REPORTS OP DELEGATES. 391 



greatest amount of good, and to increase the interest of the 

 working farmer in its prosperity. 



To the president, secretary and other officers of the society, 

 and particularly to Mr. Stebbins, of Deerfiekl, tlie delegate 

 from the society to this Board, I am indebted for many kind 

 attentions. 



Henry H. Peters. 



HIGHLAND. 



The Highland Agricultural Society held its last annual fair 

 on their show grounds in Middlefield, on the 11th and 12th 

 days of September. The ^tuation of their park is on the 

 the highest ground in the town of Middlefield, with a commo- 

 dious building in the centre for their convenience. This build- 

 ing must have been erected by wise men, " for it is founded 

 upon a rock." This society is rightly named " Highland," for 

 its operations are carried on on the highest of the highlands in 

 that part of the Commonwealth. Every man, woman or 

 child, and the dumb beasts, too, carry their heads higher during 

 the exhiljition than they are wont to do on other occasions. 

 This is the fourth and youngest child of the Hampshire, 

 Franklin and Hampden Society, and seems to be the most 

 active and ambitious of the whole. 



The competition in the various classes and departments was 

 close, and made it difficult and embarrassing for some of the 

 committees, but all appeared satisfied with the awards. The 

 amount distributed in silver plate figured about six hundred 

 dollars, besides numerous agricultural works. The display of 

 cattle was not as large as at former exhibitions, there being 

 only two hundred and fifty on the ground. Tliey would com- 

 pare favorably with those exhibited in former years. Many 

 superior animals were shown. Among them, several yokes of 

 four-years-old steers, which were estimated to weigh four 

 thousand pounds and over, per yoke; three-years-old at thirty- 

 eight hundred ; and two-years-old at twenty-eight hundred 

 pounds. Among the cattle were many fine representatives of 

 the Short-horn blood, a few of which were thoroughbred, but 



