MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY. 5 



insure in certain breeds, an excellence in either quality at least 

 equal to the parent stock ; and, if one of superior excellence 

 should appear, that this superiority might be preserved in the 

 descendants. This theory had been long tested in Europe, 

 where bulls remarkable for the character of their stock become 

 exceedingly valuable, whereas it was rare in this Common- 

 wealth for farmers to keep bulls long enough to know the cha- 

 racter of their stock as milkers. With the hope, therefore, of 

 encouraging more attention to the breeding of stock, and to in- 

 troduce the breeds now most highly prized in Great Britain, the 

 board of trustees voted that an agent be selected and supplied 

 with funds, to go to Europe and purchase animals of the highest 

 character for purity of blood in the breeds of Ayrshire, in Scot- 

 land, and of North Devon in England, and if he should meet 

 with any other breed of high esteem as an improved breed, to 

 select and bring home a pair, in order to test their qualities in 

 this country. 



That, so authorized, an agent did proceed to Europe, and in 

 October last returned, and brought with him, in health and fine 

 condition, four cows and a young bull of the Ayrshire breed, and 

 four cows and a young bull of the North Devon breed, at a cost 

 of $ 2,5S2 02 ; that their agent was fortunate in procuring, at 

 fair prices, animals of the highest character for productiveness, 

 and the trustees have the fullest confidence that in this impor- 

 tation they shall most effectually promote the substantial inter- 

 ests of the farmers of Massachusetts. 



The undersigned further respectfully reports, that the said 

 stock are for the present at the farm of Mr. Phinney, one of the 

 board of trustees, and that it would be a great pleasure to him 

 and to the board, to have the animals, their pedigree, and the 

 report of the agent who selected them, examined by any gentle- 

 man interested in the improvement of stock. 



All which is respectfully submitted by 



BENJ. GUILD, 



Rec. Sec , y of the Mass. Society for Promoting Agriculture. 



December 13, 1845. 



