xl REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 



, PLYMOUTH. 



Looking in upon the spacious grounds, so full}' described by my 

 predecessors, seeing the animals upon them, and the thousands of 

 people in attendance, I came to the conclusion that were there stere- 

 otype forms for making reports to this Board, I should run the risk 

 of breaking over all such barriers in my account of this exhibition. 

 Arriving at the hall and reporting myself to the secretary, I was 

 by him introduced to Mr. James C. Leach, of Bridgewater, who very 

 courteously took me first to see the contents of the lower hall, and 

 then to survey the outer field of operations. Inside, the show of vege- 

 tables, grains, fruits and flowers was a great credit to the farmers 

 and gardeners. Some samples of the first named were very large. 

 One squash weighed 84 pounds. Apples, pears and grapes were 

 in abundance and very fine. Marcus Maxim, of North Rochester, 

 had 50 varieties of grapes, but one variety of which was grown 

 under cover. Cut-flowers were in rich profusion and tastefully 

 arranged. Of bread, the committee had under inspection 105 sam- 

 ples ; of butter and cheese there were about 40 specimens, and all 

 looked very desirable. The preserves, pickles, and, by the aid of the 

 "busy bees*" the honey, also gave evidence of the diligence and skill 

 of the ladies. But, as usual, the greatest display of the fair sex 

 was in what is styled fancy-work, or domestic manufactures. There 

 were on exhibition, also, quite a number of specimens of mechanical 

 skill, the work of the sterner sex. 



After a brief examination here, which was repeated afterwards, 

 my conductor took me out to the ploughing-match, which occurred 

 thus early in the programme. Seventeen teams were engaged, ten 

 of oxen and seven of horses. The trial was an animated one, and was 

 witnessed by a large gathering of people. The land was in some 

 parts slightly undulating, but generally quite level. The work was 

 done well. The report of the ploughing here in 1848 criticises it as 

 being done in too much haste. No such complaint could lie against 

 this. The speed was good, however. The ploughs were of a variety 

 of patterns. Albert Pierce, one of the men who held, had ploughed 

 on similar occasions twenty-five consecutive years. 



A further detour brought us to the flocks and herds, in the accus- 

 tomed positions. The Ayrshires, Jerseys, Shorthorns, and a few 

 other breeds, with the crosses and grades, were in commendable 

 numbers, and were fine-looking. There were several herds of cattle ; 

 one of 25 milch-cows from the State Workhouse farm ; of fat cattle, 

 there was one pair of oxen weighing 4,170, another pair weighing 

 4,000, and another 3,600 pounds ; there was also a fat cow weighing 



