ON STOCK FOR THE DAIRY. 71 



or who fails to act upon them, let the sphere of his operations 

 be as humble as it may be, is blind to his true interest, and can 

 lay no claims to rank among the class of careful and intelligent 

 husbandmen. The attempts and generous efforts, therefore, of 

 those public spirited men who have sought to avail themselves 

 of the long experience and extraordinary advances of older 

 countries in the improvement of their domestic animals, and with 

 the most praiseworthy liberality to spread these advantages 

 among us, entitle them to high regard, and justly place them 

 among the benefactors of the community. 



It is with these views, with sentiments of gratitude and respect, 

 that I have regarded the liberal, and in many cases the entirely 

 disinterested exertions and expenditures of gentlemen in various 

 parts of our country, to introduce the best breeds of neat cattle 

 from abroad, and to extend their advantages as widely as possi- 

 ble ; and it is with ineffable contempt and disdain that I hear 

 the sneers which the malignant, narrow-minded, and ill-bred, 

 cast upon such patriotic services, and to which I am sometimes 

 impelled to listen. It cannot, however, be demanded that we 

 should hail every innovation as an improvement, or that we 

 should admit without ample inquiry, and the severe test of ac- 

 tual experiment, and exact comparison, that the introduction of 

 any foreign breed of animals, with a view to propagation, must 

 be an advantage. This is a question of fair discussion, and one 

 which is to be settled, not by any imaginary or conjectural stan- 

 dard — not by theories, however plausible — not by mere guesses, 

 or vague reports, unattested by competent authority ; but by di- 

 rect examination, — by simple, authenticated, and incontrovert- 

 ible facts. 



From the first time I ever saw one of the fine animals of the 

 Improved Durham Short Horns, I have been an admirer of this 

 beautiful race, not only for the symmetry of form which they 

 present, but for the wonderful success which has followed the 

 skill, perseverance, and enterprise of those breeders who have 

 boldly attempted to form and propagate a race of animals after 

 their own heau ideal of excellence. It has been my good for- 

 tune to see many of the choicest specimens of this noble race 



