton ; and when I looked 

 at those animals of Mr. Whitman this niorning, I naturally 

 looked at them from my stand-point, as a beef-producer. 

 How admirably those cows looked to the man who delights in 

 roast beef and beef-steak ! It made my mouth water to look 

 at them. But if I looked at their milking qualities, it started 

 water from my eyes — a very different sensation from that of 

 water in the mouth. They are cows that are extremely val- 

 uable ; they would sell for hundreds of dollars, perhaps well 

 on towards the thousands, but they have really no well devel- 

 oped milking qualities; bags small, teats small; there is no 

 place for milk apparently. Now, as I have said, Mr. Page has 

 one, the Winslows have two or three that they claim are very 

 excellent milkers, and that those cows are just as good to 

 produce steers and heifers for beef as any of those that 

 we looked at this morning. 



I know it is the opinion of some of our friends connected 

 with this Board, that good beef qualities and good milking 

 qualities cannot be united in the same breed ; but take this 

 view of the question. It took Bake well and Colling, Booth, 

 Mason and Bates, in England, and many more in this 

 country, a great many years to develop the breeds to which 

 they have paid particular attention. It is about one hundred 

 and twenty years since Bakewell commenced to improve ,the 

 race of cattle in England, and in that one hundred and 

 twenty years, from the coarse, great-boned cattle upon 

 which he commenced, what perfect symmetry of form, and 

 size and power to take on fat have been acquired in the Short- 

 horns and Herefords ! I mention these races especially, be- 



