1858.] SENATE— No. 4. 45 



ill-shaped, are sometimes remarkably good milkers, especially as 

 regards the quantity they give. 



I have very often heard the best judges of stock among us 

 say, that if they desired to select a dairy of cows for milk for 

 sale, they would go around and select cows commonly called 

 native, in preference to resorting to pure bred animals of any 

 of the established breeds, and that they believed they should 

 find such a dairy the most profitable. 



But though we have already an exceedingly valuable founda- 

 tion for improvement, no one would pretend to deny that our 

 cattle are generally susceptible of it in many rc^spects. They 

 do not possess the size, the symmetry, nor the early maturity of 

 the short-horns ; they do not, as a general thing, possess the 

 fineness of bone, the beauty of form and color, nor the activity 

 of the Devons, or the Herefords ; they do not possess that uni- 

 form richness of milk, united with generous quantity of the 

 Ayrshires, but above all, they do not possess the power of trans- 

 mitting the many good qualities which they often possess, to 

 their offspring, which is a characteristic of all well established 

 breeds. The raising of cattle has now become a source of 

 profit, to a greater extent, at least, than formerly, and it becomes 

 a matter of great practical importance to our farmers to take 

 the proper steps to improve their stock. Indeed, the questions, 

 what is the best breed, and what are the best crosses, and how 

 shall I improve my stock, are now almost daily asked, and their 

 practical solution would add many thousand dollars to tlie 

 aggregate wealth of the farmers of Massachusetts, provided 

 they would all study and see their own interests. The time is 

 gradually passing away when the intelligent, practical farmer 

 will be willing to put his cows to any mere " runt" of a bull, 

 simply because his service may be had for twenty-five cents, for 

 even if his progeny is to go to the butcher, the calf sired by a 

 pure bred bull, particularly of a race distinguished for fineness 

 of bone, symmetry of form and early maturity, will bring a 

 much higher price at the same age than the calf sired by a scrub. 

 Blood has a money value, which will sooner or later, be gener- 

 ally appreciated and willingly paid for. The simple object of 

 the farmer is to get the greatest money return for his labor and 

 his produce, and it is for his interest to obtain an animal, a calf 

 for instance, that will yield the largest profit on the outlay. If 



