216 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



five years, or not at all. Now, would it not be well in them to 

 raise their best calves, let them come at any time, if they wish 

 to be improving in their stock ? 



Benj. F. Hamilton, Chairman. 



HAMPSHIRE, FRANKLIN AND HAMPDEN. ^ 



Report of the Committee. 



Stock in General. — The committee regret that they are 

 compelled to admit the decided inferiority of this branch of the 

 society's exhibition. It is true that there were many animals of 

 great excellence upon the ground ; but it was obvious at a glance 

 to every observer acquainted with the very superior stock owned 

 in different parts of the old county, that the show of this year 

 was by no means a creditable affair to the farmers of the dis- 

 trict. The numbers of animals in the different classes were less 

 than usual, and in some of them the quality was found to be 

 but ordinary, to say the least. It is no part of the duty of the 

 committee to explain the cause of the deficiencies above stated, 

 or to furnish excuses for them, though it might not perhaps be 

 difficult to do it ; but they may be permitted to say that, know- 

 ing the fact that there is within the society's limits an amount 

 of valuable stock, at this moment, equal, if not superior to what 

 there has ever been before, they are not unwilling to promise 

 for the farmers that the exhibition of next year shall more than 

 restore the character which has been lost by this. 



To some parts of the collection of animals brought forward 

 at the present exhibition, the committee are happy to say, none 

 of the foregoing remarks are at all applicable. The important 

 class of working oxen was represented by a large number of 

 very excellent specimens. These were mostly of native breeds, 

 and they were, almost all of them, large, powerful, symmetrical 

 and beautiful animals, well conditioned and well trained. 



Tlie fat cattle oifered this year were all from Westfield and 

 Hatfield, and more than sustained the reputation of the cele- 

 brated feeders in those wealthy towns. Better animals have 

 never before been exhibited here ; and we doubt if eight yokes 

 of better cattle could ever have been collected from all the stalls 

 in the Connecticut Valley, and if not from them, certainly not 



