xvi REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 



the owners of horses of fast records could not afford to enter when 

 there were much larger purses offered at the same time at the M} - stic 

 and other parks of New England. It was the intention of the two 

 societies at the exhibition of this year not to make the horse-trotting 

 such an important feature as to detract from other portions of the 

 fair, and this plan, with these ideas in view, was admirably carried 

 out. About one-half the amount of mone}- was spent for trotting 

 as was devoted to this feature of the fair of last year ; and though 

 the entries were small, and containing no horses of much note, }'et 

 the people on two days filled the grand stand and appeared to enjoy 

 the trotting as much as if the horses had been better and the 

 premiums larger." 



In the Massachusetts "Ploughman" of January 30, 1875, an 

 editorial on the " Management of Fairs," after discussing with candor 

 and great fairness the question of mere trials of speed of horses at 

 fairs, concludes as follows : " We cannot avoid the conclusion 

 that, in the long run, horse-racing, as now generally conducted, 

 must operate very unfavorably upon the interests of our agricultural 

 societies." 



In reply to the second statement, we will simply say, that in the 

 Old Colony there are two societies, — one having held its sixteenth 

 and the other its eighth annual exhibition the past year, — and 

 not one dollar has ever been offered or paid as premium Itv either 

 society for horse-trotting, or mere trial of speed, since their organ- 

 ization. 



In regard to their success, as compared with other societies in the 

 Commonwealth, it may not be proper for me to speak ; but I am 

 pleased to refer to reports of delegates to the Hingham and Marsh- 

 field societies, as published in the annual reports of our honored 

 Secretar}'. 



G. M. Baker. 



WORCESTER SOUTH-EAST. 



The illness of our mutual friend, the Hon. Albert Fearing, pre- 

 vented him from attending the exhibition. I was requested to attend 

 and report the doings. 



My engagement at Amherst prevented nry being present on the 

 first day. The morning of the second day opened bright and cool. 

 The storm of the day before compelled most of the owners of dairy 

 cows to take them home for shelter, and but few returned the 

 second da}' ; so that one great feature of a cattle-show was lost to 

 me. However, there was a fair representation from the immediate 



