APPENDIX. xli 



at the gate and ball. The Societ}- is still somewhat in debt, but it 

 is hoped, and with good reason, that it will soon be extinguished. 



The hall exhibition, I understood, was not so full as usual, but 

 still was an excellent one. The show of vegetables, especially, was 

 surprisingly large and tine. There was the inevitable big squash. Mr. 

 Cobb showed sugar-beets weighing eighteen pounds each, and nearly 

 all of the new and famous seedling potatoes were attractive!}' pre- 

 sented. And this leads me to say that while light, sandy soils, like 

 that of Barnstable, will produce potatoes of fine appearance and of 

 excellent table quality, repeated experiments have shown that they 

 are by no means so valuable for planting as those grown upon 

 heavier and higher ground, and in a colder climate. If, then, the 

 Cape farmers, and others similarly situated in respect of soils, will 

 be at the trouble and slight additional expense of getting their 

 planting-potatoes, say from the hills of Maine or Vermont, I have 

 not the least doubt that the increase in jield to them will be from 

 one-fourth to one-half greater than from the home-grown " seed." 



Of fruit, there was a good display of grapes, and a few fine speci- 

 mens of pears. Bread showed twenty entries ; fancy goods thrice 

 as many. 



In the exhibition of animals, the show of horses was small, but 

 the trials of speed in the afternoon brought in another class, some 

 of them fine animals. The time made, however, did not seem to be 

 specially exhilarating to the owners, and many maledictions were 

 heard on the condition of the track, — improved, it is said, since last 

 3'ear ; but still, it must be admitted, sufficiently undulating to form an 

 attractive excuse to a disappointed jockey for making a losing race. 



In the cattle-pens were some sixty head, — fat oxen, good steers 

 and heifers, several Jersey cows, about one hundred swine, but only 

 ten sheep, of which seven were Southdowns from the Bacon farm. 



As usual at Barnstable, there were present on the second day sev- 

 eral distinguished guests, including the Governor ; the hall tables 

 were bountifully spread for some three hundred diners, and the after- 

 dinner speeches were numerous and entertaining. 



The fair closed with a grand ball in Agricultural Hall. 



Henry S. Goodale. 



NANTUCKET. 



The twentieth annual exhibition of the Nantucket Agricultural 

 Society was held on the 29th and 30th of September. I attended 

 the exhibition as directed by this Board, and upon my arrival was 

 g 



