Hew York State Agricultural Committee Report. 
364 
If so, after deducting all charges of market¬ 
ing, it would leave the planter a handsome 
profit. No sort of stock will renovate lands 
so cheaply and quickly as sheep. 
Report of the Committee on Stock at the IV. Y. S. Ag. 
Soc., Meeting, Sept. 1842, of Classes V., VS., VII. 
and VIII. 
The Committee of the “N. Y. State Agricultural 
Society” on Cows, Heifers, and Heifer Calves, com¬ 
prising glasses V., VI., VII. and VIII., respectfully re¬ 
port : 
That they have attended to the duties of their ap¬ 
pointment, in which they experienced the embarrass¬ 
ment usual on such occasions, from finding the animals 
numerous, while the premiums were few,—but adopt¬ 
ing the rule that a majority in number of the commit¬ 
tee, should, of course, be decisive in all cases, they ar¬ 
rived at the following results. 
In Class V., the Society’s 1st premium was given to 
Mr. Sherwood’s Durham Short-horn 
cow, Stella. 
“ “ the 2d premium to JMr. Prentice’s cow, 
Daisy. 
u “ the 3d premium to Major Dill’s cow Ga¬ 
zelle. 
“ “ the diploma to Mr. Sherwood’s cow, 
Pansy. 
In Class VI., the 1st premium to Major Dill’s heifer, 
Hebe, (a capital animal.) 
“ “ the 2d premium to Mr. Prentice’s heifer, 
Sally. 
il “ the 3d premium to Mr. Prentice’s heifer, 
Caroline. 
In Class VII., the 1st premium to Mr. Sherwood’s heifer, 
Noma. 
“ <£ the 2d premium to Mr. Prentice’s heifer, 
Charlotte. 
Your committee saw no other animal in this class, 
which they deemed, on the whole, worthy of being 
honored by the Society’s diploma, which was accord¬ 
ingly withheld. 
In Class VIII., the 1st premium was awarded to Mr. 
Prentice’s heifer calf, Nell. 
“ t( the 2d premium to Mr. Prentice’s white 
heifer calf, Duchess , (by Fairfax.) 
“ “ the diploma to Mr. George Vail’s heifer 
calf, (got by his imported bull Wel¬ 
lington.) 
Your Committee found it no easy matter to decide 
among so many fat calves as were shown in class VIII., 
their respective merits and faults being alike covered 
and hidden by flesh, so much so, that they were really 
better adapted for the inspection of a committee of 
butchers than of breeders. The practice, now too com¬ 
mon, of fattening breeding animals for exhibition, is 
not only wholly without utility, but is so bad and inju¬ 
rious in every point of view, that it ought to be dis¬ 
countenanced. 
It will not fail to be noticed that all the foregoing 
premiums are given to animals of the valuable breed 
known as “ Durham short-horns,” against which kind 
there was, on this occasion, no other breed shown in 
competition, except Herefords, of which there was a 
beautiful and very creditable exhibition, consisting of 
a portion of the herd of Messrs. Corning and Sotham, 
some individuals of which, this committee would highly 
commend, especially as being good specimens of that 
important quality good handling , always essential to ex¬ 
cellence. 
Your Committee, (of which a portion, if not a majo¬ 
rity, is composed of what might be called Short-horn 
men, either by preference or by interest, as Short-horn 
breeders,) from motives of delicacy, not to say genero¬ 
sity, did not deem themselves called on to decide be¬ 
tween these two rival breeds, and against the Here¬ 
fords, which would have been for the most part and 
in effect, their decision, if made on this occasion. In 
England, the home of both breeds, where beef is the 
first and almost the ruling consideration, the Here¬ 
fords, as a breed, it is well known, have long maintain¬ 
ed a sharp and often successful competition with the 
Short-horns, for feeding purposes, especially as a graz¬ 
ing stock; while it is claimed, and now generally con- 
conceded, by well-informed, dispassionate persons in 
England, that the well-bred Short-horns have the merit 
of earlier maturity, and are also entitled to the prefer¬ 
ence for stall-feeding, and more especially and decided¬ 
ly so, for dairy purposes, in which the Short-horns and 
their crosses are believed to excel all other breeds, and 
that the pure bred males of this breed are capable of 
improving all other breeds of cattle; certainly a most 
important consideration, and especially so in this and 
all the northern portion of the United States. It is un¬ 
derstood that the Herefords have not yet been suffi¬ 
ciently tried in this country, as milkers, in the absence 
of which there seems to prevail at present an unfavor¬ 
able impression of them as dairy stock; which impres¬ 
sion, it is to be hoped, may soon be done away, if, as 
their friends claim, the Herefords are really a superior 
milking breed. Some of their crosses with native stock, 
now exhibiting in Massachusetts, descended from an 
importation of Herefords made many years since by 
Admiral Coffin, are understood to have proved excel¬ 
lent milkers. It is, besides, claimed for the Herefords, 
that they will make good working cattle, being strong 
and active, which is not doubted. It is also conceded 
that the quality of the Hereford beef is excellent. 
Therefore, taking no more than a fair view of their 
case, the Herefords must, in all probability, prove a 
highly valuable stock in those portions of this country 
where the grazing of cattle for beef is the primary ob¬ 
ject. Under these circumstances, your committee 
would ask, in behalf of the newly imported Herefords, 
a fair chance , and that they be allowed (after coming 
from on ship-board) to get well upon their feet, before 
they “ enter the lists” against the now well-establish¬ 
ed Short-horns. If the Herefords are cherished and 
encouraged for a time, it is to be hoped that the now 
favorite Durhams may, by-and-by, in future competi¬ 
tion, find in them “foemen worthy of their steel.” 
In view of the foregoing considerations, your com¬ 
mittee would respectfully beg leave to recommend that 
extra premiums be awaided to the Herefords, as fol¬ 
lows: 
To Mr. Sotham’s cow, Matchless, fifteen dollars. 
“ “ “ Martha, ten dollars. 
And a diploma to his heifer Maria. 
If the Herefords were distributed in more hands, so 
as to give room for competition among themselves, 
your committee would suggest the expediency of here¬ 
after offering premiums for them, distinct from other 
breeds. Also for North Devons, a highly useful and 
most valuable breed, especially on light soils and in 
hilly districts of country. 
Your committee cannot, in justice, close their report 
without remarking on the great want of order and goed 
arrangement in the show-yard, of the classes of stock 
which they were called to examine, by which the loss 
of much time was caused to the committee, and their 
labor greatly and needlessly increased. The giving of 
so many classes, and of totally distinct breeds, to one 
and the same committee, (the show of animals in each 
