FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE 99 



oxen at the plough must labor a great part of the day to properly 

 turn over an acre. To do this without a driver will require a 

 skillful ploughman and well-trained oxen. To encourage the 

 forming of such ploughmen and oxen, should I conceive, be the 

 sole object of ploughing matches. Working oxen at the plough 

 may be considered as well trained when they obey the voice of 

 the ploughman, keep the track in which they ought to move, and 

 step as quickly as will be compatible with the necessary continu- 

 ance of their labor. And as the annual exhibitions at this place 

 have demonstrated the practicability of performing the general 

 operations of the plough with one yoke of oxen, without a driver, 

 it may merit consideration whether premiums should not be thus 

 limited in all future trials with the plough. Under such limita- 

 tions every farmer who is ambitious to exhibit proofs of superior- 

 ity in these points, would be sensible that his oxen must attain a 

 certain size, and be, though not fat, yet well-fleshed, which 

 would give strength to their sinews and momentum to their 

 exertions. With such oxen all our agricultural labors would be 

 so well performed that there would be no room to envy the 

 condition of farmers in any of our sister states, in some of which 

 their horses consume, perhaps, as much grain as would furnish 

 bread to all the inhabitants of New England." 



It may be remarked that the trustees acted upon 

 two of Col. Pickering's suggestions in the following 

 year, when they offered a premium, through certain of 

 the county societies, for the best cultivated farm, and 

 modified the regulations of the Brighton cattle show, 

 so that premiums were given in the ploughing match 

 for single-yoke teams and double-yoke teams, sepa- 

 rately. Previously all had ploughed in one competition. 

 It was made optional with owners of single teams, 

 however, whether or not to have a driver other than a 

 ploughman. A premium "for the best farm," to be 

 awarded upon the judgment of a committee of the 

 trustees, was first offered in 1830. The reason for 

 non-action previously, is stated in the report of 1830 

 to have been, that "the district, over which the society 

 extends, being so large, it would not be practicable for 

 the trustees personally to inspect the farms of the 



