REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 181 



HIGHLAND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Without an appointment, I attended the first fair of the 

 Highland Agricultural Society, held at Middlefield the 14th 

 and 15th of September, under their new charter. This society 

 embraces parts of Hampshire, Hampden and Berkshire Coun- 

 ties, and has opened with very favorable prospects. They have 

 grounds of some ten or fifteen acres, very handsomely situated 

 on an eminence near the centre of the town, inclosed with a 

 fence, inside of which is a track for the exhibition of horses. 

 On the height of the eminence they have a hall for the use of 

 the domestic manufactures, vegetables, dairy products, &c. 

 The first day was devoted to the exhibition of stock ; and 

 although the day was very unpropitious, being very cold, with 

 a high wind, there was a fine display of cattle and other stock. 

 There entered their inclosure over 550 head of cattle which 

 were entered for exhibition and premiums, most of which were 

 of the improved breeds, Durhams and Devons predominating. 

 I think the exhibition of cattle cannot be excelled, as to quan- 

 tity or quality, in the State. 



There were three town teams, of which Middlefield took the 

 first premium, the team consisting of over eighty yoke of very 

 fine cattle. One yoke of fat cattle was exhibited which was 

 sold for $300, and said to weigh 5,000 lbs. ; these cattle had 

 been fatted upon grass alone. It would be impossible for me 

 to describe all of the good stock on the ground ; but this I can 

 say : there was not any of it poor. 



Their hall is too small for their use, being but sixty feet long 

 and twenty-eight feet wide. It was well filled with dairy pro- 

 ducts, fruits, vegetables, domestic manufactures, with a good 

 display of the needle work of the ladies, who, in the mountain 

 towns, are not to be beaten on such an occasion as this was. 

 The evening of the first day was spent by a social gathering of 

 the members and others at their hall, with speeches from 

 various persons, and music by the band. The second day, at 

 10 o'clock, A. M., the exhibition of horses commenced, of 

 which there was not a large number, but good ones. After 

 the committees had finished their duties in this department, the 

 members formed a procession and marched to the church, 



