20 MR. proctor's address. 



of the equality not to say superiority of our own milch 

 cows, and their peculiar fitness for our farmers' dairies, 

 I know that I am treading upon the toes of high author- 

 ity, and exposing myself to criticism and remark. 1 

 know there are those, who will give you the pedigree of 

 their stock, with as much precision, as ever did a Jew of 

 his fi^mily, and that their notions of value are much mod- 

 ified, by the number of degrees they have taken, or the 

 high sounding epithets applied to their names. This 

 practice of tracing their history is commendable. But a 

 high sounding title will never alter the character of a 

 coJf^ of whatever description he may be. 



I know that at our cattle shows we admire and give a 

 preference to those sleek and beautiful animals, that are 

 as it were polished for the exhibition; and that we should 

 feel grateful to those who thus show us what can be ef- 

 fected by care; — but still we do not iind in them the real 

 stamina tor our dairies. As soon should I think of select- 

 ing from the brilliants of a ball room, the best manager 

 of a dairy. 



The prices at which these animals are holden, consti- 

 tute a serious obstacle in the way of their being procured 

 by common farmers. I cannot see any good reason why 

 such extravagant prices as §1000, or more, for a single 

 animal should be countenanced. Our farmers cannot af- 

 ford to appropriate the entire income of the year, to the 

 purchase of a single animal. " I have found," says Gov. 

 Hill, (a very intelligent and safe guide on agricultural 

 subjects,) "it to be the invariable safe course, for all 

 who have no property they can afford to throw away, to 

 purchase no article or commodit}' not absolutely neces- 

 sary, when that article or commodity bears an unusual 

 price." * 



* In 1827, at the sug-gestion of Col. Pickering, and by the liberality of 

 Goiham Parsons, Esq., of Byfield, an attempt was made to introduce the Al- 

 derney breed of cattle at West Newbury. I have received from my friend, 

 Col. Newell, some interesting facts in relation to these animals, many of which 

 are now there. He thinks tbem superior for their inilliing prcpcr/ics ; but in 

 consequence of their inferiority of size and ap])carance, tliey have not readily 

 come into favor. He thinks favorably of crossing the Alderney and the Ayr- 

 shire breeds with our native stock, with a view to produce good cows for the 

 Dairy. It seems to be the better opinion of those among us who have had 



