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Exhibition and Cattle Show of Chester Sf Del. Co. Vol. X. 



high vindication of the Short-horns to find 

 that the milking properties of the cows 

 were well kept up, if not increased. Pas- 

 chall Worth exhibited three enormous steers 

 home raised and half-bloods, four years old, 

 which will probably weigh near 1,400 lbs. 

 each, perfect standards of beauty. Two of 

 them were got by " His Grace" and " York- 

 shireman." There were also some very su- 

 perior oxen on the ground of great size and] 

 excellence. In this vicinity oxen are gene- 

 rally preferred to horses tor farming pur- 

 poses, and care is taken to have them well 

 mated and easily managed. John Worth 

 brought two pairs of home raised, part Dur- 

 ham, which were much admired, and one of 

 them obtained the premium. As regards 

 sheep, although the number exhibited was 

 not so large as usual, their superiority was 

 fully maintained. Indeed it is generally ad- 

 mitted that at no Agricultural iShows south 

 of New York, are there to be seen such 

 sheep as at those of this Society. The im- 

 portation of Southdowns a few years since 

 by Joseph Cope, direct from the flocks of 

 Ellman and Grantham, are to be found here, 

 in addition to Bake wells and crosses more' 

 or less deep of these two celebrated breedsi 

 on other stock, and with each other. The! 

 hills and pastures of Chester county are' 

 highly favourable to sheep, and it is only 

 natural to suppose that in the hands of skil- 

 ful breeders they have attained a size and 

 quality rarely found elsewhere. The pure 

 and mixed breeds shown here would grace 

 any agricultural exhibition in the country. 

 The premiums for sheep were distributed 

 between John Worth, George Brinton, P. 

 Hannum, Paschall Morris, and N. Middle- 

 ton. 



Of hogs, not a pure Berkshire was to be 

 found ; they have either made away with 

 themselves, or been made away with by 

 others. The farmers seem to think them- 

 selves better suited by a small dash of Berk- 

 shire into the white Chester county hog. 

 This makes a very perfect animal, giving 

 rather more size, and perhaps a little more 

 lard. Of these some very good specimens 

 were exhibited. 



The chickens also had their representa- 

 tives, and had good reason to crow at the 

 encomiums lavished on them. The "Jersey 

 Blues" seemed to be the favourites. They 

 are found to be good layers, and reach almost 

 the size of turkeys. A pair of spring chick- 

 ens which obtained the premium, weighed 

 over thirteen pounds; they were raised by 

 John Worth. The display within doors far 

 surpassed any thing previous, and was highly 

 creditable to farmers, gardeners, and fruit 

 growers. The peaches, quinces, grapes, 



apples, fall pears, &c., although not so nu- 

 merous, would vie in quality with those at 

 the Horticultural Exhibition in Philadelphia. 

 Besides the fruit, butter, and honey, there 

 were a great number and variety of vegeta- 

 bles, sugar-beets, turnips, pumpkins, squash- 

 es, cabbages, carrots, garden beets, turnip 

 cabbages, egg plants, celery, &c., all very 

 superior and beautiful; the whole orna- 

 mented and set off with bouquets and pyra- 

 mids of flowers, cultivated and arranged 

 with female taste and judgment. 



The exhibition on the whole is said to 

 have been the best of the kind since the 

 formation of the Society, and is calculated 

 to encourage to renewed efforts for more ex- 

 tended usefulness. There is no reason why 

 the Chester and Delaware County Society 

 should not embrace a wide sphere of action, 

 and produce at their annual festivals a dis- 

 play of the different kinds of improved stock, 

 of fruit, vegetables, and articles of domestic 

 manufacture, equal to any in the Union, and 

 have them resorted to from all sections of 

 the country. She has groundwork for it 

 which no other place can boast of, in her 

 unrivalled soil, her well managed farms, her 

 various manufactories, and intelligent farm- 

 ers and citizens. 



The finale to this interesting day was an 

 Address in the court-house by John S. Bow- 

 en, practical in its suggestions, and at times 

 eloquent in advocating the importance of an 

 enlightened agriculture upon the general 

 prosperity of the country. It had many 

 hints which should not be lost sight of, and 

 I would suggest its insertion in the Cabinet, 

 particularly as it contained a handsome allu- 

 sion to it. 



I am tempted to extend this already lengthy 

 paper, by alluding to the ploughing match 

 which took place the day previously in a 

 field adjoining the borough. Three ploughs 

 started, the Moore plough, Roberts' plough, 

 and Prouiy plough, the first of which took 

 the premium. As I was a disinterested 

 spectator, having no interest in either plough . 

 except from the fact of having used a Prouty 

 plough for tlie last three years, I intend to 

 speak plainly in expressing the opinion that 

 this award is a sad error of judgment on the 

 part of the committee, and after learning 

 the grounds of their decision, I concluded 

 that were I the patentee of the Prouty 

 plough, I would never again exhibit her for 

 a premium in a neighbourhood where she is 

 but little known, and where the farmers con- 

 sequently have not had an opportunity by 

 actual experience of understanding her pe- 

 culiar merits. Take for instance this case: 

 here was a committee of intelligent practi- 

 cal men, but who had been used to the ordi- 



