NOKTH KENNEBEC SOCIETY. Igl 



and fair last October, there has been formed at Fairfield an Asso- 

 ciation called the Central Maine Poultry Association, and its first 

 exhibition is this very week being held in Fairfield ; so that it is 

 to be presumed, hereafter we shall not have so much poultry as 

 we have had heretofore at our show and fair. Our Society pays 

 $40 in premiums this year for poultry. 



Of horses there were twelve stallions entered for premiums, 

 eleven breeding' mares, seven family horses, four pairs of drawing' 

 horses, eleven trotting horses, six 3-year old, eleven 2-year olds, 

 ten yearling colts and twelve sucking colts, making a total of 92 

 horses and colts on exhibition and contesting for awards. The 

 largest share of these were of the Knox family. The pedigree of 

 some of them was called for and clearly shown, while some of 

 the stock of nearly all of them was exhibited to prove their value 

 for breeding purposes. I think the display of horses was not as 

 large as last year, but perhaps a better assortment, and full sis much 

 if not more valuable than last year. There were exhibited some 

 very valuable and promising colts. The examination of horses 

 and colts was on Wednesday the 4th, also the trotting of mares 

 and geldings for the $35 purse ; the three-year old colts for the 

 $15 purse, and of stallions owned within the limits of the society 

 for the $35 purse. There was a programme for the third day, and 

 purses ofiered to the amount of $130, but a severe storm prevented 

 the fulfilment of the same. 



In conclusion, I would say, the past year has been rather a hard 

 one for the Society, financially, but it has raised more money than 

 last year — has property to the estimated value of $2,500, and I 

 believe owes literally nothing. If the farmers of this Society will 

 look out for their interests in these fairs, and discountenance more 

 and more the practice of horse trotting, by limiting the premiums 

 offered, and offering larger premiums for the best products from 

 the farm, garden, house and dairy, they will see more interest 

 taken, and the ideas of the founders of these societies propagated 

 and made a blessing to the laboring classes whom they were de- 

 signed to help and befriend. 



The Fair at the hall was not up to the standard of former years, 

 owing to the fact that the State Foraological Society held their 

 annual exhibition on the 3d, 4th, 5th and 6th of the same month, 

 and occupied the upper room of the same building, so that the 

 Agricultural Society offered no premiums for fruits, but let the 

 fruit growers compete in the Pomological Show, The attendance 



