FOB PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 61 



assembly the sole end of which is the promotion of the 

 good of the whole community, and the advancement and 

 prosperity of the whole state. 



The report further says that cattle shows had their be- 

 ginning in Great Britain ; that this example soon reached 

 the Continent, where its success, if not equally great, had 

 at least been considerable ; that one inducement which led 

 the trustees to take action, had been the accumulation of 

 society funds, through failure of due response to premiums 

 hitherto offered, the payments of premiums having mostly 

 been for importations of improved breeds of sheep ; that 

 in now turning its attention to the improvement of breeds 

 of domestic animals the society was following the example 

 of Europe and of the Berkshire County Society of this state; 

 that the premiums now offered amounted, in most cases, to 

 more than one-half the value of the animal, and in some 

 cases to the full value, added to which inducement, was the 

 certainty of a better sale for cattle, for which premiums had 

 been awarded ; and that the reason why premiums for 

 horses had not been offered was that the use of horses for 

 agricultural work was small in this country, as compared 

 with foreign lands, and the prices were already high enough 

 to encourage their breeding and improvement, " higher 

 than in any quarter of the globe with which we are ac- 

 quainted, where this animal is raised." 



The cattle show of 1817 excelled its predecessor in many 

 respects. The amount of premiums offered was $ 1300, of 

 which $500 was granted by the Legislature. Three pre- 

 miums instead of two were offered in the classes of native 

 cows, fat oxen and working oxen. For sheep there were 

 eight premiums ; for native bulls, two ; for imported bulls, 

 two ; for imported cows, two ; also a premium for the most 

 wheat raised per acre ; the most turnips per acre ; for any 

 superior vegetable or grass ; for the best threshing machine, 

 the best seed-sowing machine, the best plough, the 

 most successful use of the drill plough, and for any other 

 agricultural invention deserving a reward. Other premiums 

 were for manufactures from wool of native sheep and 

 from cotton, the classification being of factory-made 

 and home-made. A ploughing match was provided for, 

 the first that had occurred in eastern Massachusetts, the 



