626 ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK 



of his calling, seems to be in rearing fine horses. This is evident 

 from the improved character of horses shown, and the great inte- 

 rest manifested to witness the performances in the horse ring. 



It is in the display of cattle, however, that our county excels, 

 and the " cattle show " of 1856 far exceeded any previous one of 

 the Society since its organization in 184 1. Nearly the entire 

 herds of Short-horns belonging to Messrs. S. P. Chapman and Al- 

 pheus Morse, comprising some of the best stock in the State, were 

 on exhil^ition, although but a j)ortion of each herd was offered foi 

 premiums, having previously taken the first premium in the seve- 

 ral classes. 



This stock, with the very fine Devon herds of Baker & Son 

 and Jolm K. ChajDman, form alone a very creditable show for a 

 county Society ; but from these several herds, and from other sources, 

 the county has become well supplied with choice stock of all 

 grades, from pure-blooded to all the various crosses. The rearing 

 of such stock has become a settled source of profit to our farmers, 

 and the lean, hyena-shaped racers, once so common, will soon 

 become as rare as the moose in our forests. 



Either from the influence exerted by Agricultural Societies, 

 the increased demand for the products of our farms, or some other 

 cause, there is a marked improvement in the agricultm-e of the 

 county, and farms have not only steadily increased in price, but 

 just as steadily in value and productiveness. 



This county is second only to Otsego in the quantity of hops 

 raised, the production of which, at times, has been exceedingly 

 profitable, making the producer suddenly rich, yet the price fluc- 

 tuates so much that those who are dependent upon the current 

 profits of the farm for support are compelled to abandon their 

 cultivation for that of crops of a more certain value. 



A trial of mowing machines, under the direction of the Society, 

 was had at Morrisville on the 2d day of July, 1856, which brought 

 together a great number of the farmers of the county, eager to 

 learn the relative merits of the various kinds of machines. The 

 competition was shared in by the Allen, Manny and Ketchum 

 machines. The Committee were called upon to decide eleven 

 points — three of which were decided in favor of Allen's, two in 

 favor of Manny's, two in favor of Ketchum's, two equal between 



