SECRETARY'S REPORT. 295 



thing more hardy, and better suited to his particular farm. 

 One farmer tells us that the Durham stock is far preferable for 

 profit ; another, the Ayrshire ; another, the Devon ; another, 

 the Hereford ; another, the Jersey ; and still another says, give 

 me the real native stock in preference to all others. Now, all 

 may be correct in their statements, and give the kind of stock 

 best adapted to their particular locality, or farm, or mode of 

 keeping. But, before we decide to adopt any particular one of 

 them, we must take into account what I have before stated. 



Within the limits of the Worcester South there is a sprinkling 

 of grade stock of most of the various breeds raised in New 

 England. The only pure bloods I know of are seventeen head 

 of Ayrshires, owned by Bela J. Stone, of Sturbridge ; twelve 

 head of Ayrshires and five of Jerseys, owned by the Hamiltoh 

 Woollen Company, of Southbridge ; J. A. Rich, of Charlton, five 

 head of Ayrshires ; Col. Capen, of Charlton, one Durham bull ; 

 William Hammond, of Charlton, one Durham cow ; Simon 

 Carpenter, of Charlton, one* Durham bull ; Waldo M. Healey, 

 of Dudley, six head of Devons ; S. F. Marsh and Nathaniel 

 Upham, of Sturbridge, have Devon stock, but I do not know, 

 that there are any pure bloods. There probably are some others, 

 but these are all I know of at present, but am confident the 

 number will increase from year to year. 



The Worcester South Agricultural Society was organized 

 eleven years since, and the interest manifested from one year to 

 another seems evidently to be on the increase, as shown by the 

 exhibitions and the number of persons attending them. The 

 past year has been one of general prosperity within the limits of 

 the society in its farming interests, although the extreme dry 

 weather cut short some of the products. The hay crop, which 

 is an important one, was a fair average, the dry weather not 

 coming as early as the year previous. Large quantities of grain 

 are not raised ; tlie income, to a great extent, being from the 

 dairy, — or stock in some way, — so that the attention of the 

 farmer is turned more particularly to this branch of farming. 



There are two cheese factories established within the limits of 

 this society. One of them is in Brookfield, the other in War- 

 ren ; the latter taking the milk of four hundred and fifty cows, 

 from the north part of Brimfield and the south part of Warren. 

 There was made, from the first week in April to the second week 



