1, 1879; number of days in milk, 153; number of pounds, 6,325; average, 41.34. Lady Clifeden dropped a c. c. Feb. 1, 1875, again a c. c. May 8, 1876, and again a c. c. April 8, 1877; is due Oct. 10, 1878. Maid Marion dropped a c. c. Jan. 28, 1875, again a July 8, 1876, and again a c. c. Sept. 17, 1877; is due Oct. 13, 1878. Lady Andover dropped a c. c. Sept. 14, 1876, and again a b. c. Oct. 1, 1877; is due Nov. 19. 1878. b. c. Summer Treatment.-From the last of May to the first of November, milking begins at 5 A. M. and 6.30 P. M., and with new milch cows giving a heavy flow, I make a practice of milking three times a day. The food during this time is pasture, with two quarts of meal (corn ground with cob), and after the first of August a feed of fodder corn morning and night. Winter Treatment.-From the first of November to the last of May, milking begins at 5 A. M. and 6 P. M.; after milking in the morning, the cows in milk are given two quarts of meal and two quarts of shorts; after they have eaten that, they are given a feed of good hay; after eating the hay they are watered. They have been carded, cleaned and bedded meanwhile. At noon they are given the same quantity of grain, excepting the heifers with first calf, which have grain but once a day; after eating the grain they are given a feed of corn fodder, cut up and mixed with hay. Watered at 4 o'clock. After milking at night they are given a feed of mangolds and turnips, or mangolds alone. After eating the roots they are given a feed of corn fodder; they are then left for the night. WM. A. RUSSELL, by J. C. Poor. HEIFERS. The Committee on Heifers report the following premiums: Chas. Perley, Boxford, Thoroughbred Ayrshires in milk, 1st premium, $12. J. D. W. French, North Andover, do, 2d premium, $6. Frank J. Bradley, Methuen, grade do do, 1st premium, $12. G. S. Phippen, Methuen, do do, 2d premium, $6. J. D. W. French, North Andover, Thoroughbred Ayrshire that had never calved, 1st premium, $6. Chas. Perley, Boxford do do, 2d premium, $4. Wm. A. Russell, Lawrence, Holstein do do, 1st premium, $6. C. S. Bradley, Methuen, Durham do do, 1st premium, $6. WORKING OXEN AND STEERS. Your Committee tested the drawing of Oxen and Steers entered for premium, all except Chas. Hazeltine's of Bradford, and made the following awards : Oxen. First premium, Jos. H. Reynolds; second premium, A. M. Bodwell; third premium, G. F. Mason. Steers. First premium, B. H. Farnum; second premium, R. S. Bray. Your Committee allowed Mr. Poor, foreman of W. A. Russell's farm, to draw his Holstein bulls, 4 and 5 years old. They were hitched to one of the ox wagons containing 4,400 pounds, to which were hitched two other wagons, loaded, one with 3,000 and the other with 4,000 pounds, making a total of 11,900 pounds, besides 75 persons, averaging 125 pounds each; and your Committee would recommend that in future a special premium be offered for Working Bulls. Geo. W. Russell, Geo. C. Foster, T. H. Balch, James Nason, Joshua N. Kent-Committee. TOWN TEAMS. The Committee award to the farmers of the town of North Andover, for their team of eighteen yokes oxen, 1st premium, $30. For Horse team, consisting of seven pairs of horses, 1st premium. $30. JAMES T. JOHNSON, Chairman. STEERS. The exhibition of the well matched and thoroughly broken yearling Hereford steers of Master Byron Farnum, of North Andover, was one of the features of the show, and reflected great credit upon their youthful owner and trainer. We unanimously award him the first premium of $5. Benny and Ralph Farnum, also of North Andover, entered one pair yearlings and one pair steer calves. We award them the second premium of $4 on their yearlings, and recommend that a gratuity of $3 be given to them on their calves. These steer calves were broken to the yoke, were nicely matched, and, in the opinion of the Committee, were well worthy of a premium, and it is to them a matter of regret that no premium was placed at their disposal. "Experience is a hard master, but a good teacher." The farmers of Essex County, after passing through a few years of unexampled adversity, are becoming apt scholars, and it is a matter of congratulation that we are fast realizing the fact that the reckless and spendthrift style of the "flush times" is one of the things of the past-that we recognize we are now in the midst of an economic era, and consequently must raise and produce upon our farms that which we consume. Heretofore Maine and New Hampshire have furnished almost entirely our working oxen. There should be a stop put to this. It is our belief that Essex County farmers can and should raise their own oxen. The Farnum lads have demonstrated that this can be done successfully. We would respectfully suggest to the board of trustees the advisability of offering premiums for steer calves, as it seems to us that the raising of steers should be as carefully fostered by the society as the rearing of heifers. Perhaps, without going into an extended essay upon the merits of the different breeds, it might be well to offer a few hints, which are suggested by personal experience as well as by observation, concerning steers and their raising. After deciding upon the breed best adapted to your farm, and above all else to your pastures-for I should as soon think of stocking a milk farm with a herd of Brittany cows, as to raise Durham or Dutch steers on the poor pastures to be found in some parts of Essex County-use your best judgment in selecting a thorough bred bull, as near your ideal of what a perfect bull in shape and form should be, as possible. All breeders agree that the blood of the bull is one of the most essential features of breeding, for the strong-blooded sire almost invariably transmits his leading characteristics to his progeny; frequently several generations are stamped and marked by some strong-blooded ancestor. When purity of blood is one of the main objects of breeding, one should be very careful that the cow had never been with calf by a bull of another breed. In selecting your calves, do not, as is often the case, let the fancy price offered by some butcher bias and warp your judgment. Make it a rule to sell the poorest. Always raise the best, and then good feed, kind treatment, and the boys will do the rest. Horace F. Longfellow, Joshua N. Kent, Dudley Bradstreet, Abel Stickney-Committee. STALLIONS. The Committee on Stallions report the following awards :— G. W. Russell, Lawrence, for Stallion "Plucky," with 5 colts of his stock, premium $25. J. G. McAllister, Lawrence, Stallion 4 years old, 1st premium, $15. Chas. S. Clark, Salem, do do, 2d premium, $10. H. M. George, Saugus, Stallion 3 years old, 1st premium, $10. Daniel Tenney, Newbury, do do, 2d premium, $6. A. B. WOODIs, for Committee. BROOD MARES. The Committee on Brood Mares have attended to their duties and report as follows: There were five entries of Brood Mares with their foals by their side. After a very careful examination of these ani mals, your Committee awarded premiums as follows: B. G. Gutterson, Methuen, Messenger Mare, 10 years old, 1st premium, $15. P. R. Gutterson, Methuen, Morrill Mare, 10 years old, 2d premium, $10. Henry Small, Lawrence (no pedigree given), 3d premium, $8. There were two other entries. One by D. B. Webster of Lawrence, but your Committee received no statement, written or verbal, and as the mare was without a keeper, we were unable to judge of her merits. The other entry was by J. T. Griffin, North Andover. The age and size of his mare would not entitle her to a premium, but there were points of merit both in the dam and her foal that would entitle them to favorable notice. M. S. Jenkins, O. S. Butler-Committee. |