122 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



provements as occur to them. With live, but cautious, men to 

 lead us, we cannot fail to advance the welfare of the community 

 around us, which should be our object. 



Why is it that the premiums are not awarded until late the 

 second day of the show, after the annual dinner is finished, at 

 which time a small number of those interested surround the 

 secretary's chair to hear him read the long list ? whereas, each 

 one of the members would be better pleased to have had the 

 premiums so awarded that the prize articles could be known and 

 examined by those visiting the show and compared with other 

 competing articles. The names of individuals to whom 

 premiums were awarded for excellence in ploughing in its 

 various classes, &c, must necessarily be made known at about 

 the same time as at present. 



According to the present system, the premiums are not award- 

 ed until the time arrives for taking the animals off the ground, 

 whereby the people are unable to examine the prize animals, 

 and thus profit by observing their points of excellence ; and the 

 owners of animals, who are desirous of getting their stock home 

 early, are thus unable to examine the premium articles at the 

 tent and halls of exhibition ; and no one can find such articles 

 without much inquiry, as no means are provided for desig- 

 nating them. 



Would it not be a good plan to instruct the committees to fill 

 out their books immediately after making their awards, on the 

 afternoon of the first day of the show, and at that time to attach 

 to every premium article, and each pen containing a prize 

 animal, convenient printed cards to be furnished by the society, 

 designating what awards each is entitled to ? This year I en- 

 tered two animals under a committee, and both received awards, 

 but neither the secretary nor myself know which of them re- 

 ceived the higher award ; the committee made no specifications, 

 although they fully understood the names of each animal. In 

 examining the premium cards in the various classes, many 

 worthy articles would be thus seen, which would otherwise be 

 unnoticed by the visitors. 



By this plan the secretary can be freed from the troublesome 

 tameness of reading so long a list of awards. According to the 

 present system, many competitors are often obliged to wait for 

 the] publication of the premium list in some county paper the 



