1838. HOUSE—No. 72. | 19 
an aromatic is wanted. The vegetable class of tonics are, in their 
nature, adapted to the constitutions of all ruminant animals. 
The preceding views contain some of the leading general princi- 
ples of the nature and cure of inflammatory diseases. More might 
be said, but it is thought best to leave the subject here for the pres- 
ent. The great object has been to put the farmer in possession of a 
few established points, that'they may supply the place of the irra- 
tional and empirical modes of practice which have hitherto exclu- 
sively prevailed in this country. 
Many of the articles in use by the cow doctor, are not only inert, 
but filthy in the extreme. Some prescriptions recommend them- 
selves to the farmer because they contain a host of articles ; it is 
therefore thought that some one of them, or all taken together, must 
certainly cure. But let it be remembered, the more simple the pre- 
scription, the better. 
The varieties of cattle in New England are evidently numerous. 
The red cattle bear the marks of the Devonshire breed, and proba- 
bly differ as little from them as possible, under the climate and mode 
of treatment they have met with. It is not supposed that any are of a 
pure blood, except those recently imported. Where care has been 
taken of young stock, i.e., the ordinary care of a good husbandinan, 
it is believed that the cattle in this state have as much power and as 
much speed at the plough, as any in the world, even as the best of 
the Devonshire in their own country. It remains to be shown by 
experiment, how much the present race may be improved by extra 
care, or what advantages are to accrue from crossing with the best 
English stocks. It is the opinion of the writer, that the most feasible 
course for the New England farmer, is to improve the present mixed 
race. This race is inured to the climate, is not very deficient in 
good points, attains a good size ; the males are good workers, and 
the females not deficient in milk. They are a race, like the New 
England people, who, though descended from the English, retain but 
few of their characteristics, and having acquired some new ones, are, 
on the whole, not inferior.to the original stock. A. fine field is 
opened to the husbandman, for the improvement of the stock now on 
his farm, not by expensive, uncertain importation of cattle from a cli- 
mate essentially different from ours, but by selecting the best of his 
