REPORTS OF committees; 



TllOllOUail-BllKD STOCK 



The great iiiiportuuee which the rearing of Stock, both for tiie Uiar- 

 ket and dairy, has assumed in our country, makes a knowledge of the 

 principles of breeding almost indispensable to the farmer of to-day. 

 In no branch of agriculture has there been more remarkable progress, 

 during the last fifty years, than in that of Cattle Husbandry ; and we 

 may say that the success and prosperity of agriculture is more inti- 

 mately connected with this than with any other department of the farm. 

 There is, indeed, much truth in the old Frencli proverb, "No cattle, 

 no farming; few cattle, poor farming ; many cattle, good farming." 



The large capital of nearly one thousand millions i)i dollars is already 

 invested in Neat Stock in our country, while the annual products of 

 the dairy are valued at many millions ; that of butter alone, for the 

 year 1870, being estimated at $228,578,224. Add to this the value 

 of the immense streams of milk daily flowing into our large cities, also, 

 the vast quantities of cheese which the cheese factories are yearly produc- 

 ing, and we may form some idea of the important position which this 

 department of the fttrm occupies in the agriculture of the country. 



The importation of the Shorthorn. Ayrshire, Jersey, Devon; and 

 other improved breeds, into this country, mark a new era in the Stock 

 husbandry of America. Our Native cattle had become deteriorated by 

 careless breeding and bad management, and this introduction of breeds?, 

 the gooil qualities of which bad been tested for several generations, 

 could not fail of producing a favorable impression. This effort to 

 improve our stock was opposed by many farmers who seemed to have 

 an inveteiate prejudice against imported, or blood stock, and chose 

 )-ather to raise their calves from bulls that had been raised haphazard, 

 without reference to any particular qualities. Although there still 

 exists in many localities this unfounded opposition, yet it is gratifying 

 to observe that this barrier of prejudice is being broken down, and that 

 the number of Thoroughbreds and* High Grades is continually increasing. 

 The fact that " hlood will tell,'' is evident, for wherever a small herd, 

 or even a single animal, of any of these improved breeds, has been 

 introduced into a community, a marked effect has been produced upon 

 the stock of that locality which even the most carelcs.s farmer oau not 

 fail to perceive. 



