MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 113 



having been yoked every day in ploughing, and all other work, 

 on his farm for two years. 



Two very fine bulls of this class were exhibited; one by A. 

 B. Hagget, of Lexington, and another by Henry Rice, of 

 Marlborough. 



Bull Calves. First premium, $4. To John Johnson, of Fra- 

 mingham ; a splendid animal of the Devon breed, very supe- 

 rior in all points, both for the dairy purposes and to raise 

 working oxen from. 



Second premium, $2. To J. Derby, of Concord; a very 

 nicely made animal. 



One pure bred Alderney bull calf, four months old, was 

 shown by Peter Lawson, of Dracut, of beautiful and fine sym- 

 metry, and first rate dairy points. 



The committee close their report with a few remarks. The 

 committee were much pleased with the appearance of the ani- 

 mals exhibited, being 32 in all. 19 Natives, 5 Devons, 4 Ayr- 

 shires, 3 Durhams and 1 Alderney, and they showed a vast 

 improvement on former years, and which only requires to be 

 steadily persevered in, to bring the cattle of Middlesex county 

 np to as high a standard of excellence as those- of any other 

 county in the State. As we are the oldest society, so we 

 ought to be the best. But in order to produce this result, the 

 committee would again recommend the great importance of 

 producing pure, thorough bred bulls, especially those of well 

 known character for excellence as regards their respective pur-^ 

 poses. It is only when the blood is pvire and" well fixed that 

 any perfect reliance can be placed in the bull transmitting his. 

 own valuable properties to his offspring. When the blood is 

 not pure and well fixed in the animal bred pure, he is liable ta 

 breed back again into the inferior stock of former generations.. 

 It is of the greatest importance that the points in the male- 

 should be the most perfect, which in the female are the most 

 imperfect. And also that all other points in the former shouldl 

 be equal, and, if possible, superior, to those of the latter, lest 

 in trying to remedy one defect, a greater may be produced ; 

 for the principle that "like produces like," extends as power- 

 fully to the defects as to the excellencies of the animal, The> 

 progeny infallibly inherits the defects, as well as the excellen-. 

 cies of the parents, and no improvement in a good p^arentqani 

 15 



