98 HAMPDEN SOCIETY. 



annual exhibition. Farmers seem unwilling, except in the im- 

 mediate vicinity, to show what they have. There are very 

 many excellent cows throughout the county of Hampden ; and 

 the number has been for many years increasing from year to 

 year. They are principally, as far as can be ascertained, na- 

 tives ; but there is also, in various parts of the county, an ad- 

 mixture of foreign blood. This is, for the most part, the Dur- 

 ham and the Ayrshire. The Durhams are the largest and 

 handsomest animals, excellent for milk, and the most profitable 

 for the butcher. The Ayrshire is a small cow ; very hardy, 

 more so than the Durham ; able to endure our severest winters ; 

 and adapting herself well to the feed of our Northern pastures. 

 In milking qualities, the Ayrshire excels the Durham, ranking 

 with the best breeds, if not the superior of all. 



There are known to the Committee many first-rate milch cows 

 of the native breed ; and it would be gratifying to them to be 

 able to give some account of the best of them, if they had the 

 means. There is a cow at West Springfield, which has, the 

 past season, furnished 19| lbs. of butter from a week's milking. 

 This cow's day of usefulness, unfortunately, is regarded as 

 past. There is a breed of native cows known generally as the 

 Morris breed, from the fact that Judge Morris originally placed 

 his probate upon it ; and a long line of descendants have, with 

 remarkable uniformity, kept true to the record. Several beauti- 

 ful specimens of this stock have been in the field at this show. 

 This breed is remarkable for the steady transmission of its good 

 qualities. It is greatly to be desired that, whenever an uncom- 

 mon animal or breed is found in any part of the county, farmers 

 would take the pains to send an account to the Secretary of the 

 Society, to be placed on its files. 



It is believed that sufficient attention is not given to the feed- 

 ing of the cow, nor to the early training of its young. So val- 

 uable, so productive is this animal, that no pains should be 

 spared to insure perfect fidelity in these respects. Common pas- 

 turage in the summer, and dry fodder in the winter, are very 

 apt to make up the account current. Nor is the true comfort of 

 this animal consulted in all cases, as it should be, during the 

 severity of winter. The consequence of all this is, tbe income 



