SECRETARY'S REPORT. 397 



BERKSHIRE. 



The undersigned appointed as delegate to the Berkshire 

 Agricultural Society, was prevented by ill-health from perform- 

 ing the duty which otherwise would have been most agreeable 

 to him. In obedience, however, to the requisitions of the 

 Board, he has procured the following facts from a competent 

 judge who was present during the whole exhibition : — 



" The cattle show of the Berkshire Society was accompanied 

 by a storm so violent as to confine the attendance of spectators 

 on the first day — that for the exhibition of stock — almost 

 entirely to those personally interested in the animals, and the 

 officers and committees of the society. ' It was a remarkable 

 fact, however, that notwithstanding this, the show was iinusu- 

 ally fine in some, or most departments, and about the same in 

 numbers as in average year^. 



"In cattle the Durham and crosses of that, predominated as 

 usual, and the appearance of the stock on the ground fully 

 justified the partiality of the Berkshire farmers for this breed, 

 and showed a continued progress in the advance to perfection 

 to which they are bringing it. 



" There was, however, this year an increase in the number as 

 well as the character of the Devons, some fine bulls of that 

 stock having been recently introduced. 



" There was a fair show of sheep, the coarse-woolled predomi- 

 nating, among which we noticed some superb specimens of the 

 favorite Cotswold, The state of the weather and the track 

 detracted more from the exhibition of horses than from any 

 other department, but the handsome show of farm horses, 

 breeding animals and young horses, showed that the attention 

 bestowed by this society upon this department, had been 

 attended with excellent results in classes of this noble animal, 

 more valuable, at least to the farmer, than ' fancy bloods.' 



" On the whole, the cattle show, considering the many unfa- 

 vorable circumstances under which it was held, was a remark- 

 able success, and proved conclusively the practical and substan- 

 tial interest which the farmers of Berkshire take in its objects. 



" In the hall the exhibition, although smaller in numbers than 

 in some years, was varied and large considering the unfavorable 

 circumstances which it shared with the cattle show. Butter 



