viii APPENDIX. 



I would not fail to acknowledge the cordial welcome and gen- 

 erous hospitality extended to me by the president, David Nevins, 

 jun., and lady. And there I witnessed some good farming in rais- 

 ing a field of twenty acres of corn, estimated to jield one hun- 

 dred bushels of ears to the acre, with no other fertilizer than the 

 Stockbridge Formula. 



John E. Merrill. 



WORCESTER. 



The Worcester Agricultural Society, one of the largest and 

 most honored in the Commonwealth, held its last Annual Fair on 

 the days prescribed by the Board ; and your delegate was there an 

 impartial and critical observer. A good exhibition was expected 

 from such a prosperous city of fifty thousand inhabitants, backed 

 up as it is by a coterie of fifty-six such industrial towns. Con- 

 sidering the fact that this venerable society has five gi'own-up, 

 independent daughters settled about her, each with flourishing 

 famihes of their own, it seemed to us a wonder that twentj'-six 

 towns could be found, who would show their allegiance by making 

 contributions to this parent-society. 



But such was the case ; and, so far as we could judge, the ut- 

 most cordiality prevailed. One of the noticeable features of the 

 exhibition was the good old-fashioned ploughing-match, and the 

 interest it awakened. It very properly opened the exercises ; and 

 there were twenty- two manly competitors, two-thu'ds of them 

 driving ox-teams. The number and skill of the ploughmen only 

 perplexed the judges, who in such cases are alwaj's deser\-ing of 

 pity. The display of cattle was select, varied, and creditable. 

 The hardy Swiss, attracting attention by the constant tinkle of 

 their soft-toned bells, the delicate Jersey's, the plump AjTshires, 

 the bright Devons, the portly and sluggish Shorthorns, were all 

 ranged in good order for inspection and contrast. Besides these, 

 there were gi-ades of various sorts, and the choicest of the com- 

 mon herd, fat oxen and hard}" steers, all betokening the primary 

 and intermediate steps of bo^dne greatness. 



Our esteemed friend Hadwen was, of course, there, with a dozen 

 and a half of his favorite Jersey's, the result of nearly as many 

 years of patient devotion to his chosen calling ; but he had little, 

 if any, competition. That he richly deserved to stand at the head, 

 and win all the premiums he could, we never questioned ; but when 

 we learned, that, within the city hmits, there were two other large 

 and valuable herds, and that there were nearly tlu-ee hundred Jer- 



