REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 185 



Durham is the breed generally met with. There were also on 

 the ground some fine Devons, and grades of these and other 

 breeds. A pair of two years old Durham heifers weighed 1,280 

 pounds each. A two years old steer 1,600 pounds. Three 

 years old steers ranged from 2,800 pounds to 3,500 pounds, 

 and oxen from 3,500 pounds to 4,200 pounds. That the oxen 

 were grown almost exclusively for beef, was well illustrated in 

 the trial of working oxen, which was appointed for eleven o'clock, 

 A. M. This trial also exhibited some of the characteristics of 

 a portion of the inhabitants of the region. At the time appointed 

 I found the place designated for the trial, but could see no indi- 

 cation that other people had found it. I afterwards saw one of 

 the committee, and learned from him that he did not know 

 exactly when or where the trial would begin. After wasting 

 an hour's time in waiting, I saw some note of preparation, and 

 at the end of half an hour more the trial actually commenced. 

 It seems to me that this is a grave mistake, and one which 

 ought not to be tolerated. I could not find that the blame 

 could be laid any where in particular. It certainly was not 

 the fault of the secretary, who is unusually prompt in every 

 thing appertaining to the duties of his office. It should in 

 justice be stated that by the resignation of the efficient president, 

 the society was left without a responsible and experienced head. 

 It would doubtless remedy the fault on the part of the com- 

 petitors if they were made to forfeit their competition for a year 

 or two, in consequence of being behind hand ; but what influ- 

 ence is to be used upon a tardy committee, is not so clear. 

 The working oxen showed, in comparison with those of Worcester 

 County, for instance, an ignorance of their duties which indi- 

 cated that they felt them to be beneath their dignity. They 

 seemed to have imbibed some aristocratic notions of pedigree, 

 aldermanic proportions, <fcc, that conflicted with the vulgar 

 idea of earning bread by the sweat of the brow. This is 

 explained by the fact that most of the farmers devote them- 

 selves mainly to stock raising, and only work their oxen a little 

 incidentally, so little, in fact, that the oxen never learn what 

 even a yearling steer is expected to know in the eastern portions 

 of the State. 



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