44 Reports of Committees. 



The committee beg leave to suggest to the society that it would greatly 

 facilitate the labor of a committee on pedigrees, and render their decisions 

 less liable to error, if the rule should be established — that every member of- 

 fering animals for premium, as thoroughbred, be required to show that 

 such animals, or their sires and dams, have been recorded in a herd book 

 of recognized authority. 



We think it for the credit of the county that its thoroughbred animals 

 should be enumerated in the official catalogues, which are widely distribut- 

 ed throughout the country — as well as for the interest of the owners and 

 breeders of these animals. Such record is the most sure and convenient 

 test of the purity or impurity of blood in all cases of doubtful pedigrees. 

 Whenever there is not sufficient evidence of thorough breeding to secure 

 admission of an animal into a herd book, such animal ought not to be al- 

 lowed to compete for the society's premiums as a thorough-bred. If it be 

 left every year to a different committee to decide what animals offered for 

 premium are of pure blood, conflicting decisions may arise, and the society 

 may be left in a state of doubt whether its so-called thorough-breds be not 

 merely grades. The expense of record is small— fifty cents or one dollar 

 for each animal,— and no member who takes pride in owning blooded 

 stock will be apt to object to paying this sum for a certificate of its purity. 



It may be added for the information of nil members interested that the 

 standard herd books for the breeds of cattle for which premiums are offered 

 by the society, are as follows -. — 



Sbort Horn Herd Cook, edited by Lewi: F. Allen of Buffalo, N. Y. 

 Ayrshire Herd Book, edited by J. N. Bagg of West Springfield. Mass. 

 Jersey Herd Register, edited by George E. Waring, Jr., of Newport. R. I. 

 Devon Herd Book, edited by II. M. Session*, Wilbrabam. Mass. 



In the case of the Durham, or Short Horn Herd Book, it should be 

 understood that a considerable number of the pedigrees contained in its 

 first few volumes are imperfect, and the leading agricultural societies of 

 this country have taken the ground that no Short Horn animal is thorough- 

 bred unless his pedigree can be traced back, on both sides, to ancestors re- 

 corded in the English Herd Hook. We think the same rule should be 

 adopted by this society. 



We also recommend that every member competing for premiums for 

 thorough-bred animals be required to deliver to the Secretary the pedi- 

 grees of such animals in writing, made out in full, and signed by the com 

 petitor, before ten o'clock of the first day of the Fair. 



In conclusion, the committee beg leave to call the attention of members 

 to the importance of increasing the number of thorough-bred cattle in this 

 part of the Commonwealth. It is true that we have already a good breed 

 of native cattle ; but it is, also, true that it can be greatly improved by a 

 larger infusion of the blood of thorough-breds, it is now generally be- 

 lieved by intelligent persons that wherever the full-blood Durham bull is 

 used on native cows, he improves the beef ; wherever the Ayshire bull goes, 

 he adds to the milk and cheese; wherever the Jersey goes, he increases the 

 butter. 



It is also generally admitted that thorough-breds have this great advau- 



