SECRETARY'S REPORT. 27 



uniformity among the individuals of any one of these families — 

 only a certain pervading excellence, good dairy cows, not perhaps 

 those which can be most economically and profitably fed for 

 the dairy, nor those which will bring to the stall the highest 

 fattening qualities — but pretty good animals in both capacities. 

 These families of cattle bear no marks of having descended 

 from the same origin. In some instances, they appear to be 

 grade Devons, the cross, whatever it may be, having imparted 

 larger growth, more bone, and heavier quarters, than are seen 

 in pure animals of this breed in this country. In other 

 instances, the prevailing type is that of the old-fashioned 

 Durhams, like the Gore and Derby stock, or Coelebs, rather 

 coarse and ill-favored animals, sometimes denominated Holder- 

 ness. In other places, there are evident marks of Ayrshire 

 blood, either-derived from some long-forgotten Ayrshire bull, 

 or resembling that breed from an accidental cross, somewhat 

 analogous to that adopted by the Scotch farmers in establishing 

 their well-known dairy stock. It is hardly proper to denomi- 

 nate these various families, as the native breed of New England, 

 because, although some of them were founded at a time and in 

 a manner long since forgotten, yet others are of modern and 

 well-remembered origin, and ail differ from each other very 

 essentially. 



It is, indeed, very difficult to account for the want of simi- 

 larity in our New England cattle. It may be owing to the 

 variety of the importations which have been made from time 

 to time — Short-horns, Durhams, Ayrshires, Devons, Jerseys, 

 just as the taste of the importer might dictate. But while 

 most other sections have types of their own, sprung perhaps 

 from one early introduction, and not interfered with for many 

 generations, while in the old country, the Devon, and Hereford, 

 and West Highlander, and Galloway, and Suffolk, and Jersey, 

 and Short-horn, are preserved with purity, although in nearer 

 proximity, than the cattle of the Aroostook are to those of the 

 Connecticut Valley, we have neither established an uniform 

 New England breed, nor have given to each locality such a 

 distinct breed that the experienced eye can detect the origin of 

 the droves that congregate in our markets. We seem not yet 

 to have learned what breed of cattle is best adapted to our 

 wants. We have not yet discovered what animal machine will 



