BRISTOL SOCIETY. 375 



exciting and severer competition. For the very competition to 

 produce the best breed, and the best specimens of a breed, is of 

 vastly more importance to the country, than the trifling sum 

 offered as a premium. And we think the farmer who, by skill 

 and care, shall produce a finer breed of domestic animals than 

 has heretofore been known, does a benefit to the community 

 that cannot easily be reckoned. And a comparison of them 

 here, at our annual exhibitions, is one of the best modes of 

 instructing the raiser of them in the points he should seek to 

 cultivate, and the competition for prizes will spur his energies 

 and ambition to do better than he has ever done before. 



And we shall be pardoned if we add, that no breed of animals 

 is perfect ; that improvements are daily made in them ; that we 

 are just learning the rudiments of the real art of raising and 

 improving them ; that the whole field is open to every com- 

 petitor ; and that skill, energy and care alone will succeed. 



C. B. FARNS WORTH, Chairman. 



Cows AND Heifers. 



The fourth premium the committee withheld, but they 

 recommend that the society, in lieu thereof, grant the following 

 gratuity : — 

 To Horatio Leonard, Raynham, for two valuable cows, ||2 00 



In this case they could not award to him a premium, because 

 the claimant had not complied with the rules of the society in 

 his statement ; the rule requiring that a statement of the amount, 

 both of milk and butter, should be rendered; but all the milk 

 of these cows was sold daily, and no butter made.. The com- 

 mittee would therefore recommend the society to amend the 

 rule, so as to authorize them to award premiums in cases of 

 this kind. 



Of heifers, there was an unusually large number exhibited. 

 There were none of an inferior quality or grade, and nearly all 

 of them of superior merit ; of comparatively large size and of 

 great beauty of form and color. They presented a gratifying 



