ESSEX SOCIETY. 



ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The annual cattle show and fair of this society, took place 

 at Salem, on Thursday, the 26th of September last. The day 

 was unexceptionably bright and beautiful ; the rain of the pre- 

 ceding night ha\^ing put all things in the most desirable order for 

 the festival. The Mechanics' Fair, which was held on the 

 same day, gave an additional attraction to it. The concourse 

 of people was immense, surpassing any thing ever before seen 

 in that city. In all its departments, the exhibition was one of 

 the most successful ever held under the auspices of this society. 

 The address was delivered by the Hon. Asa T. Newhall, of 

 Lynnfield. 



During the past year, the society, having purchased the valu- 

 able agricultural books belonging to the late Rev. Henry Col- 

 man, has established a library for the use of its members. These, 

 with other books in its possession, and those contributed by 

 individuals, form a collection of six hundred volumes ; to 

 which, it is believed that additions will, from time to time, be 

 made, by the friends of the institution. But to insure a per- 

 manent increase to the library, all unclaimed premiums and 

 gratuities, from year to year, have been appropriated by the 

 trustees, to this object. 



On the Dairy. 



The committee were gratified to find so many entries, and 

 such fine specimens of butter. The parcels were entered, as 

 required, by the numbers only, and were examined without any 

 knowledge of the persons by whom they were made. The 

 several parcels of .lane butter were first compared with each 

 other, and the several parcels of September butter, likewise. 

 After the opinion of the committee was made up, upon the 

 specimens presented, the several statements were examined and 

 compared. Although there were found to be important difi'er- 



