110 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ruined within a year by the over-supply which would surely 

 follow. 



It is true, that, aside from the profit on the compost-heap, 

 the milk producer who furnishes milk for the city is barely 

 able to get a new dollar for an old one ; but milk farming is 

 not the only business from which the profits are derived from 

 the saving of waste materials. The workers in gold and silver, 

 cutters of cloth and leather, pork-packers, soap-makers and 

 dyers often obtain a large share of their net profits from little 

 savings, and the economizing of materials which the more 

 careless would overlook or nesrlect. 



Now, if we must increase our profits by improved methods 

 of production, rather than by higher prices for our products, 

 we need, first, better cows. I do not mean that farmers must 

 make better selections from the cows offered in the market, 

 but I mean that we must breed better cows. In the present 

 condition of the butter, milk and beef market, there is no 

 room in our State for poor cows. 



And now I know that you will be hardly prepared to agree 

 with me, when I say that we need but one breed of cows in 

 Massachusetts ; but I believe that the statement will yet be 

 found a correct one. Of course, I am talking of cows for 

 business, such as the majority of the farmers of the State 

 would use, if they could obtain them, — a cow which, among 

 cattle, shall be to the dairyman what the "horse of all work" 

 is to the general business men of the country. 



Massachusetts has no room for a breed of cows which are 

 worthless for any purpose except the production of beef, and 

 yet every cow should be capable of being profitably turned 

 into beef before her days of usefulness are passed. Nor does 

 Massachusetts, at the present time, need a breed of cattle 

 especially adapted to the yoke ; for horses are so rapidly 

 replacing oxen for nearly all purposes, on the road and on 

 the farm, that the average dairy cow will produce oxen fully 

 competent to do all that may be required of them on Massa- 

 chusetts farms at the present day. And with such numerous 

 and extensive markets for milk as we find within our own 

 borders, cheese-making can at present hardly become a lead- 

 ing branch of dairying in our State, and we need therefore 

 make no special effort in the direction of breeding cows which 

 are chiefly excellent only for that purpose. 



