APPENDIX. XXV 



I had no difficulty in finding the grounds, as the Aveather was fine 

 and everybody was going, so I had only to follow the crowd. I found 

 the entrance lined by a beautiful grove which, though containing some 

 underbrush and a surface somewhat uneven, afforded a fine shade for 

 horses. With a moderate sum expended in clearing up, grading and 

 providing seats at suitable places, this part of the inclosure might be 

 made more useful and attractive. 



I ?oon recognized Mr. A. P. Slade, of the State Board, and acting 

 president in absence of Mr. Ames, who, together with Mr. William P. 

 Hood, of the committee of ai'rangements, accompanied me to witness the 

 ploughing match. There was a goodly number of competitors for pre- 

 miums, and the work was well done with Mead's conical plough, which 

 was the only one used in the trial, I think. We wei'e pleased to see 

 such an interest manifested in the ploughing by the farmers ; for 

 although it occurred in the early part of the day, there Avas a large 

 gathering present to Avitness the trial. We Avere also pleased to see 

 that in most instances the farmers or their sons were ho'ding the plough 

 instead of a foreign laborer, not forgetting Franklin's adage, that 



" He that by the plough would thrive, 

 Himself must either hold, or drive." 



The skilful guiding of the plough should be considered as valuable an 

 accomplishment to the practical farmer as producing a tAVO-forty gait 

 from a Avorthless nag. A ploughing-match should be included in the 

 programme of every agricultural fair. 



The exhibition of town teams on the track consisted of eighty-four 

 yoke, — thirty-three from Taunton, twenty-three from Norton, sixteen 

 from Raynham, and twelve from Rehoboth. They Avere preceded by 

 the band, and made a very fine display. Most of these were native, and 

 were not, as a whole, of a superior quality. There were, hoAvever, a 

 few very fine yokes of thoroughbreds. 



There Avas in the pens a good shoAv of stock. The yoke of cattle 

 exhibited by Mr. Jonathan Slade, of Somerset, Aveighing fifty-three hun- 

 dred pounds, attracted much attention. There Avas also on the grounds 

 from the State Lunatic Asylum, a fine yoke of fat cattle, one of which 

 dressed, on the first of this month, two thousand and four pounds. 



Of cows and bulls there Avas not a large number of entries Avhen com- 

 pared Avith other divisions ; but some good specimens of the Alderney, 

 and also of the Ayrshire cattle, Avhich seemed to be the favorite breeds. 



There was a good exhibition of coarse-wool sheep, but I Avas sur- 

 prised not to see a fine-wool sheep on the grounds, and still more so 

 Avhen informed that there was not a hundred in the county. 

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