breed are the animals exhibited for the few past years, equal to the best specimens of those twenty years ago. Passing to the Milch Cows, the old Oake's cow stands yet at the head of the list, and I think he would be a bold man, who would say that the average of cows is better than thirty years ago. Passing on to Working Oxen, and calling to mind the splendid teams of Messrs. Perley Tapley of Danvers; Rogers of Salem; Porter of Bradford; George French of Andover, and many others, and comparing them with the premium oxen of the few years past, we find a greater falling off than in the other classes. Passing again to Heifers and Steers, we find the falling off in these classes, as marked as in the others.

If I am right in my opinion, that in scarcely any branch of stock has the County held its own, and that in some classes there has been a decided falling off, the question arises, "why is it so ?" There is scarcely a village in which pure bred animals of every breed have not been introduced, and brought within the means of every one, but the fact is patent that the stock has not improved. It has occurred to me we are working in a wrong direction. We have abolished offering premiums for the best bulls, and award them for the best of the different breeds.

In the northern part of our County we have had Ayrshire, Jersey and North Devon Bulls for thirty years, and if there has been a single superior animal, either cow or ox, that has ever resulted from the cross with either of them, I have not been able to find it. With the Durham, it has been different. In Bradford, Enoch Silsbee introduced Durhams forty years ago, and descendants of them remain to this day, kept on an adjoin

ing farm without extra care; and I have heard of more
extra cows that have been sold from that stock within
the last few years than from any other. In fact, I have
scarcely heard of the sale of a cow in that part of the
County, for $125 or $150, without learning that she was
raised by Mr. Silsbee, or from stock bought of him. Mr.
Crosby, of North Andover, twenty years ago introduced
a Durham bull into that place from which were raised
oxen, weighing from 3,000 to 5,400 pounds a pair, ex-
cellent for work and grown without extra care, and cows
giving from 16 to 18 quarts each. I would also add the
testimony of Col. Moses Newell, of West Newbury, who
told me that the best oxen and cows he had ever known
in his neighborhood, descended from a pure Durham bull,
sent him by Henry Coleman. Within the past few
years, Mr. Russell of Lawrence has introduced the Dutch
stock. His famous bull and some of his young stock
were exhibited at Haverhill; and at Newburyport last
year, and attracted great attention. It has not been suf-
ficiently introduced, as yet, to judge of its adaptation to
to our county, but I have heard of a few half blood heif-
ers that have been extra milkers. I have also noticed,
the past two years, a few Black Kerry cattle, but I can-
not believe that such inferior looking animals can ever
engage attention enough to be worthy of notice, and can
only hope they will be of more benefit than their looks
wonld indicate. But whether any of the imported breeds
are to prove beneficial, I much doubt. Certainly, the
best looking bull exhibited at our fair the present year,
was labelled a Native, and was not induced to come by
a premium.

I know the above will be read with surprise by many,
and pronounced "old fogyish," by others; but it does

:

seem as if the improvement ought to be slightly manifest by this time. I know well the argument and theory, that the Ayrshires have been bred with care for years in Scotland, on a soil similar to our own, and have been brought to great perfection as milkers, and that it is a waste of time to undertake to bring up our stock to their standard. But have they always proved as expected? In fact, have they averaged better than good natives? A few years since, a herd of Ayrshires was imported by the Massachusetts Agricultural Society, and were kept on our county farm one season. Mr. Brown, who had charge of them, was of the opinion they were not superior to as many heifers selected at random from an eastern drove. These same heifers were afterwards removed to the Bussey farm, near Boston. I have never seen a published account of the disposition made of them by the Society, but rumor says they were disposed of in a manner which redounds more to the credit of the Society, than to the Ayrshire breed of cattle, and these were selected by one of the best judges in the State, regardless of expense.

Of Jerseys, a few years since, a herd of eight pure bloods was owned in the northern part of the county, by J. P. Putnam. Their owner employed as foreman, a man who had been used to native cows, who informed me there was not a fair milker among them, and what surprised me more, that the quality of their milk was but little, if any, better than natives. At any rate, they purchased a native of the "Wilmington Farmer," that was so much superior, that the Jersey flock was very soon disposed of.

Of the North Devon it is perhaps unnecessary to speak, as I do not remember of their being exhibited in our County for several years past, and yet Mr. Coleman,

in his European Agriculture says, the two finest cows he saw in Europe, were North Devons, and Mr. Buckminister, with all the influences of the Massachusetts Ploughman, sounding their praise, publishing the statement year after year, that from four quarts of their milk, a pound of butter was made, and at his death, the stock sold for less than the average price of natives in the same condition.

I do not like to be obliged to write, as I have, in disparagement of the popular breeds in our State, nor do I believe that all Ayrshires and Jerseys are as poor milkers, as some of those to which I have referred. But I have written what I have to show that the mere fact of an animal being a pure bred one, is not, of itself, proof that he is superior to a native.

Of the real merits of pure blooded stock, it is extremely difficult to obtain correct information. With the exception of bulls, they hardly ever come up to compete for premiums, but often for exhibition, only. They are bred chiefly for sale, and of course we only hear what is favorable. It would be much more pleasant to fall in with the popular argument, which is nearly stereotyped at all our discussions in Legislative Halls or Colleges, which is, that the Durhams are a large breed of cattle,too large for our pastures, good for beef, but are poor milkers, while the Ayrshires are more hardy, better adapted to poor feed and give large quantities of milk, while the gentleman who wishes pet animals and rich milk, must have the Jerseys which are delicate and need extra care.

My experience is confined chiefly to a part of our own county; in other parts of the State, the improvement by pure bred animals, may have been more marked, but

I must say what I have before hinted, that the Durham is the only blood which has been infused into the stock of our County with manifest improvement.

How are we to improve our stock?

1st. By improving our pastures, instead of feeding them year after year and returning them nothing. Let us keep down the bushes, and manure them in some way and then it will not be necessary to keep inferior animals to accommodate our pastures.

2d. In awarding a premium for bulls, award it for the best animal, whether native or thorough-bred and let his offspring decide his merit. In other words, let every competitor for a premium on bulls be obliged to exhibit, with the animal, his stock; some calves of the present. season, also yearlings, two-years-old and older still, if possible. In this way only, can you judge whether crossing: with thorough-breds is an advantage, or otherwise.

3d. Be careful in selecting your committee. Select men of good judgment, and who have no particular interest to puff any breed.

Lastly. Pay higher premiums. I do not mean pay more money than you now do, but put the amount in fewer premiums. For instance, instead of paying $10 for the best Durham and $10 for the best Jersey, &c., pay $30 for the best bull, without regard to breed, $5 only for the second, and let there be no third, and if the same bull is the best one the next year, give him the first premium again. In this way I think you will make people enthusiastic to get the best and keep it so, and I shall be surprised if in less than two years, there is not apparent improvement in the stock of our County.