26 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



acre of that grain every year ; but most of them tliink our 

 soil is not Avell adapted to its culture. 



Some of the farmers in this section make a specialty of 

 garden vegetables ; others, of small fruits. Many varieties of 

 the latter, as strawberries and blackberries, find a very genial 

 soil in Plymouth and Bristol counties. Of the larger fruits, 

 pears do admirably, and apples fairly, if we have patience to 

 fight the canker-worms and the borers. Peaches grew in 

 perfection thirty years ago ; since then they have been 

 stricken with the yellows, and have ceased to mature their 

 fruit. Of late jeavs they seem to be improving, so that we 

 have hopes that this delicious and healthy fruit may again 

 be added to our list. 



If you inquire what is the relative condition of agriculture 

 in the county as compared with a quarter of a century ago, 

 we reply unhesitatingly that it has improved. As evidence 

 of this, we cite the fact, that, instead of one agricultural 

 society, we now have five, located in different sections of the 

 county, and holding exhibitions regularly every fall ; and 

 notwithstanding the fact that the parent society has given 

 birth to several healthy children, she is still in the prime of 

 life, and able and willing *to labor diligently for the good of 

 all. Some persons are disposed to criticise her because she 

 does not accomplish more ; but when we reflect, that for 

 years she has distributed more in premiums than any county 

 society in the State save one, and has within the last twenty 

 years greatly enlarged and improved both her grounds and 

 her buildings, and this very year added a grand stand at an 

 expense of over three thousand dollars, more than one-half 

 of which was defrayed by private subscription, it does not 

 look as though our mother-societ}^ were quite yet on her 

 last legs. To be sure, some years ago we greatly enlarged 

 our main building, and then added a piazza, a cupola, and 

 another ornament in the shape of a good-sized mortgage 

 (which last embellishment has been a great bugbear to 

 many) ; but all this need not discourage us. Since that 

 debt was incurred, we have expended four thousand dollars 

 for additional buildings required, and at the same time have 

 reduced our oblig^atious from thirteen thou»3and dollars down 

 to eight thousand dollars. And what have we to show for 

 this debt? Large and substantial buildings, all in good repair, 



