194 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



joined, was one of the most noticeable and commendable trans- 

 actions of the day. 



After a somewhat hurried but pleasant dinner, at which the 

 president of the society called for responses from several gentle- 

 men, the society adjourned to the grounds to witness a most 

 excellent show of all the horses entered, where a severe shower 

 soon dropped the curtain upon the festivities of a most success- 

 ful exhibition. 



Chas. G. Davis. 



BRISTOL. 



Agreeably to appointment by the Board, I attended the 

 exhibition of the Bristol Society, at Taunton, on the 14th and 

 15th days of September. 



The first day was quite inauspicious, the wind blowing 

 furiously and filling the air, at very short intervals, with almost 

 suffocating clouds of dust. 



The grounds selected for the show were about two miles 

 from the village of Taunton, in a sterile and rather dreary 

 region in no way suited for the purposes of an agricultural 

 exhibition. 



The tents and tables containing the fruits, vegetables, etc., 

 were blown down early in the day, and their contents were 

 removed to the village to be exhibited on the next day. 



The ploughing match was contested with considerable 

 energy. There were twenty-three competitors for the prizes. 

 The ploughmen and the teams behaved well, but the ground was 

 not such as would test the strength of the teams or the skill of 

 the ploughmen. It was light, sandy land with very little turf 

 upon it. 



The cattle were few and mostly grade Durham and Devon. 

 The best grade Durham on the ground was a two years old bull 

 weighing 1,150 pounds, owned by Dr. Nathan Durfee, of Fall 

 River. There were several pairs of grade Devon steers, small 

 but handsome. The only thorough bred animal noticed was a 

 fine Alderney bull, three years old, owned by Laban Wheaton, 

 of Norton. 



