HOOSAC VALLEY SOCIETY. xxxvii 



exhibition : I thought as much. There were some three hundred 

 and twenty entries, mostly of ladies' work. The exhibit of flowers 

 was large and beautiful, yet there was a lack of room to show 

 to advantage. "With the energy manifested by the members of this 

 society, that want will not long be felt. One interesting feature 

 of this exhibition was the jDortraits and large photographs of the 

 former and present officers of the society hung around the upper 

 hall. 



My duties were made doubly easy by the attentions of the 

 president, A. L. Hubbell, Esq., and other officers and members of 

 the society. Sheriff Root, and Messrs. Fenn and Merrill of this 

 Board, were untiring in their attentions, for which I tender my 

 sincere thanks. 



Elijah Perry. 



HOOSAC VALLEY. 



I attended the Eighteenth Annual Cattle Show and Fair of the 

 Hoosac-valley Agricultural Society, held at North Adams, Sept. 

 18, 19, and 20, arriving at the gi'ounds of the society about noon on 

 the first da}' of the exhibition. One of the fh'st to meet me was the 

 secretary', who extended a cordial welcome. President Archer and 

 Secretar}^ Bhss were extremely bus}' in arranging the details of the 

 exhibition. I saw at once this was a live society. The officers and 

 citizens, including a large numbers of ladies, were activel}' engaged 

 in arranging the articles for exhibition, to display- them to the sat- 

 isfaction of the exhibitors, in a manner pleasing to spectators. 

 In charge of High Sheriff Root and Gen. Foster of Cheshire, I 

 had an excellent opportunit}^ of witnessing the eutu'C exhibition, 

 which, I am pleased to sa}', more than met my expectations ; 

 and I assure the Board that the six hundred dollars which this 

 society receives from the State is not unworthil}^ bestowed. 



The following list of entries indicates the number of animals 

 and articles on exhibition, which were all of good qualit}', and some 

 of them very superior: Of farms, summer crops, &c., 121 entries; 

 of fall crops, 157 ; of hall entries, 679 ; of domestic animals, 2G6, 

 making a total of 1,223 entries; and the amount of premiums 

 distributed over nineteen towns was $1,226. 



The domestic animals were not as numerous as I had hoped to 

 see. In some departments the}' were quite deficient, especially in 

 fat cattle, working-oxen, and thoroughbred stock. The show of 

 poultry was quite large, all of wliich was of more than average 



