REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 411 



made productive, and may well support a po))ulation larger 

 than at present. The attention of the people having heretofore 

 been directed to other and more profitable pursuits, it is not 

 surprising that they have drawn their supplies of agricultural 

 productions from other localities. But with them this h;is been 

 a matter of choice and not necessity. The resources of the 

 island for manure from the sea-weed cast upon its shores are 

 very great. Much of the land is arable and of easy cultivation. 

 If the lands were inclosed, cultivated and manured with tiie 

 energy and industry which the people have always shown in 

 other pursuits, the island would, in a few years, present the 

 appearance of a garden. 



The show of the present year was a good one, though the 

 time of the exhibition had been changed, and the change 

 was not generally known. There had also been an unusual 

 drought during the season. But the cheerful, industrious 

 character of the citizens, and the officers and members of 

 the society, rendered these disadvantages of little conse- 

 quence. I saw enough to convince me that the island of 

 Nantucket is at no distant time to be, in proportion to its 

 extent, one of the most productive agricultural counties in the 

 Commonwealth. When the forests already planted shall have 

 attained their growth, and larger tracts at intervals brought 

 into forest, the effect of the sweeping winds over so level a 

 country, upon standing crops, will be diminished ; the forests 

 themselves will be a source of income ; and the other parts of 

 the island enclosed and cultivated, will pay well. The island 

 will then have a variety of resources, greater than most of our 

 counties. The show of cattle was very good, particularly of 

 milch cows ; the number of working oxen was small, and not 

 remarkably good. The exhibition of sheep, swine and poultry 

 was very good ; that of horses was quite inferior. The show of 

 vegetables was not as large as I have, sometimes seen, but tl»e 

 best I ever saw, and shows what the island of Nantucket can 

 do in the way of vegetables. The exhibition of butter was 

 very fine, as good as I have ever seen, although the number of 

 entries was small ; but the samples were hard to beat. 1 also 

 saw some splendid samples of wheat and corn, demonstrating 

 beyond any doubt that these crops can be grown on the island 

 by good cultivation and perseverance. 



