viii REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 



all inclosed with a substantial board-fence. As this day was pre- 

 liminaiy to the show, it afforded Hie a good opportunity to get 

 acquainted with the officers and ex-officers of the society, some of 

 whom I am happy to name, namely : Mr. Salmon, the president ; Mr. 

 Rowell, the secretary ; Major Ladd, and E. P. Spaulding, Esq., an 

 ex-President. I shall ever be grateful to him for his attention and 

 kind regard which he manifested in my welfare, in placing me in 

 charge of Major Emery, proprietor of the Merrimack House, who so 

 willingly took me around the city, showed me the public buildings 

 and public works. I can truly say, that whoever visits the Middle- 

 sex North Agricultural Society will find a warm and hearty recep- 

 tion^ judging from the past. But I must return to my report. 



The display of stock was fair. The town-teams of Tyngsborough 

 and Dracut both arrived in the city about half-past eight, and were 

 escorted to the fair-ground by the Pepperell Cornet Band, twenty- 

 six yoke of oxen from Tyngsborough, and fourteen from Dracut. 

 Both wagons were handsomely decorated with flowers and ever- 

 greens. In both wagons were several young ladies, dressed in 

 white, who attracted great attention. 



On the whole, the show of oxen and steers was very good. Two 

 pairs of yearling steers were worthy of notice, presented by Charles 

 Cumins, each pair weighing 2,000 pounds, well-matched and well- 

 trained Shorthorn Durhams. 



Jeptha Cumins, Moses Davis, D. F. Rogers, Abbot Russell, and 

 Doctor Norman Smith, exhibited good cattle of different ages. 

 D. R. Upham, of Wilmington, showed a fine Jersey bull. W. P. 

 Varnum, of Dracut, had an Ayrshire. Z. P. Proctor, of Dunstable, 

 had a Shorthorn Durham, and D. Bacheler, of North Reading, had 

 a Brittany bull. 



Milch cows were exhibited by Z. P. Procter and Doctor N. Smith, 

 of good milking qualities. Francis Bowman, of Billerica, had on 

 exhibition a cow, five years old, with two pairs of twins by her side. 

 The difference in their ages is ten months four clays. 



Moses Davis, of Dunstable, exhibited two fine specimens of sheep, 

 — one buck and one ewe ; the only contributor in this class. 



Some excellent specimens of swine were presented by J. Flynn, 

 F. Falconer, A. C. Ayer, W. Parkhurst and T. Hardisty. The 

 contributions were not large, but of good quality. 



The trial of working-oxen and horses, on cart, was rather severe, 

 as I thought ; the gross weight of load being 4,800 pounds, net 

 weight, 3,500 pounds, and the wheels both blocked with a three- 

 by-four joist on rising ground. This is what I call rather hard 

 starting. 



The horse-teams were tested in the same wa} T , only the net weight 



