312 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



In visiting the show of this old and prosperous society, I had 

 raised in my own mind high expectations ; and taking the 

 whole exhibition into account, am happy to say, I was not 

 disappointed. 



The weather was remarkably pleasant, and the people fully 

 improved it by a very large attendance on both days, and by 

 large contributions, of all kinds which usually grace such an 

 exhibition, with the exception of sheep and swine. 



The show of cattle, on the first day, was very large, and well 

 worthy the efforts of the contributors. And here I would 

 respectfully suggest, that if the cattle could remain on the 

 grounds of the society throughout the first day, or at least till 

 four o'clock in the afternoon, it would add very much to the 

 gratification of visitors, and very much enhance the usefulness 

 of the society. The stock began to be removed about two 

 o'clock of the first day. 



Three hundred and eleven cattle, of all breeds, were on exhi- 

 bition the first day, including many very fine animals of their 

 class. But the favorite and most noticeable breed was the 

 Shorthorn (Durham.) The most attractive feature of the cattle 

 department was the oxen. Conspicuous among these were the 

 oxen of Mr. Fowler, of Westfield, Mr. A. P. Clark's, of East- 

 hampton, Mr. Johnson's, of Hadley, Mr. John S. Anderson's, 

 of Shelburne, and the " town team " from Hatfield. There 

 were others showing very fine oxen, deserving of notice, would 

 space permit. In fact, I saw no poor oxen there. They were 

 all fit for the shambles or the stall, giving ample evidence of the 

 care they had received, and of the luxuriant pastures which had 

 sustained them during the summer — pastures that cannot be 

 found in all parts of the State. 



I should do injustice to the exhibition, did I not make special 

 mention of the very fine herd of twenty-two head, owned and 

 raised by Mr. John S. Anderson, of Shelburne. They were 

 nearly all grade Durhams, of the old Northumberland stock. 

 They were bred, evidently, more for beef than for the dairy, 

 attaining great weight of carcase at early maturity. One pair 

 of steers, two years old, weighing, 3,040 pounds ; and another 

 pair, same age, weighing 3,000 pounds ; one two-year old heifer, 

 weighing 1,360 pounds. Two cows, five years old, weighed 

 respectively 1,750 and 1,700 pounds ; one pair of calves, seven 



