186 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



afford a bountiful supply of food, no doubt tbey would look for 

 the Shorthorns. And in fact, we have seen cows of very large 

 size and superior for their milking qualities. The Devons have 

 received a due share of attention, and we have noticed fine 

 herds of this breed that would compare favorably with other 

 varieties — symmetrical in form, beautiful in color, and hardy to 

 endure the severity of our New England climate. In the east- 

 ern section of the State, in many places the Jersey cow largely 

 predominates — not for her size or beauty, but for the richness 

 of her milk, particularly for butter-making, as it requires a 

 much smaller quantity for the same amount of butter. On the 

 island of Nantucket the Jersey cow is largely taking the lead, 

 and is highly spoken of for milking qualities, bo4h for quality 

 and quantity. The Ayrshires, although not large in size, are 

 reported to be superior for the dairy, giving larger returns for 

 the same amount of keeping, and better adapted to a large por- 

 tion of New England than the larger breeds for dairying pur- 

 poses, especially cheese-making. We have seen this year a 

 report of an Ayrshire cow, that has given within the year 4,000 

 quarts of milk. This is a remarkable quantity for any cow to 

 give within a year, and probably but few of any breed could be 

 found to come up to this quantity ; but it leads us to conclude 

 that a superior cow is far more profitable than an inferior one, 

 although the first cost might be double the price of a medium 

 one ; for, after the first outlay, the cost of keeping for one cow, 

 although a good one, is no more than for a poorer one. Fifteen 

 hundred or two thousand quarts of milk for a cow to give in 

 one year is a fair quantity. Now if one is found that will give 

 twice that quantity in the same time, a hundred dollars extra 

 would be a very profitable investment for the best cow. We 

 cannot have all our cows the best ; but by careful attention we 

 can do much towards improving the quality of our dairy stock. 

 We think it is generally conceded that grades, for all practical 

 purposes, are equal or superior to pure blood, but that it is very 

 important to breed from thoroughbred animals. Whether we 

 give attention to breeds or not, if we look for our own interest, 

 we shall exercise great care in the selection of cows, and also 

 in the attention they receive, especially during the cold season 

 of the year, by regular feed, and not unnecessarily exposing 

 them to storms or severe cold. 



N. S. Hubbard, Chairman. 



