REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 13T 



FRANKLIN SOCIETY. 



It "was my privilege, under the direction of the State Board 

 of Ag-riculture, to be present at Greenfield on the 6th and 7th 

 days of October. This was the fourth exhibition by this 

 flourishing Society. I have witnessed many of the kind, but 

 none that impressed me more favorably, by the order and pro- 

 priety of movement throughout. Many of the most prominent 

 citizens of the county engaged heartily in directing the con- 

 cerns ; all ready to work, no one appearing to feel above his 

 business. This is emphatically the farmers' working day ; 

 whoever takes part at a cattle show, must be ready " to hold 

 or drive," as occasion may demand. 



The object that first arrested my attention, was a team of 

 about one hundred pairs of working oxen, gathered from the 

 adjoining towns ; more from the good farming town of Shel- 

 burne, than any other. These oxen, I estimated to average 

 about five years old, and to girt six and a half feet. Many of 

 them were well mated and in fine condition. 



My attention was next directed to the milch cows, as an 

 essential part of the cattle show. I was informed that the 

 number of animals presented of this class, was about thirty ; 

 but most of them had left the ground before one o'clock, P. M., 

 of the first day. I was disappointed, in not seeing these ani- 

 mals, and so must many others have been who came to see. 

 All animals entered at such an exhibition, should remain on 

 the ground, and be fed from a common stock, until the show is 

 over. I learned from the chairman of the committee on cows, 

 that one of those exhibited, had yielded more than sixteen 

 pounds of butter in a week. Such a cow would be creditable 

 to any exhibition. They are not often found to do this upon 

 pasture feed only — which is the only fair way of testing their 

 quality for dairy purposes. When pampered with shorts, 

 Indian meal, carrots, or other extra feed, they may do great 

 things for a short time, but their ability to do so will soon be 

 exhausted. Without hesitation, I should say, that a cow which 

 yields two pounds of butter a day, on common pasture feed, 

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