Exhibition—Superintendents' Deports. 115 
1873, fully equaled in numbers and quality, the very large and 
valuable display of cattle made the year previous, but was more 
creditable to the state, in that the stock on exhibition, was more 
largely owned by resident farmers, and that there was an increase 
in the number of exhibitors, several of whom, were such for the 
first time— seeming to indicate a more extended and growing in¬ 
terest in favor of cattle breeding. 
There were on exhibition at this fair, two hundred and twenty- 
five head of neat cattle, divided among the various classes, as fol¬ 
lows : Short Horns, eighty head ; Devons, forty-four; Ayrshires, 
forty-three ; Alderneys, twenty; Grade cattle, sixteen ; working 
oxen, ten ; fat cattle, six ; milk cows, six. The Grade cattle, fat 
cattle and milk cows, being crosses of the Short Horn. The 
working oxen, crosses of the Short Horn, and crosses of the 
Devon. In addition to the above, there were quite a number of 
the Black Galloway—making in all, a number on exhibition 
largely in excess of the stalls provided by the Society. 
It will be seen from this detailed statement of entries, that the 
animals on exhibition in this department comprised one hundred 
and eighty-eight thoroughbreds, and only thirty-seven grades of 
all classes, from which it may be fair to conclude that the general 
farmer does not contribute as much towards the annual exhibi¬ 
tions of the society, in this branch of the show, as his interest in 
the improvement of the cattle of the state would seem to require. 
The efforts made by the society to encourage the introduction 
and breeding of thoroughbred cattle and other thoroughbred 
stock in the state, are mainly for the purpose of bringing within 
reach of farmers generally the means by which they can gradu¬ 
ally improve and make better the native cattle and other poor 
stock of the state. It would be very gratifying, and add much 
to the interest of the exhibitions, if the progress made in this im¬ 
portant branch of agriculture was more fully shown by the exhi¬ 
bition of a much larger number of the improved grade cattle, 
working oxen, fat cattle and milk cows. It is hoped the general 
farmer will in the future show more interest in this department, 
and place on exhibition at the annual fairs a much larger number 
of their well-developed and improved grades. 
