INTRODUCTION. 19 



necessity for increased attention to the selection of breeds, as 

 well as to their breeding, rearing, feeding, and the general atten- 

 tion bestowed upon them, and which it will be the object of 

 these pages to suggest and enforce. 



The Americans, perhaps, of all people so intelligent and 

 active in their agricultural pursuits, have been the least enter- 

 prising in improving their breeds of cattle, or in best cultivating 

 those which they have. It may be owing somewhat to the 

 wide resources in land which we possess, that such facts exist, but 

 more to the want of study in the close economy which ought to 

 dictate our policy. At all events, we are far behind what we 

 should be, with the advantages at hand. The United States 

 ought to possess, and cultivate extensively the best races of 

 cattle known. Instead of that, we possess but a comparative 

 few of the improved breeds, which are making their progress 

 among our farmers either by the extension of their blood in its 

 purity, or by infusion into our common stocks, with far less 

 celerity than they ought. Yet, we are progressing. 



Before closing this introduction, a word may be said of the 

 material from which the text of our further pages is gathered. 

 This work is not claimed as altogether original in its matter, 

 although it is in language and manner. "VVe have drawn what 

 was necessary from European authorities of various kinds, both 

 printed, and verbal. We have also made use of such domestic 

 information of Uke character as we considered sound authority. 

 Added to these, thirty odd years of personal experience, and 

 close observation in the best breeds of European, as well as 

 native American cattle, and of their breeding and previous 

 treatment, has led us to discriminate between the erroneous and 

 true, and as much as lies in our power, to exclude the one, and 

 adopt the other. Could all the discussions, essays, histories, 

 and accounts which have appeared in our published books and 

 aoricultural periodicals, be collected and condensed into portable 



