STOCK. 51 



but giving promise of superiority in those qualities, for wliich the 

 Ayershire are noted. 



With regard to working cattle 4 years old, the committee noticed 

 that the cattle of Mr. Lorenzo H. Pomeroy, of Amherst, performed 

 their work admirably at the drawing match, and showed themselves 

 to be under complete control, and in every respect gave satisfac- 

 tion. But those of Mr. Hamilton, of Shutesbury, being only two 

 years old, drawing the same load and exhibiting the most perfect do- 

 cility and training, excited the wonder and admiration of all who wit- 

 nessed their performance. After such unqualified praise as this, we 

 hope Mr. Hamilton will retain those steers another year, and give 

 them good training and keeping, and when another Fair day comes 

 around, may he win golden opinions and dollars too, as a reward for 

 his tact and skill. There is altogether too little time and attention 

 given to the proper training of cattle, and whenever we find a man, 

 who takes an honest pride in the art and pursues it as a part of his 

 business, we hail him as a public benefactor. 



Of steers, we noticed a few pairs that were very fine. Are the 

 farmers about to discontinue the raising of oxen : or are they losing 

 their interest in our exhibitions ? We should be very sorry to believe 

 either of these things, yet if we judge them according to their works, 

 it seems difficult to avoid one or the other of these inferences. As a 

 striking contrast to this lack of public spirit — to call it by no harsher 

 name — we might instance the example of Cephas May, whose twin 

 Durham steers, four years old and entered as fat cattle, were magnifi- 

 cent animals, and redeemed this department.'' 



There is a little history connected with these steers, which we beg 

 leave to introduce here, both for example and encouragement. We 

 have learned incidentally, that they were brought from the somewhat 

 famous town of Wilmington, Vt., in a one horse sleigh, when calves. 

 They have since been in the possession of Mr. May, and have been on 

 exhibition, at least four times, always in the yoke, and always doing 

 him honor by their thrift and other evident tokens of kindly man- 

 agement. They have already attained the remarkable weight of 3,800 

 lbs. If we had more such men among us to excite and keep alive a 

 spirit of honorable rivalry, we should perhaps find it less necessary to 

 resort to the somewhat questionable practice of horse trotting matches, 

 and the kindred et ceteras, to call a crowd together, and give patron- 

 age to agricultural enterprises. 



