NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



531 



ESSEX COUNTY CATTLE SHOW. 



Not finding it possible to accept the polite invi- 

 tation of the President of the Essex County Socie- 

 ty to attend their annual Show, we are obliged to 

 give an account of it from the reports by others, 

 and take the following from the Journal. We 

 hear that the people of Essex kept up their an- 

 cient reputation in all points, and that the Exhibi- 

 tion was a very fine and satisfactory one. The Ex- 

 hibition was at Lawrence. 



Plowing Match. — This trial came off on a piece 

 of land about half a mile from the Town Hall, near 

 the Methuen road, in the presence of an immense 

 concourse of people. Fifteen double ox-teams, 12 

 single ox and 13 horsi teams were entered for the 

 match ; and at about quarter past 9 o'clock the 

 plowing commenced in that quiet, steady manner, 

 so peculiar to the New England farmer. There 

 was no shouting or noise whatever. The allotted 

 tasks were accomplished in excellent style. 



After this match was over, the multitude ad- 

 journed — some to their homes, and some to the vil- 

 lage, but most of them to the spot where the trial 

 of the working oxen was to come off, iu Cross 

 Street. The task assigned was the drawing and 

 backing of a load weighing 4(100 pounds, up a hill. 

 About twenty teams were entered for the trial, and 

 most of them performed the work in a manner cred- 

 itable to themselves and to their owners. 



At a quarter before 12 a procession was formed 

 at the Town Hall, composed of the officers of the 

 Agricultural Society, invited guests, and citizens 

 generally, and. escorted by the Lawrence Brass 

 Band, marched to the Lawrence Street Church to 

 hear the address. The services were opened by 

 the reading of a passage from Scripture, and a 

 prayer by Rev. Mr. Storrs,of Lawrence, after which 

 the orator of the day, Henry K. Oliver, of Lawrence, 

 commenced speaking. 



His remarks dwelt mostly upon the importance 

 of a scientific agricultural education for farmers. 

 The farmer's interest, he said, was the great and 

 powerful interest of the community. He then 

 drew a forcible contrast between the moral and 

 physical conditions of our farmers and the European 

 tillers of the soil, and deduced the conclusion that 

 the higher the degree of education which prevailed, 

 the higher the rank which the people of the coun- 

 try would hold among the nations of the world. 

 Will you dwell, said he, within the great labora- 

 tory of God, and gaze upon His works, and still 

 refuse the instructions which are offered you con-' 

 corning their formation and growth and perfection 1 

 He recommended the introduction of agricultural 

 schools throughout the country, and urged farmers 

 not to retard the onward progress of agricultural 

 education by clinging too closely to their old preju- 

 dices, and refusing a fair examination of new im- 

 provements and inventions. Mr. Oliver then paid 

 an eloquent tribute to the memory of the late A. 

 J. Downing, and concluded his instructive and in- 

 teresting discourse with an appeal to the farmers 

 of Essex to maintain the dignity of themselves, and 

 their county. 



After the address, those present formed in pro- 

 cession, and escorted by a noble team of oxen and 

 the band, proceeded to the dinner hall, in which 

 plates had been laid for four hundred and fifty per- 

 sons. They there found an ample collation await- 



ing them. Grace was said by Rev. Mr. Storrs, 

 and the company fell to. After about an hour, 

 being "all full inside," as the omnibus man said, 

 they desisted, and listened for a while to the voice 

 of the President of the Society, Hon. J. W. Proc- 

 tor, who expressed his gratification at seeing so 

 many friends of agriculture assembled together. 



Mr. Proctor was followed by Rev. Dr. Hitch- 

 cock, President of Amherst College, Henry K. Ol- 

 iver, Hon. Daniel A. White, Dr. Reed, of Pitts- 

 field, Mayor Upham, of Salem, and Hon. James 

 H. Duncan. The speeches were brief, excellent, 

 and to the point. An agricultural song, written 

 for the occasion by Edmund Josselyn, of Salem, an 

 able and humorous production, was sung by Mr. 

 Brown, of Salem, and received with great applause. 

 After the speeches were over, the assembly re- 

 turned to the Lawrence Street church and listened 

 to the reading of the premiums which had been 

 awarded by the Committees. Thus concluded the 

 exhibition. 



There are many very fine specimens of horses 

 and colts ; and a large number of beautiful cattle 

 are on the ground. A particularly excellent pair 

 of 3 year old steers in the yoke from Andover, were 

 noticed, as also a fine Durham bullock and two 

 heifers in the same enclosure. 



Of swine and pigs there is a large display. The 

 Suffolk breed of porkers seems to bear away the 

 palm, of which there are a great number of all 

 ages, and both sexes, but only of one condition, and 

 that is an exceedingly fleshy one. They range in 

 ages from the tender squealing little porkling not 

 yet emancipated from the "litter," to the huge old 

 patriarch of three (not three score) years. 



Of poultry, also, there are very many varieties, 

 including geese, ducks, chickens, turkeys and 

 pigeons, among which are several beautiful pairs 

 of the carrier variety. 



The horticultural and mechanical specimens are 

 on exhibition in the Town Hall, which is crowded 

 with a splendid array of fruit and flowers, as also 

 specimens of handiwork in the department of the 

 fine arts, of textile fabrics, and of domestic econo- 

 my, in the highest degree creditable to the skill of 

 both Yankee male and female hands. 



There is a silver mounted plow immediately at 

 the entrance of the hall, from the shop of Messrs. 

 Currier, Doe & Co., Concord, N. II., which sur- 

 passes anything in the agricultural line ever before 

 seen in this region. Cabinet work, chairs, carpets, 

 &c, &c, in great variety and richness. One set 

 of chairs of an antique pattern 125 years old, and 

 one chair 1G0 years old, are on exhibition. Velvet 

 wall paper, from the Chester Paper Company, 

 Lawrence, is most exquisite in style and pattern. 

 It is of a very expensive kind, ranging from 

 $2,00 to $5,00 a roll. A model of the first house 

 in Methuen, built in the year 1720 by Richard 

 Messer, is to be seen in the hall. Some very good 

 specimens of drawing adorn the walls, and a great 

 variety of embroidery, piece work and worsted 

 work, from the hands of lady exhibitors, is to be 

 seen. 



In regard to the pomological, vegetable and 

 Floral department, it is only necessary to say that 

 it will bear a fair comparison in the variety and 

 excellence, though not near so extensive, as that 

 on exhibition at the Public Garden in this city last 

 week. Several boxes of very luscious honey are 

 also in the hall. 



