44 MILCH COWS. 



The Ayrshires are wonderful favorites in their own and the ad- 

 joining districts of Scotland. It is said that they always do much 

 better in their own locality than when removed. Perhaps this is 

 not peculiar to any breed. Some of us recollect the answer made 

 by an old gentleman in this county, when complaint was made by 

 the person to whom he had sold a cow, that she did not give so 

 much milk as it was said she had done before he purchased her. 

 " Sir," said he, " I sold you my cow, but I did not sell you my 

 pasture." The County of Ayr is a highly improved agricultural 

 district. 



In the scale of points before spoken of— twelve times as much 

 importance is given to the udder of the Ayrshire cow as to the 

 udder of the Devon cow, " because," say the judges, " the Ayr- 

 shires have been bred almost exclusively with reference to their 

 milking properties." 



The Alderneys are everywhere praised for the richness of the 

 milk which they give. The Jersey cow Flora — imported and 

 owned by Mr. Motley, of Roxbury, produced more than five hundred 

 pounds of butter in less than a year. Four quarts of her milk, 

 however, never made a pound of butter. It always took a fraction 

 more. If then our cows are to be improved at all, by crossing with 

 blood stock — it must be with one or the other of these two breeds. 



Whether cross-breeding with imported stock — or a course of judi- 

 cious selection for a series of years from our own cattle — be they 

 natives or nameless, as you will — aiding this selection by a system 

 of constant care and nutritious food, will best accomplish the end 

 in view, your committee express no opinion. They have already 

 to ask to be excused for extending this report to so great length. 

 If, however, anybody, anywhere shall be benefitted by these sug- 

 gestions, it will be a sufficient ground of pardon for the space which 

 they have occupied. 



For the Committee, T. E. PAYSON, Chairman. 



JOHN PERKINS' STATEMENT. 



I present for examination my Cow of native breed, 6 years old. 

 I have owned this cow four years. She had her calf the 14th of 



