THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY. 185 



pure blood of some long and well established race of foreign 

 animals. In this way we may chance to perpetuate the rare 

 qualities of our native cows, united with the well-established 

 traits of character of the imported stock. 



It may be contended that we need not the aid of foreign stock 

 to raise up one of the best breeds of cattle in the world. • This 

 may be true; but who will undertake it? What individual farmer 

 has the patience, the skill, the intelligence, and the capital to 

 engage in a task that will require many years and much capital 

 to bring to any considerable degree of perfection ? And where 

 would be the propriety or the economy of undertaking a work of 

 this kind, when, by a little extra expense at the commencement, 

 we may find the work already done to our hands ? 



Many farmers in this part of the country, though depending 

 principally for their income upon their milch cows, are not 

 aware, it is apprehended, of the small produce derived from 

 them; and would, no doubt, be surprised on learning that their 

 cows generally do not yield an average daily produce of more 

 than from two to four quarts of milk for the year. 



The average price of milk for the year, when drawn from the 

 cow, will not exceed three cents per quart, either for the pur- 

 poses of manufacturing into butter or cheese, or to sell in the 

 market. Let the farmer set off the expense of keeping against 

 his six or twelve cents a day income from his several cows, and 

 he will see but a small chance of acquiring wealth from the in- 

 come of his dairy. But let him have a stock that, with the 

 same keeping, will yield a daily average produce of six or eight 

 quarts of milk, and he will find the produce of his dairy, which 

 before gave him hardly enough to pay for the feed of his cows, 

 now affording him a net profit, which will more than meet the 

 extra expense which he may incur in the purchase of his im- 

 proved breed of cows. 



It may be said that the expense of keeping the improved 

 breed will be greater than that of the native cows. This may 

 or may not be the case. But the question with the farmer 

 should not be, which will require the most food, but rather, 

 which will give the greatest net profit on what they consume. 

 It is the greatest capacity which the animal possesses of con- 

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