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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



the precise meaning of these words is generally 

 understood by those who employ them in speak- 

 ing of agricultural matters. 



AQRICULTaKAL SHOWS. 



We are desirous to give some notice — even 

 though it be a brief one — of each of the State 

 and county shows, as a record of passing events 

 in agriculture, and in order to afford a means of 

 contrast in the future. The Montfdy Farmer is 

 in book form, and is, therefore, convenient for 

 preservation, and each number is stereotyped, so 

 that as editions are exhausted, they are easily 

 supplied. In this, accounts of these shows may 

 be preserved, and they will afford the means of 

 enabling us by-and-by to ascertain what progress 

 has been made in the art. But as we are not 

 able to attend all the meetings and report them, 

 we are obliged to refer to the daily papers for 

 brief sketches of their proceedings. Some of 

 them we give below. 



East Franklin Agricultural Society. — 

 We learn from a correspondent that the second 

 annual meeting of the East franklin Agricultu- 

 ral Society was held at Montague on the 24ih. 

 Fine horses and cattle crowded the streets, and 

 an endless variety of apples, fruit, roots, melons, 

 squashes, fancy articles, and all the other etcet- 

 eras of such a show, filled the town hall. An 

 address was given by Prof. Ward of Bernardston. 

 Music was furnished by the Montague Brass 

 Band. A dinner was furnished at the hotel, of 

 which about two hundred partook. Speeches 

 were made by Mr. Eastman, of the Greenfield 

 Oazdte and Courier, Rev. Mr. Tandy, Prof. 

 Ward, xMajor Reed, A. D. Hubbard and S. B. 

 Pratt. Mr. Ward's address was the great fea- 

 ture of the occasion, it being delivered in a pleas- 

 ing, off-hand manner. — Journal. 



Middlesex North Agricultural Society. 

 — The fifth annual exhibition of this society took 

 place on Wednesday, Sept. 20, in Lowell. The 

 number of entries of cattle and stock was much 

 larger and of better quality than on any previous 

 exhibition. Several fine mares and colts attracted 

 much attention. There were several good spec- 

 imens of Cotswold, Merino and Smyrna sheep 

 with lambs. The rain interfered very materially 

 with the out-of-door exhibitions. At the ap- 

 pointed hour the officers of the society and the 

 invited guests partook of a dinner in French's 

 Hall. After the cloth was removed an address 

 ivas delivered by Hon. George N. Boutwell, after 

 which toasts were given, and responses were 

 made by Hon. C. L. Knapp, Mr. Bushnell, of 

 Sheffield, Mr. Reynolds, of Concord, and others. 



Middlesex South Agricultural Society. 

 — The Annual Exhibition and Cattle Show ot this 

 Society began on Wednesday morning, Sept. 20, 

 at Framingliam. The display of stock was not 

 so good as that of last year. Some of the ani- 

 mals that took premiums last year, were entered 

 for this year's prizes. The exhibition of vegeta- 

 bles was very fine, and was much better than was 



expected, as it was thought the recent winds had 

 damaged it very materially. There were excel- 

 ent specimens of grapes, and a good display of 

 manufactured articles, carriages and fancy work. 

 The following is a summary of the "entries : — 



Plowing, single teams 5 ; double teams 7 ; horse 

 teams 5 ; fat cattle 3 ; bulls 14 ; cows 12 ; milch 

 cows 3 ; heifers 37; heifer calves 13; workin.g 

 oxen 7 ; steers 4 ; carriage horses 15 ; stallions 

 7 ; breeding mares 8 ; colts 18 ; farm horses 5 ; 

 fat hogs 4 ; boars 6 ; sows 10 ; litters of pigs 7 ; 

 miscellaneous 2G — total 221. Fancy articles 110 ; 

 loaves of bread 40 ; vegetables 132 ; varieties of 

 fruit 382— total 654. Total 875. 



Philadelphia, Sept. 26. The State Agricul- 

 tural Fair commences at Powelton tomorrow, 

 and will be the most prosperous ever held. The 

 entries are very numerous. All the departments 

 are well filled. The premiums to be awarded 

 amount to $8000. 



St. Louis, Sept. 26. The fourth annual fair 

 of the St. Louis Agricultural and Mechanical 

 Association opened to-day, and although a heavy 

 rain fell in the morning, the grounds were vis- 

 ited by about 15,000 people. Nearly every State 

 in the Union is represented either by delegates, 

 stock, or in the mechanical and agricultural de- 

 partments. The number of entries exceeds 5000, 

 more than twice as many as any previous fair, 

 and still more are to be made. 



The exhibition is unprecedentedly large, and su- 

 perior in quality. The $1000 premiums for the 

 best roadster bred stallion, and thorough bred 

 bull, have drawn here many of the most celebrated 

 animals in the country. 



In a ring of twenty draft stallions to-da3% the 

 first premium was awarded to Charles B. Mack, 

 Rockport, Ky. The first premium for matched, 

 horses was taken by Wm. Reed, of Butler county 

 Ohio. 



The city is densely thronged, and every train 

 and steamboat comes loaded with additional 

 crowds. Should the weather be propitious, the 

 present will eclipse any fair ever held in the 

 Union. 



MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL OF AGRICUL- 



TUJRB. 



At the annual meeting held recently, the fol- 

 lowing officers of this society were chosen for 

 the ensuing year: 



Marshall P. Wilder President. 



Richard S. Fat Treasurer. 



Charles C. Sewall Corresponding Secretary. 



Asa French Recording fcecretary. 



By the act of incorporation the Trustees of the 

 society are: Marshall P. Wilder, Benja- 

 min V. French, George W. Lyman, Richard 

 S. Fay, Samuel Hooper, Joseph S. Cabot, 

 Charles O. Whitmore. 



Coal and Iron. — From the official returns of 

 the British Mineral Districts, it appears that the 

 produce of the coal mines in the United Kingdom 

 during a recent year amounted to 65,394,707 

 tons ; the estimated value of the coal at the mines 

 was $97,433,380. The pig-iron produced during 

 the year was valued at $64,000,000. 



