NORTH KENNEBEC SOCIETY. 15 



man well known as a careful breeder of this same class of stock, 

 and who is greatly interested in its improvement, had some choice 

 animals on exhibition, of which he may justly be proud. His 

 labors, like those of Mr. Lang, are of great benefit to the communi- 

 ty. Very handsome herds were also presented by J. D. Lang of 

 Vassalboro', and Simon Nowell of Fairfield. 



The display of large and handsome oxen was never better — 

 whether we consider the number or the quality. 



Of sheep, too, there was a good exhibition, as was reasonably to 

 be expected with the increasing interest in this State in wool- 

 growing. 



For once, the trotting was almost an entire failure ; but this was 

 accounted for by the proposed exhibition of the " Waterville Horse 

 Association," which was to occur in a few weeks. This Associa- 

 tion, composed of gentlemen in this vicinity, who are interested in 

 the improvement of horses, has leased our track and grounds for 

 four years ; and in this connection it may not be out of place to 

 say, that their opening Fair, this Fall, was a complete success. 



The Show at the Town Hall was not large. The wives and 

 daughters of the farmers had done but little for this part of the 

 exhibition ; for though there was a fair show of dairy products, in 

 domestic manufactures there was a sad falling off". The show of 

 fruit, too, was very meagre, with one redeeming feature, the exhi- 

 bition of grapes by Mr. J. S. Goodwin, an amateur fruit grower, 

 who has been remarkably successful considering his limited advan- 

 tages. His show-case of luscious looking, well ripened clusters, 

 would have been an ornament in any of our State exhibitions ; and 

 they tasted as good as they looked. 



Adopting the suggestions of the Board of Agriculture, our Trus- 

 tees increased the premiums on crops and the preparation of 

 manures, this year. Our farmers and experimenters have not 

 chosen to avail themselves of these offers, however, and there 

 has been only a single entry in each of these departments. They 

 also increased their premiums on butter and cheese. 



On the whole, we think the farmers of this section, and the 

 members of the Society generally, have good reason to be satis- 

 fied with their festival of 1863 ; especially when they consider that 

 they have achieved all this success in a time of gigantic civil war, 

 when they wbre compelled as it were, to fight with one hand, and 

 to work with the other. They have good reason, too, to be satis- 



