REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 119 



organ, followed by prayer from Rev. Mr. Hall; after which, the 

 secretary introduced the orator of the day, Solon Robinson. He 

 addressed the audience for an hour, earnestly endeavoring to 

 impress upon farmers the necessity of improvement in the 

 science and practice of agriculture. Your delegate was received 

 by the officers of the society with great courtesy, and the re- 

 spect shown the Board of Agriculture, throvigh him, was highly 

 gratifying. 



John Brooks. 



HAMPSHIRE. 



The Hampshire County Agricultural Society held its annual 

 show at Amherst, on Wednesday and Thursday, October 10th 

 and 11th. The weather was pleasant, and great numbei's from 

 all parts of the county attended, and what was especially grati- 

 fying, the wives and daughters, not only of the farmers, but of 

 the mechanics, merchants, lawyers, physicians, clergymen and 

 literary men were there, and enjoying the festivities of the oc- 

 casion with as much relish as those who had the fat oxen and 

 noble horses, or those who made the butter and cheese. Like 

 most of the western societies, in some respects their exhibition 

 was better than we can show in the eastern part of the State. 

 In the exhibition of fruits, they are far behind Essex, Middle- 

 sex, Norfolk and Worcester counties ; but in the articles of 

 butter and cheese, they entirely outstrip all these counties, with 

 the exception, perhaps, of Worcester. 



There can be no fair comparison between their working 

 cattle and ours, as they raise their own, often selling the best 

 to be taken away, while most of ours are selected from the 

 finest which can be found in the western part of this State, and 

 from New Hampshire and Vermont. So it is in a considerable 

 degree with the horses — though in the latter they are able, at 

 any time, to make a fine display of young animals. There 

 were some very fine cattle presented by Messrs. Alfred Baker? 

 of Amherst, Horace Russell, of North Hadley, Frary Field, of 

 Leverett, H. N. Rust, of South Deerfield, Luke Sweetser, of 



