502 MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



were not allowed to be killed, except from some defect in their 

 appearance, we might, in a few years, expect that the charac- 

 ter of our milch stock would be greatly improved. 



Among our, so called, native cows are many very excellent 

 milkers, and we doubt not that by a proper selection and judi- 

 cious breeding, a valuable milking breed can be obtained. The 

 good properties of the cows, at the commencement, being acci- 

 dental, it would be some years before the breed could be so far 

 improved, that much reliance could be had upon the future 

 character of the calves. What has been done by that judicious 

 breeder, Col. Samuel Jaques, in getting up the Cream Pot breed, 

 can be done by others for the same object. The appearance of 

 many of our native cattle, indicates, with much certainty, from 

 what foreign blood they are descended. Many of them show 

 strong marks of the Durham or Short Horn blood ; others of 

 the Ayrshire, of the Hereford, and of the Devon family. Of 

 these different breeds, as well as the Alderney, of which the 

 Massachusetts Society for the promotion of agriculture have 

 lately made an importation with the desire to improve the milk- 

 ing character of the neat stock of the Commonwealth, we will 

 not offer any opinion, as their peculiar traits are well under- 

 stood. We would, however, recommend to every farmer to 

 gain such a knowledge of the different breeds, as to be able at 

 a glance to distinguish them ; and more than this, to observe 

 carefully the marks of a good cow — whatever these marks may 

 be — so as to make a good selection when he is obliged, in pur- 

 chasing, to depend upon his own judgment. 



In offering premiums for single milch cows, if all our socie- 

 ties would require a return of their yield in milk and butter, for 

 the first ten days in June, and the first ten days in September, 

 with the age and breed of the animals, the time of dropping 

 their last calf, and their feed during the season, a rule suffi- 

 ciently general would be established, to enable us to institute 

 somethhig like an approximate comparison between the best 

 cows in the Commonwealth. At present, however, we are 

 not sufficiently advised to propose, with confidence, any uni- 

 form conditions in such premiums, for the adoption of our 

 societies. 



