SECRETARY'S REPORT. 55 



Mr. Thompson. — I hope this Board will not commit itself to 

 the breeding of any one class of stock; I hope we shall not say- 

 to the farmers of the Commonwealth or of New England that 

 we have the ne plus ultra in the Ayrshire, and that no other is 

 fit to be raised. I hope wo shall let every farmer continue to 

 act his pleasure. The statement of the gentleman from North- 

 borough, (Mr. Davis,) is diametrically opposite to my expe- 

 rience. When my Ayrshircs are let out to drink, at the pump, 

 in cold weather, they could not be milked for fifteen minutes 

 after they got back into the barn again, they would tremble so 

 badly ; but you could sit down to the Jerseys at once and milk 

 them as readily as at any time. That is my experience. I do 

 not wish to say that the experience of the gentleman from 

 Northborough is not of any value, although it is diametrically 

 opposite to my own. I think it may be well to take one breed 

 at each institution, and breed them up to the highest perfection 

 possible, having different breeds at different institutions, and 

 then the farmers in the different districts can go and select from 

 such as they wish. I went to every herd there was in the State 

 to sec the cattle, and in the way I have suggested, farmers could 

 visit different select herds and judge for themselves. If a man 

 is able to judge of his pastures, he can judge what breed will 

 suit his locality best. In Nantucket, where the thermometer 

 goes ten or fifteen degrees below zero sometimes, is the place 

 for the Jerseys. I think our island compares well ,with the 

 island from which they came, and that they are the most hardy 

 cattle. As to the milk, every man must judge for himself, and 

 whether he wishes to breed cattle for butter or cheese, or to 

 furnish milk for the institution where the stock is bred. I am 

 satisfied that both kinds of butter will bear transportation. I 

 have seen butter made from Jersey cows' milk kept five months, 

 boxed up. There was no perceptible difference as to the sour- 

 ing of the milk in our dairies ; I did not hear the remark made 

 that one would sour and the other not. I hope we shall not 

 make any expression that will give the farmers a clue to the 

 idea that we are favorable to one rather than the other. 



Mr. Flint. — I wish to repeat that I am not at all strenuous 

 that the Resolutions should be adopted, in the form in which 

 they are offered, nor that the third Resolution should be adopted 

 at all. My main object has Ijeen attained, which is, an expres- 



