MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY^ 



Report of the Committee on the Imported Stock. 



The committee, (Messrs, Lawrence, Gray, Sears, Codman, 

 and Warren,) having charge of the imported stock in the keep- 

 ing of Mr. Phinney, of Lexington, and who were also author- 

 ized to adopt the best mode of ultimate distribution of the 

 calves as they became of an age for use, beg leave to offer the 

 following report of Mr. Phinney, as to the present state of the 

 cattle, and the course adopted and pursued for distributing one 

 animal of each sex to each incorporated county agricultural 

 society in the Commonwealth. 



The report was prepared by Mr. Phinney, at the request of 

 the committee, with the desire of showing to the farmers of 

 Massachusetts the value of stock of known qualities, and 

 which may be relied upon if preserved pure, uniformly to sus- 

 tain the same character. 



"The undersigned, having the care of keeping and of dis- 

 tributing the calves of the imported stock, offers the following 

 report to the committee, in. compliance with their request, com- 

 municated to him by the secretary. 



" It is now little more than three years since the trustees of the 

 society decided to appropriate the income of their funds to the 

 importation and diffusion of foreign breeds of cattle, with a 

 view of improving the stock of the Avhole Commonwealth. 

 Accordingly, it will be recollected, that, in the summer of 1845, 

 a competent agent was employed to undertake the business of 

 making the selection ; and, in September of that year, ten head 

 of cattle arrived in Boston, under the superintendence of Mr. 

 Bickett, the agent, viz., four cows and a bull of the Ayrshire 

 breed, and four cows and a bull of the North Devon breed, — 

 these, in the opinion of the trustees, being the breeds best cal- 

 culated for the improvement of the dairy and other stock of the 

 country. Two of the Ayrshire cows have died since their 

 arrival in this country, and their places have been supplied by 

 the purchase of two others from the imported stock of Capt. 

 Randall, of New Bedford. 



"The whole stock, on its arrival, was placed under the care of 



