does this compare with the gentleman's remark just quoted, from 

 his truly sensible address berore the County Society ? ^vTlie fact 

 is, these animals cost more, therefore, according to the rule laid 

 down by Hudibras, they are taken to be worth more. 



" TLe worth of a thing 

 Being so much money as it will bring." 



Our farmers cannot afford to feed stock as these imported ani- 

 mals require to be fed. In 1848, Mr. Phinney, of Lexington, 

 who had the stock of the State Society in his keeping, reported 

 their bill of fare to be 20 lbs of English hay, two quarts of In- 

 dian meal, and a peck of carrots to each animal over one year 

 old, daily. This report was sanctioned by the Trustees of the 

 State Society and endorsed by Abbott Lawrence and others, 

 whose authority as indorsers, vvill not anywhere be questioned. 

 Let us look at this feed and see for what it can be afforded. 20 

 pounds of hay must cost at least 15 cents, 2 quarts of Indian 

 meal at least 5 cents, a peck of carrots at ast 5 cents, the care 

 of the animal at least 5 cents, so that the daily board and keep- 

 ing will be 30 cents, or with a little nipping on Sunday, two dol- 

 lars a week. What farmer can afford to keep cows thus, when 

 the returns of a good dairy stock, as they average, are not equal 

 to more than half this amount ? It is a good herd of milking 

 cows, where the cows on an average yield milk that sells for $5 

 a month through the year. Farmers cannot afford to keep cows 

 whose milk will not pay for their feed. There must have been 

 some misapprehension on the part of Mr. Phinney, who was re- 

 puted to be fully informed in the mysteries of farming like a gen- 

 tleman, or else the class of animals, he had in kenping, will not 

 answer for New England farms. Facts are stubborn things, as 

 every man who attempts to live by farming, sooner or later learns. 



In confirmation of the foregoing views, I beg leave to quote a 

 part of a letter, written to me on the 8:h of August last, by the 

 " model farmer " of Plymouth County, a gentleman of as much 

 experience and observation in farming as any other in Massa- 

 chusetts, at the present time. " ft is," says the Hon. Mr. Al- 

 len, " the work of time to determine the true character of im- 



