514 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



AGRICULTURAL SHOW AT WOR- 

 CESTER. 



September 24, 25 and 26, at Worcester, were de- 

 voted to the annual cattle show. Most of the usu- 

 al exhibitions were made, and in addition, there was 

 a competition in dairy productions for premiums 

 offered by the State Society, amounting to $2,290. 

 These ranged from $250 down to $25. Of course, 

 these brought out a large number of bulls and milch 

 cows, and probably brought together a finer show 

 of dairy stock than has ever been seen together be- 

 fore. The Durham bull. Kirk Leavington, owned 

 by Paoli Lathrop, Esq., of South Hadley, was 

 probably the best animal of that blood that has 

 been in this part of the State. The following is 

 the award of the State premiums : 



Dairy Stock — Class 1 — For best six Dairy Cows, 

 owned and kept together, 1st premium Samuel Ells- 

 worth Barre, $250 ; 2d, to Asa G. Sheldon, Wil- 

 mington, t200 ; 3d, to Wm. Robinson, Jr., Barre, 

 $150; 4th, not awarded. 



Class 2 — For best four Dairy Cows, owned and 

 kept from July to day of Show, 1st premium to 

 Amos S, Knight, West Boylston, ipl50 ; 2d to Wm. 

 J. Robinson, Barre, $100 ; 3d, not awarded. 



Gratuity to Mr. John Mann of Worcester of $25. 



Glass 3 and 6 — Devon stock — no cows offered for 

 premiums; W. Buckminster of Framingham, had 

 a line lot on exhibition, which the Committee com- 

 mended very highly ; the first premium on Devon 

 bulls was awarded to Harvey Dodge of Sutton, 

 $50; 2d to John Brooks of Princetan, $40; 3d 

 to Peter Harwcod of Barre, $30. 



Class 4 and G — Durham stock. No cows offered ; 

 of bulls only one pure blood, •' Kirk Leavington," 

 owned by Mr. Lathrop of So. Hadley took the pre- 

 mium of $50. Gratuities were recommended to E. 

 R. Brigham and S. Brigham of Southboro'. 



Class 3 — Ayrshires — There were nine entries of 

 bulls. 1st premium to W. S. Lincoln, §50 ; 2d, to 

 J, Brooks, $40 ; 3d, to W. S. Lincoln, $25. 



Class 4 — Native Cows — two entries. Wm. Wat- 

 sou of Princeton, and Wm. Eames of Worcester, 

 but neither complied with the regulations, and gra- 

 tuities were recommended of $30 and $20 to these 

 two gentlemen. 



Class 5 — Only one entry, and the premium was 

 awarded to Rufus Carter, $40, and a gratuity was 

 recommended to E. R. Brigham of Marlboro'. 



Class 3 and 6 — Jersey and Alderney stock ; 1st 

 premium, best bull, to Wm. Spencer of Lowell, 

 $50 ; 2d, to Stephen Salisbury of Worcester, $40 ; 

 3d, to Joseph Burnett of Southboro', $35. No 

 competition on cows in this class. 



Class 6 — native and mixed — entries sixteen : 1st 

 Moses Thompson of New Bramtree, best bull, $50 ; 

 2d, to Daniel Dwight of Dudley, $40; 3d, to 

 Francis Carroll of Grafton, $25. 



Mowing Machines. — This Society offered a premi- 

 um of $1000 for the best mowing machine, compe- 

 tition being invited from all parts of the country ; 

 the principal trial was had at Northfield in this 

 State some weeks since, there being seventeen en- 

 tries, and seven being present. The Committee 

 awarded the premium of $1000 to D. C. Henderson 

 of Chicago, for the best machine and the best mow- 

 ing of 50 acres in the best manner. 



Aside from the stock presented, we consider the 

 last exhibition of the AVorcester County Society a 



failure ; that is, it did not meet the expectations of 

 the people. Worcester county is capable of mak- 

 ing a show in all the departments of agriculture 

 that shall command the attention and admiration 

 of all — in horses, oxen, cows, young cattle, swine 

 and poultry ; in implements and machines, in but- 

 ter and cheese, in grains, vegetables and fruits. At 

 the late show she did herself credit in two de- 

 partments only, — those of cattle and horses. In 

 some, the grand essentials to success were com- 

 pletely wanting. In vain did we wander through 

 the resounding rooms of their commodious build- 

 ing to find the fruit department, in vain for the veg- 

 etables, and with no better success for the butter 

 and the cheese. Where were the evidences of the 

 industry and skill in domestic manufactures, or 

 what evidences were to be seen that the farmers of 

 Worcester county had any wives and daughters ! 



We are aware it may be said that a neighboring 

 horticultural society, like the lean kine, had swal- 

 lowed up the fruits and flowers and vegetables. — 

 But was it in the contract with those in the associ- 

 ation, that they should be compelled to go far off 

 to see the productions of the county in this de- 

 partment of her industry, and then at an expense 

 which they might not feel willing to incur? 



There was room enough in the great hall, and 

 there were products enough in the county to fill 

 it, and there throngs of people came and went for 

 hours, and wondered where the butter and cheese 

 and bread, and vegetables, and grains and fruits, 

 all were ! It was Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, 

 with Hamlet omitted. It was not the good old 

 Worcester county cittle show of former years, — 

 There were not one-fourlh of the people present 

 on the second day of the show that there should 

 have been — not half as many, we should judge, as 

 were present at the lown show in Groton the next 

 day. The last day, we understand, when the horses 

 were introduced, the assemblage of people was very 

 large. Indeed, wherever a tract is laid on our show 

 grounds, and horses are exhibited and trotted, we 

 find them overshadowing every thing else, and grad- 

 ually changing the whole afi'air from its original 

 purposes. Great dissatisfaction has already grown 

 up in consequence of this, and it is rapidly increas- 

 ing. Many persons not only stay away themselves 

 from the entire exhibition, but will not allow any 

 under their guardianshij) to visit them. 



We have no sickly sensibilities about these mat- 

 ters, and appreclat^a good horse and know his val- 

 ue, as well as any man ; and we also mingle with 

 the people of the State so as to know their senti- 

 ments on this subject, as well as any man ; and we 

 tell our friends, now, that unless they return to the 

 old practice of exhibiting all the products of the 

 farm in their proper places, and allowing no de- 

 partment to overshadow the rest, the usefulness of 

 our happy festivals is at an end. 



