34 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



diverse in size and shape, so well fitted by form and temper 

 to every labor, and yet possessing a kind of prevailing uni- 

 formity expressed by tlic plirase, " a horse of all work," can 

 we hope to derive any benefit from a resort to those specific 

 breeds of horses wiiich in England are devoted each to its 

 speciality ? There is no necessity, for instance, for importing 

 a Suffolk Punch — for half a day's search would undoubtedly 

 provide you with just such an animal, raised on your own soil. 

 We need not import hunters, for we have no need of any such 

 horse among us. The Cleveland Bay, valuable as a carriage 

 horse, could hardly expect to improve the stylish breeds found 

 South and West, and distinguished more for style than any 

 thing else. And when we consider that it is only after we 

 have reached many removes from the Thoroughbred, that we 

 have arrived at good trotters ; when we remember that neither 

 in shoulder, nor leg, nor qnai-ter, nor general mechanism, is 

 there any analogy between the Thoroughbred as raised in 

 England, and the trotter as raised in our own country, we 

 may well ask ourselves what advantage is to be derived from 

 the introduction of such animals among us. 



It is because we have already what we want in the way 

 of horses, that I am opposed to the introduction of foreign 

 blood among them. Our customs and modes of life, together 

 with perhaps a fortunate outset, and certain natural advan- 

 tages, have produced for us better horses than we can import. 

 If this were the case in regard to our cattle, I should entertain 

 the same opinion with regard to them. But it is not so. We 

 have, partly by accident, and partly by design, been engaged 

 for years in developing a race of trotting horses. But we 

 have not developed races of cattle, peculiarly adapted to the 

 dairy or the shambles. That work is still before us ; and we 

 can only accomplish it by obtaining such animals, wherever 

 they can be foiuid, until we have established the races for 

 ourselves. 



With this estimate of the value and importance of the 

 various breeds of cattle in England, and the advantage to be 

 derived from tlieir introduction into this country, I am aware 

 that some discussion of their respective merits will be expected 

 of me. There are certain qualities belonging to each of them 



