374 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



entries of butter, and twelve of cheese. Pears, apples and 

 grapes were abundant, and of excellent quality. About five 

 hundred plates of these staple fruits graced tlie tables, inter- 

 spersed with several specimens of peaches. Vegetables were 

 few, but of excellent quality. 



The exhibition of neat stock was not large, and with some 

 exceptions, the quality of that exhibited gave evidence of want 

 of interest in this department among tlie farmers of Essex. 

 Of bulls I noticed one thoroughbred Short-horn, from the farm 

 of B. Perley Poore, and the imported Ayrshire bull Irvine, 

 owned by Dr. George B, Loring. Irvine is a superior animal, 

 and the fact that he and others of like quality are, and have 

 been for years, within reach of tlie farmers of Essex, with the 

 evidence borne by their stock, that their services have not been 

 appreciated and sought after, I think justifies and proves the 

 truth of the above statement. 



The horse department consisted mainly of stallions, breeding 

 mares and colts, and gave evidence of a good degree of interest 

 and skill. The entries were, stallions seven, breeding mares 

 eight, farm horses six, colts twenty-one. 



The ploughing-match look ])lace on the morning of the 

 second day, and attracted a large number of spectators. The 

 premiums were contested for by eighteen ploughmen, with the 

 same number of teams and ploughs. The ploughing was 

 mostly l^y oxen, there being but one team of horses. Ten of 

 the teams had two yoi<es of oxen each. Tlie plough field was 

 any thing but desirable, being quite uneven and tlie surface 

 covered with a stiff moss. It afforded, however, a much better 

 test of the (juality of the plough, and skill of the ploughman, 

 than if it had been a smooth grass plot, and your delegate was 

 cuinpt'lled to feci, that ujKin the whole it was a wise selection. 



Immediately after the ploughing, the crowd repaired to the 

 church to listen to the annual address, delivered by George J. L. 

 Colby, Esq., of Newburyport. It is worthy of remark, that this 

 society, which has held its annual exhibitions for more than 

 forty years, has never gone beyond the limits of the county 

 for an individual to deliver its address. After the address, 

 n)enil)eis oi' the society and others, to tlie number of about two 

 hundred, pai'took of a collation at the hall of the hotel. This 



