174 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



The best animals always find the most ready sale, and at the 

 best prices. A growth of one pound per day, until three years 

 old, will give an animal weighing abolit 1,150 pounds. If the 

 growth be one and one-half pounds per day, the weight will be 

 about 1,700 pounds. With the price of neat stock at eight 

 cents per pound, live weight, a growth of one pound per day 

 will give eight cents ; of one and one-half pounds per day, twelve 

 cents ; and if stock is so kept that there is no growth, then the 

 time, care and cost is an entire loss. 



Within the limits of this society there is a very considerable 

 portion of young stock so kept from fall to spring that there is 

 no increase of weight ; consequently the entire winter feed and 

 care is a total loss. This should never be ; and the remedy is, 

 early-cut hay, warm shelter, convenient water, and regularity 

 of feed and drink. We think no farmer can fail to see the dif- 

 erence, pecuniarily, between twelve cents per day and nothing. 



C. 0. Perkins, Chairman. 



BRISTOL. 



From the Report of the Committee. 



God, in his wise providence, gave to mankind the cow, one of 

 the best gifts to the human family. We, by the aid of our 

 housewives, receive a great many luxuries from this noble ani- 

 mal. The flowing pail of pure milk, in which are dainties sup- 

 plied for the rich and food for the poor, which is both healthy 

 and delicious ; rich cream, excellent cheese and the rolls of 

 golden butter are a few of these dainties of which we should 

 not be willing to be deprived. Her products are carried wher- 

 ever civilized man goes. How surely she pays for every blade 

 of grass, lock of hay and kernel of corn with her daily contri- 

 butions ; and all she asks in return is enough to eat and drink, 

 and that to be of good quality. In Eastern lands, the good 

 " shepherds watch their flocks by night," and remain with them 

 during the day, seeking for the most fertile spots. Joseph's 

 brethren went to Dothan for better pastures, for Jacob had 

 much cattle. 



In our own time we do not drive our herds from place to 

 place to obtain better pasture, but our flocks and herds must be 

 kept within bounds ; and we supply them with roots and grain, 



