ADDRESS. 10 



glance, very briefly, at the various breeds which now 

 present their claims upon your regard, and, in doing so, 

 I should say that I am not conscious of any prejudice, 

 as I certainly have no interest, in favor of one breed 

 rather than another, except in so far as observation 

 among practical men here and abroad, has made me in 

 some degree acquainted with the results and tendencies 

 of their experience. 



1. Among Cattle, you will not be surprised I am 

 sure, that the result of that observation has been to 

 rank the Short Horn decidedly at the head of all other 

 breeds for crossing upon common stock — its grades 

 proving themselves uniformly heavier, more symmetri- 

 cal and more precocious as feeders, and, as regards the 

 milk pail, occupying at least a medium position. The 

 main exception, if any exist, to the adoption of a Short 

 Horn cross upon your stock- which, by the way, I believe 

 to be admirably adapted for such a cross and likely 

 to produce from it animals excellently fitted to meet your 

 general wants — must be either in the case of farms pecu- 

 liarly exposed and poor in herbage, or perhaps in those 

 upon which the production of milk for sale is the chief 

 object. In the former case the Devon, smaller in size 

 and more capable of resisting cold and hunger, will 

 occur to you ; and, in the latter, the Ayrshire may be 

 preferable, uniting as it does a larger flow of milk, with 

 a frame on which, at the last, considerable flesh of very 

 good quality may be attained for slaughter. The Ayr- 

 shire has succeeded well, moreover, on farms where 

 butter and cheese are staples, although, as such farms 

 should ordinarily pay greater attention to fitting beef 

 for the butcher and are more likely to raise their calves, 

 many would be inclined to a Short Horn cross on these, 



