NORTH KENNEBEC SOCIETY. 



Of this the Secretary reports as follows : 



This Society now embraces two hundred and eighty members. 

 Its annual exhibition was held at Waterville on the 15thj 16th 

 and 17th days of September. The attendance of members and 

 farmers in the vicinity was not so numerous as last year, and conse- 

 quently receipts less. There was a fine exhibition of horses and 

 colts — the Messenger breed predominating; the high price horses 

 have borne for the last few years, has awakened an increased inter- 

 est in this department. The show of neat stock, especially of oxen 

 and cows, was remarkably fine, although not quite as numerous as 

 at some former shows. The Durhams are largely in the ascendency 

 and are the most popular breed in this part of the State. There 

 have been in years past some very fine animals of that breed intro- 

 duced here which has had a very beneficial influence on the stock- 

 growing interest. The Ayrshires and Devons have been tried to some 

 extent, and although the farmers give the Devons credit of being 

 the most jwofitable animals to be kept oh the farm, yet they are 

 not large enough to satisfy them. Our farmers want oxen as large 

 as small mountains, and therefore go for the largest without much 

 regard to the cost. The show of agricultural implements was small. 

 Dairy products were poorly represented on account of the warm 

 weather at the time of the show. Winter wheat wherever sown in 

 this vicinity has done well. Spring wheat has been for the last two 

 seasons almost an entire failure, and will not be sown to any extent 

 for years to come. There has been with us a fair crop of corn, full 

 an average ; it is, indeed, the safest crop our farmers can raise. There 

 was a good yield of potatoes and root crops, generally. Potatoes 

 rotted badly before harvesting, but since then there has not been much 

 complaint. Ten years ago our farmers did not raise to any extent 

 any root crops beside potatoes. At this time no one thinks he is 



