REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 177 



your delegate was informed, fell short very much, in regard to 

 numbers, from various causes ; the change of time for the fair 

 operated unfavorably, as many of the farmers were busy attending 

 to the ingathering of their crops. Another cause, to a great 

 extent, was the loss of the bridge across the Connecticut River ; 

 the difficulty of getting animals across the River prevented 

 many upon the east side from exhibiting their animals, which 

 would have been an ornament to the show. My anticipations 

 were fully realized in witnessing the fine, well-matched oxen, 

 for which the farmers in that section are famous. The farmers 

 of Westfield, who always mean to excel in this department of 

 the show, were present to bid defiance to all competitors of such 

 monsters of flesh. There were fifteen yoke of oxen from West- 

 field, weighing from 3,400 to 5,200 lbs. per yoke. Major Tay- 

 lor, who has contributed to the exhibitions of the society nearly 

 every year since its organization, as I was informed, showed the 

 most perfectly fatted yoke of oxen for the shambles that were 

 upon the ground ; they were five years old, weighing 4,500 lbs. 

 This feature of the show was very attractive, and it was evident 

 the principal interest was in that direction. The show of 

 young stock was not numerous, but was generally of a high 

 grade, showing that many of our farmers in that, as in other 

 sections of the State, are giving increased attention to improved 

 breeds of cattle. The Messrs. Lathrops, of Hadley Falls, and 

 M. J. Smith and Son, of Smith's Ferry, exhibited some fine 

 specimens of short-horns, which were an ornament to that, and 

 would be to any show, in the State, especially that famous 

 John Bull, the property of Paoli Lathrop, twenty-six months 

 old, weighing 1,720 lbs., a superb animal in all respects. 

 Also noticed a fine bull belonging to the Hadley Farmers' 

 Club, one year old ; and another from the stable of the 

 State Lunatic Hospital, all thorough bred Durhams. Noticed 

 some good specimens of grade stock, of the Hereford, Devon, 

 and Alderney blood, giving conclusive evidence that such en- 

 terprise would soon decide what kind of stock will be for the 

 interest of the farmers in that section to raise. Several good 

 cows were observed, and large reports heard of their qualities : 

 such as making eleven pounds of butter from one the preced- 

 ing week, with nothing but common pasture feed ; from 

 another, that would give twenty quarts of milk per day at that 



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