194 FRANKLIN CENTRAL SOCIETY. 



FRANKLIN CENTRAL SOCIETY. 



By J. M. Kempton, Secretary. 



The Second Annual Show and Fair of this Society was held the 

 first week in October, in Strong. This town is situated in the 

 centre of Franklin County, eleven miles above Farmington, in the 

 Sandy river valley. It is noted for its enterprise and thrift. J. W. 

 Porter and William H. Dyer's steam mills are doing a large and 

 thriving business. The Sandy River Cheese Company was the 

 first cheese company chartered, and built the first factory in the 

 State. We have a good Starch Factory, where the farmers may 

 dispose of their potatoes when the market is too low for shipment. 

 The Society the present season has purchased and permanently 

 fenced a good ground for the use of the Society, costing about 

 seven hundred dollars, and at its last meeting a committee was 

 chosen to draft a plan for a building upon the ground, to report 

 at the annual meeting in March. The towns represented in our 

 membership are Strong, Avon, Phillips, Salem, Freeman and New 

 Vineyard. The Society has a membership of over one hundred. 



The season has been a prosperous one for the farmers. Hay 

 has been above an average, and was secured in excellent condi- 

 tion. More wheat was sown the past season than usual, and a 

 good yield was secured. Isaiah Welch reported forty bushels 

 and James L. Boston twenty-seven bushels to the acre. Of corn, 

 Pliminton Daggett raised 156 bushels of good, sound ears to the 

 acre, and S. W. Weymouth 58 bushels of good ears, five bushels 

 of beans and six cart loads of pumpkins on one-half acre. The 

 potato crop was a good yield. True & Dodge reported 160 

 bushels to the half acre, J. L. Boston 300 to the acre, and Wm. 

 W. Smith reported 125 bushels of Orono potatoes and five bushels 

 of beans to the half acre. 



The display of all kinds of stock at the exhibition was very 

 good. Our people are doing a good thing in the line of full 

 bloods. Stephen Morrill presented a full blood Jersey bull, a 

 most excellent animal ; Seward Dill, full blood Ayrshire ; Silas 

 Burbank a full blood Durham, and John Hoyt a full blood Here- 

 ford. Two fine herds were presented, one by S. Dill and the 

 other by William C. Ilowland. The sheep department was repre- 

 sented by both fine and coarse wool. The exhibition of swine and 

 poultry was rather meagre, but the display of horses and colts 



