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iu the midst of an economic era, and consequently must raise 

 and produce upon our farms that which we consume. Here- 

 tofore Maine and New Hampshire have furnished ahuost en- 

 tirely our working oxen. There should be a stop put to this. 

 It is our belief that Essex County farmers can and should 

 raise their own oxen. The Farnum lads have demonstrated 

 that this can be done successfully. 



We would respectfully suggest to the board of trustees the 

 advisability of offering premiums for steer calves, as it seems 

 to us that the raising of steers should be as carefully fostered 

 by the society as the rearing of heifers. 



Perhaps, without going into an extended essay upon the 

 merits of the different breeds, it might be well to offer a few 

 hints, which are suggested by personal experience as well as 

 by observation, concerning steers and their raising. After 

 deciding upon the breed best adapted to your farm, and above 

 all else to your pastures — for I should as soon think of stock- 

 ing a milk farm Avith a herd of Brittany cows, as to raise 

 Durham or Dutch steers on the poor pastures to be found in 

 some parts of Essex County — use your best judgment in 

 selecting a thorough bred bull, as near your ideal of what 

 a perfect bull in shape and form should be, as possible. All 

 breeders agree that the blood of the bull is one of the most 

 essential features of breeding, for the strong-blooded sire al- 

 most invariably transmits his leading characteristics to his 

 progeny; frequently several generations are stamped and 

 marked by some strong-blooded ancestor. When purity of 

 blood is one. of the main objects of breeding, one should be 

 very careful that the cow had never been with calf by a bull 

 of another breed. In selecting your calves, do not, as is 

 often the case, let the fancy price offered by some butcher 

 bias and warp your judgment. Make it a rule to sell the 

 poorest. Ahvays raise the best, and then good feed, kind 

 treatnieat, and the boys will do the rest. 



Horace F. Longfellow, Joshua N. Kent, Dudley Bradstreet, 

 Abel Stickuey — Committee. • 



