8 MAINE STATE SOCIETY. 



men and older oxen. This is a valuable trial. Train boys and 

 oxen when they are young, say we. 



At four o'clock on Thursday, an excellent address was delivered 

 in the great tent on the field, by Rev. Mr. Leonard, of Waterville. 



The in-door exhibition or "fair, " was held in Norombega Hall, 

 or more properly, perhaps, the halls of the Norombega, for this 

 noble building contains three spacious halls, all of which were devo- 

 ted to the exhibition^ and in addition to this a large temporary 

 building, 40 by 60, two stories high, was built upon the north end 

 for the accommodation of machinery and heavjr agricultural and 

 other implements. 



Those halls were all well filled with the articles to which they 

 were specially devoted. Going into the first hall the eye was met 

 with a rich profusion of articles of various manufacture, from the 

 factory, from the household, and from the artizan. The display 

 was rich and exceedingly interesting to those who had the leisure to 

 give them a careful examination, giving a tangible demonstration of 

 the skill and taste of those who had brought the products of their 

 industry for the inspection of the public, and to speak for themselves. 

 Such expositions give more satisfactory proof of the intelligence, 

 ski],l and ingenuity of our people than a thousand volumes of written 

 description. To those who have been in the habit of examining, 

 from year to year, these exhibitions, abundant evidence of advanc- 

 ing improvement was manifest. 



The number of entries in the Hall department were more numer- 

 ous than at Portland, the year before, which indicates an increasing 

 desire among the people to unite in aiding the Society in bringing 

 forward specimens of the industrial skill of the country, and thereby 

 promoting a wholesome and laudible emulation. 



All the classes of premiums ofiered by the Society were eagerly 

 competed for, except those in the class of "machine-made fabrics, " 

 and in the class of "clothing. " In these there was less competi- 

 tion than last year. 



Adjoining the main hall was an ante-room, set apart for the exhi- 

 bition of dairy products, and kept cool by tubs of ice placed around 

 it. The display of butter and cheese was superior to that of last 

 year. Some excellent samples of both were brought forward for 

 the inspection of the committea This is encouraging, and evinces 



