WEST OXFORD SOCIETY. X69 



WEST OXFORD SOCIETY. 

 By D. Lowell Lamson, Secretary. 



The Twenty-Sixth Exhibition of this Society was held on their 

 grounds at Fryeburg, October 10th, 11th and 12th, 1876. The 

 weather was tolerably favoring, and we are able to report the 

 exhibition as holding a fair average with those of preceding years. 

 Nearly all the departments, numbering fifteen, were very well 

 filled, and satisfactorily demonstrated the intelligence, industry 

 and progress of the farmer. It was noted that the exhibit of live 

 stock was considerably above the average, and in this class there 

 were $253.50 awarded in premiums. 



In the Hall there was a good display of fruit, vegetables, butter 

 and cheese, but the departments assigned to household manufac- 

 tures, needlework and fancy articles, were rather sparingly filled. 

 The tables were loaded with choice qualities and extensive varie- 

 ties of apples. One exhibitor claimed almost an endless variety, 

 away up among the nineties, (?) and there were several other 

 exhibits of forty to sixty kinds. We think orcharding has been 

 considerably stimulated within the limits of this society by the 

 special premiums offered therefor under the direction of the Board 

 of Agriculture. Several nurseries of native stock have been 

 planted out, and are entered in competition for the premiums, 

 which will be awarded at the next fair. At the fall meeting of 

 the Board of Agriculture held in Fryeburg, the subject of fruit 

 culture in all its scope was fully discussed, which also was pro- 

 ductive of good ; more than one farmer was thereby incited to set 

 a few rods of his comparatively worthless land with the cranberry 

 vine. There are thousands of low acres in Fryeburg and Brown- 

 field alone, subject to the flowage of the Saco, adapted to just this 

 sort of husbandry. 



Farming in western Oxford County has been conducted with fair 

 success the past season. The spring was rather backward, and a 

 fraction of the summer very dry, but all crops came in with an 

 average yield, with the exception of oats, which perhaps were 

 sown to less extent. Farmers in this region are especially turn- 

 ing their attention now to potato raising for shipment. Thousands 

 of bushels have been shipped from Fryeburg station this fall, 

 the pi-oducer realizing fifty cents per bushel at the depot. The 

 Early Rose is the variety mainly cultivated. 



