26 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



sided, ill-l)red oxen, are metamorphosed into small-boned, 

 quick-fattening Devons and elephantine Durhams, (Short- 

 horns) ; and the " lean, hurdle-backed Norfolk rams become 

 beautiful firkin-bodied South Downs." We, in the United 

 States, have the advantage of the experience and the profits of 

 these distinguished and successful breeders ; and it especially 

 becomes us to inquire what advantage we can derive from all 

 that they have done. We must have cattle adapted to our soil 

 and climate, cattle which can be profitably fed, cattle which 

 will make the best return for the labor and produce bestowed 

 upon them. 



I am aware that there is no breed of cattle universally 

 adapted to the United States, or even to any one State. The 

 valley of the Connecticut and the hills of Berkshire and Essex, 

 in Massachusetts, differ almost as much as the valley of the 

 Tees and Highlands of Scotland. And we shall find that, in 

 selecting a breed of cattle for each locality, we must be obedi- 

 ent to nature, or nature will take the matter into her own hands, 

 and will bring about a certain conformity between liersclf and 

 tlie animals which she is to nourish. When I tell you that 

 Short-horns have not thriven well in some parts of the New 

 England States, and that Ayrshires have shown too great a dis- 

 position to take on fat in the rich pastures of Maryland, owing 

 I think, to a bad selection of animals, to a great extent, you 

 will understand what I mean by saying that nature will have 

 her own way in these things. 



Still the necessities and the interest of every community 

 generally control its industry. We may learn from the statis- 

 tics of Massachusetts cattle husbandry, what her people 

 demand most in this branch of all the varieties of fiirming, 

 large and small, among us. I find that in 1855 the number of 

 cows and heifers in that State was 184,008 — tlie number of 

 oxen and steers was 77,511. The value of the cows and heifers 

 was estimated at $4,892,291 — the value of the oxen and steers 

 was '^3,240,341. The value of the dairy products of that year, 

 consisting of milk, butter and cheese was $2,898,690.28. 



In Pennsylvania, tlie number of milch cows is 530,224 ; of 

 working oxen, 61,527 ; of other cattle, 562,195. 



In New York, the number of milch cows is 931,324 ; of 

 working oxen, 178,909; of other cattle, 767,406. 



