elephantine Durhams, (Short-horns;) and the common 

 hurdle-backed Norfolk rams become beautiful firkin- 

 bodied Southdowns." We in the United States have the 

 advantage of the experience and products of these dis- 

 tinguished and successful breeders ; and it specially be- 

 comes 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 any one State. The 

 valley of the Connecticut or the hills of Berkshire and 

 Essex differ almost as much as the valley of Tees and the 

 highlands of Scotland ; and we shall find that in selecting 

 one breed of cattle for each locality, we must be obedient 

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

 hands, and will bring about a certain conformity between 

 herself and the animals she is to nourish. When I tell 

 you that short-horns have not thriven well iu some parts 

 of the New England States, and that Ayrshires have 

 shown too great a disposition 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 way in these 

 things. 



Still the necessities and the interest of every community 

 generally control its industry. We may learn from the 

 statistics of Massachusetts cattle husbandry what her peo- 

 ple demand most in all the varieties of this branch of farm- 

 ing, large and small, among us. I find in 1855 the num- 

 ber of cows and heifers in this State was 184,008 ; the 



