REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 355 



The exhibition of liorses was good ; in fact much above 

 many of the counties of our state, giving full proof that the 

 people of the greater part of the county fully appreciate the 

 merits of a good family- and carriage-horse ; nor does their 

 appreciation rest here, since it is evident that their pride in a 

 good farm-horse is none the less. 



Of farming implements there was a fair representation of 

 apparently good specimens ; but of these the proof is only in 

 their use, and those that perform the labor required the most 

 speedily, and at the same time in the best manner, will always 

 be adjudged to be the best. And here it is proper to just 

 direct attention to the improvements made in this department, 

 which can be done by picturing in the imagination what tools 

 Avere used by the farming community no longer than thirty 

 years ago, and holding that picture in comparison with the 

 implements of to-day. The only objection to such a course 

 would be, that having done this, the inventors of those in 

 modern use will claim for them a greater influence in the 

 advancement of -agriculture, than from improved modes of 

 culture, which perhaps in some cases could be made with a 

 reasonable show of justice. But while the exhibition con- 

 tained implements for the saving of labor to the farmer, the 

 farmer's wife was not entirely forgotten in the same line, as 

 the washers, wringers, &c., fully attested. 



The show of vegetables of all kinds was very extensive and 

 could hardly be excelled, either in varieties or quality. The 

 largest collections were from professional gardeners, rather 

 than the general farmer, and though it is always pleasing to 

 view so fine collections, the tendency perhaps would be to dis- 

 courage less extensive cultivators in their efforts at competi- 

 tion. But since the attention of farmers of late is being 

 turned more to the cultivation of root crops, it is desirable 

 that the best systems of cultivation should be discovered, and 

 then if these could be given to the committees to be incorpo- 

 rated into their reports, and perhaps printed in the sheet 

 containing the awards of premiums and thus disseminated, 

 much benefit would accrue. Nor is this all ; the same rule 

 applies to the cultivation of any crop. If the following of any 



