xiv APPENDIX. 



The address at the town hall in the evening, by the Hon. Daniel 

 Needham, of Groton, Secretary of the New England Agricultural 

 Society, was listened to by an intelligent audience. His subject — " The 

 Necessity of Education to the Farmer." 



The second day was devoted to the exhibition of horses, and, as 

 usual, brought together the greater number of people. The trial of 

 draught horses was good ; there were some very good horses on the 

 track, and, if we take the word of the owners or drivers, there were 

 many such ; " for my horse is, all things considered, the best." 



The colts were present in large numbers, and went to show there was 

 a strong desire for improvement in raising good horses ; and, like raising 

 cattle, it is only the good ones that pay best. 



In the afternoon came off the trotting and running, Avhich was very 

 well done, as every one said, so it must be true. 



And with the very efficient officers, committees, marshals, and the 

 enlivening strains of music from the brass band, so at the close, the 

 verdict of the crowd was, a success. 



I cannot close without rendering my thanks to the officers of the 

 society, and to Mr. Porter, member of the State board, for their 

 attention, courtesy and hospitality. 



Thomas Billings. 



HAMPSHIRE. 



As delegate to visit the Hampshire Agricultural Society, I submit the 

 following Report : — 



The eighteenth exhibition of this society was held on their fair 

 grounds in Amherst, September 24 and 25, two most beautiful autumn 

 days, and was pronounced the best ever held by the society. 



"We were led to expect much from this society, from a knowledge of 

 the location, — the well cultivated farms and substantial farm buildings 

 indicating thrift and energy, — and were not disappointed. 



This society is one of eight in the State out of debt, and embracing 

 as it does some of the best farming towns in the Commonwealth, a noble 

 yeomanry, many scientific men, the State Agricultural College, it has, 

 indeed, a bright and flattering prospect before it. 



There were exhibited four strings, or in all 162 oxen, as town teams, 

 and fully 100 head of other neat stock. There were many noble ani- 

 mals, mostly grades. I had hoped to see more thoroughbreds. The 

 working oxen were not as large, on the average, as I expected to see. 

 There are two reasons, probably, for this. One is, the fact that many 



