508 [Assembly 



fully fine wool ; and though the severity of its winters sinks the 

 mercury, oftentimes twenty degrees below zero, and in summer 

 our sun sJiines as hotly as in any part of Vermont, still the flock- 

 masters here have not found it necessary to use the " Cornwall 

 finish," or any other " finish " that should load down their fleeces 

 with an unctuous, dirt-gathering substance: neither has it been 

 their habit to make "black Merinos" out of the tar-bucket. As 

 a matter of sanitary precaution, therefore, those gentlemen of the 

 French Merino school, may in future spare themselves the 

 trouble of" smearing," unless, indeed, their sheep may be more 

 tender than our old breed of Merinos ; and this can hardly be, 

 as the jjock exhibited to-day was in the highest condition and 

 health, with such ample fleeces of wool as nature alone had seen 

 fit to bestow upon them. Neither will the farmer much longer 

 be cajoLd by " black Merinoes," but will be convinced by manu- 

 facturers' prices, that grease and dirt do not fetch the price of 

 wool. 



The second day was occupied by the plowing match, the exhi- 

 bition of horses, the address, and the payment of premiums. The 

 weather continued fine, but the long drought which had prevailed 

 in this section of the county had baked the earth to a brick, yet 

 our plowmen, nothing discouraged, set in, ten in number, each 

 with a pair of horses ; and two only in the class for ox teams 

 without drivers. With us sjjeed is not made an element of good 

 •plowing; the character of furrow required was cleaily defined 

 and understood. The lands were numbered, and the judges not 

 being on the ground made their awards after the work was done, 

 by those numbers, thus escaping all suspicion of partiality or bias. 



The horses were then called for ; and amongst the stallions we 

 noticed Prior and Morgan, both winners of first premiums at the 

 State exhiljitions, also a very beautiful horse colt by Prior, and 

 some promising young geldiiigs by American Chief; there were 

 also several pairs of closely matched carriage horses, well bruken 

 and gentle, and numerous single horses of a very useful character. 

 A few good brood mares might have been selected from the many 

 exhibited, but we would recommend those who breed for njarket 

 to obtain those of a rather larger size, when we flatter ourselves 

 that Otsego will, ere long, regain her former celebrity for good 



