FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE 161 



were also members of the executive board of the Bay 

 State Society. 



The exhibition was held in the spacious building of 

 the Charitable Mechanics' Association, on Hunting- 

 ton Avenue, beginning on Wednesday, October 6, and 

 closing on Saturday evening following. The situation 

 was an ideal one, in some respects, as adequate ven- 

 tilation and a proper temperature could be constantly 

 maintained; and so the choice and valuable animals 

 escaped such discomforts as those, which may be 

 called their predecessors, were liable to, on the bleak 

 hillsides of Brighton. In the evening the interior of 

 the building was lighted by electric lamps. The num- 

 ber of spectators was constantly large. On one day 

 the attendance was estimated to be 23,000, an accurate 

 enumeration not being possible, as many were ad- 

 mitted by season tickets. The figures, taking the four 

 days into account, are indicative of the increase of 

 population and travelling facilities in sixty years, v/hen 

 compared with the attendance of 4,000, v/hich made 

 a great day for Brighton; and, considering that no 

 admission fee was then asked, they prove, at least, no 

 diminution of popular interest in things agricultural. 



The exhibition comprised: Neat cattle, 609; horses, 

 174; sheep, 285; swine, 161; coops of poultry, 745; 

 entries of machines, implements, vegetables, fruits, 

 dairy products, etc., 4,404. It was unrestricted as to 

 territory, and the agriculture of each of the New 

 England states, and New York state, was represented. 

 In 1888 the Bay State Society gave an exhibition at 

 Springfield, which was not guaranteed by the Massa- 

 chusetts Society, though $1,500 in premiums was 

 granted by the latter. In 1889 another exhibition, 

 with guaranty, v/as given in the Huntington Avenue 

 building, which was substantially a repetition of that 



