BRISTOL SOCIETY. 545 



L. Slade, of Somerset. They weighed three thousand seven 

 hundred pounds, and were of fine blood and figure, and show 

 the qualities that may be produced by careful breeding. 

 Another fine pair belonged to Laban M. Wheaton, of Norton, 

 very large and strong, and ornaments to the ground. Neither 

 of these pairs of oxen could be very well complimented by 

 prizes according to their deserts, in the scheme proposed for 

 our guidance. 



Your committee are not certain that some prizes should not 

 be offered for good drivers, as well as for good driven oxen. If 

 so, some of those who competed would certainly succeed ; for 

 work was effected by them quietly, without noise or the use of 

 the whip, and in as handsome a manner as it was possible to 

 exhibit. The labor of oxen is one of the fundamental reliances 

 of the community, and must be improved with great care. It 

 has been discussed from the time when Virgil gave directions 

 how to break steers, dum nobilis cetas, to those who in these 

 days have gone deeply into the mysteries of breeding. But 

 our oxen are yet capable of very great improvement. They 

 are in most cases bought out of droves from the country ; and, 

 though they show great skill in training and excellent keeping, 

 they rarely exhibit'what we should like to see, — the product of 

 skilful breeding. We expect before many years to see our 

 farmers exhibiting cattle of faultless forms and perfect growth, 

 exactly fit for the yoke, and of their own raising. 



For the committee, 



C. B. Farnsworth, Chairman. 

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