152 



St. George's Agricultural Society. 



Vol. VIII. 



St. George's Agricultural Society. 



Annual meeting and ploughing match of 

 the Agricultural Society of iSt. George's and 

 Appoquinimink Hundreds, New Castle co., 

 Delaware : 



According to previous notice, the annual 

 meeting and ploughing match of the So- 

 ciety was held at Middletown, on Thursday, 

 November 9th. There was a large number 

 of the neighbouring farmers in attendance ; 

 and some from a distance. All seemed to 

 feel a lively interest in the proceedings of 

 the day; as the time approached for starting 

 the ploughs, the field of operations presented 

 an animated spectacle; crowds of anxious 

 spectators had taken up positions whence 

 they could best witness the scene, while the 

 ploughmen were busily engaged in bright- 

 ening and preparing their ploughs and teams 

 for the coming contest. At length the 

 word was given by one of the judges, and 

 off" started the competitors for the premiums 

 of the Society, eacli man apparently absorb- 

 ed in the management of his team, and eager 

 to perform the most creditable work: they 

 appeared unconscious of the crowd of ad- 

 miring spectators that surrounded them. 

 The ground was laid oft" in lots of one-fifth 

 of an acre each ; the ploughing was com- 

 pleted in forty-six minutes. After retiring 

 from the field, the Society sat down to an 

 excellent dinner, prepared by Mr. Cochran, 

 the worthy host of the Middletown Inn. 

 After which, the Society organized and 

 elected the following officers, to serve for 

 the ensuing year. 



Major John Jones, President. 



J. M. Woods, 

 Charles Tatman 



{■ V. Presidents. 



'. s 



J. S. Naudain, Recording SecWy. 



Daniel Corbit, Cor. Secretary. 



A. P. Reading, Treasurer. 



James T. Carpenter, 

 George Karsner, 

 John Whitby, 

 Isaac Gibbs, 

 James V. Moore, 

 William E. Perry, 



Directors. 



The report of the judges of the plough- 

 ing match, was then read, as follows : 



The committee appointed on the part of 

 the Society, to decide upon the merits of 

 the ploughing performed to-day, and to 

 award the premiums — report as follows: 



The committee remark in the first place, 

 that the ground selected, though the best 

 that could be procured for the occasion, was 



not such as could have been desired, it being 

 a wheat stubble, and although previously 

 mowed and cleaned, was still very foul in 

 many places with dead grass. There was 

 also, considerable disparity in the different 

 lands, which were allotted to the plough- 

 men ; which the committee were obliged to 

 take into consideration, rendering it more 

 difficult for them to make up a decision. 



The ploughing was all well executed, 

 and reflected much credit upon the differ- 

 ent competitors, — the fifth of an acre was 

 ploughed in thirty-seven to forty-six min- 

 utes, and was uniform in depth, averaging 

 about five inches. 



The committee award to George Carter, 

 Eastman's Baltimore Patent plough, John 

 Jones owner, the first premium of ^5. 



To Richard Carter, Moore's plough, John 

 Smith, owner, the second premium of S3 

 and Farmer's Cabinet for one year. 



To William Cochran, Beach's Concave 

 plough, John Whitlock, owner and maker, 

 the third premium of $2 and Cabinet for 

 one year. 



To Isaac Woods, Beach's Concave plough, 

 J. M. Woods, owner, the fourth premium of 

 $1 and Farmer's Cabinet, for one year. 



And to Charles Carter, Beach's plough ; 

 Levi Ryan, Concave plough; Joseph Carter, 

 Sinclair's Baltimore Patent plough ; and 

 George Pearce, Prouty's Centre-draught 

 plough, the committee award the Farmer's 

 Cabinet, for one year each. 



The committee remark further, in rela- 

 tion to the Centre-draught plough of D. O. 

 Prouty, that it was not in proper order for 

 a fair trial, having been much used, it was 

 greatly worn and very dull; it was drawn 

 by a pair of mules belonging to Major John 

 Jones. 



The report of the committee having been 

 read and accepted, the attention of the So- 

 ciety was called to an elegantly finished 

 plough, the manufacture of Mr. John Whit- 

 lock, of Middletown, the workmanship and 

 finish of which, were of the most beautiful 

 and perfect character, reflecting great credit 

 upon the mechanical abilities and enterprise 

 of Mr. Whitlock, and of Mr. Percival, of 

 Middletown, who prepared the iron work 

 for the plough. The Society deemed it un- 

 surpassed for beauty and accuracy of finish, 

 combined with strength and durability, and 

 unanimously voted the sum of §20 to Mr. 

 Whitlock, in consideration for his plough. 



Ordered, that the above extract of the 

 proceedings of the Society, be published in 

 the Farmers' Cabinet. 



J. S. Naudain, Recording Sec'ry. 



