APPENDIX. xxi 



farmers' wives of the Housatonic Valley may well congratulate them- 

 selves on such productions of the dairy. 



Without the hall there was a good exhibition of the various kinds of 

 farm stock. The show of neat stock constituted the most noticeable 

 part of the exhibition. The Ayrshire?, Jerseys and native stock were 

 very fairly represented. On this occasion, however, the Durhams car- 

 ried off tlie palm. The dit^play of this breed of cattle was large. Their 

 full, well rounded, symmetrical and stately forms were worthy of the 

 highest admiration. The working oxen seemed to be capable of any- 

 thing that a combination of dociliiy and immense strength can achieve. 

 The fat cattle, from the large quantity and excellent quality of the beef 

 they afford, caimot fail to repay the farmer for his labor and expenditure 

 of money upon them. 



There were many features of the exhibition to which jour delegate 

 would be glad to refer, but must content himself with saying generally 

 that it was a very admirable one. This fair of the society was attended 

 with great success, and the society has evidently been in the hands of 

 intelligence, energy and enterprise. 



Your delegate was very courteously entertained by the society, and 

 he is under especial obligations to Mr. T. D. Thacher, of the State 

 Board, for his kind attention. 



George A. King. 



HOOSAC VALLEY. 



As delegate from the Board of Agriculture, I attended the annual 

 cattle show and fair of the Iloosac Valley Agricultural Society, held at 

 North Adams September 17, 18 and 19, 1867. 



I regretted my inability to be present on the first day of the fair. By 

 being deprived of this privilege, I failed to see the cattle and sheep on 

 exhibition ; but from the representation of officers of the society and 

 others I learned that this part of the show was highly creditable and 

 satisfactory. 



The exhibition of horses was fine, and the colts shown gave evidence 

 of great care in breeding, and large promise of future usefulness and 

 beauty; and when trotted out, that their action and style might be 

 shown, apparently elicited almost as much interest as did the trotting 

 matches which followed. 



The show in the several classes in the hall was large and creditable. 

 Fruit, flowers, vegetables, domestic and heavy manufactures, were all in 

 large abundance, and of high order of merit. 



