118 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



tinct, separate, new breed, that is not recognized here ; but 

 until the prices for the best cows, if we know which they are, 

 come down to the farmer's means, until farmers can decide 

 which of these breeds they will use, so long as ninety-five or 

 ninety-eight per cent, of all the cows in the State are of that 

 unnamed breed, I would have men select their best cows and 

 use the best males they can decide upon for their own special 

 needs. But if there is a breed already started which can 

 more easily be made to fill these requirements, then we should 

 find which that is, and use it, as soon as it comes within our 

 means. 



I have a fancy of my own, which I did not mean to speak 

 of here. I would not breed any cow that had a horn. But 

 there is no breed of nohorned cows that fills my demand fully ; 

 or, if it filled mine, it would not fill yours. It would not be 

 the cow that I have been talking about. I want the farmers 

 of Massachusetts to have, first, an honest milk market, if they 

 can get it, and then I want them to breed cows for their busi- 

 ness. I do not believe that the agriculture of the State is 

 quite on the right track, when we have one man claiming that 

 the Shorthorn is the breed for everybody, another claiming 

 that the Jersey is the breed for everybody, and all these 

 different breeds claimed as the best. I think we are on the 

 wrong track in taking that course for Massachusetts as a 

 State. I do not know as I can make my point clearer by 

 saying more. 



The Chairman. There is a gentleman present from Barre, 

 a practical farmer and butter and cheese maker, who, I know, 

 can furnish the meeting with a good deal of information that 

 will be valuable to them. We shall all be glad to hear from 

 Mr. Ellsworth of Barre. 



Mr. Ellsworth of Barre. The subject that has been so 

 ably handled is one that is very interesting to us all, and of 

 very great importance to the State, and to all the farmers in 

 the State. The gentleman told us we could make butter in 

 almost any way we had a mind to take hold of it ; that it did 

 not make much difference which way we went to work, butter 

 could be made, of first-rate quality, in any way that has been 

 tried. I am aware of that fact myself. But, meanwhile, 

 there has been a great deal of poor butter made in the same 



