564 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



Dec. 



for crops after the -wood is off. The best young 

 lot of pine seedlings I have ever seen, was sown 

 with a crop of rye, after the rye was up ; but 

 they do well when put on any newly harrowed 

 land without any covering. B. F. Cutler. 



Pelham, N. H., Oct. 23, 1854. 



UNITED STATES CATTLE SHOW. 



THE NATIONAL AORICULTIRAL BANQUET— LIST OF 

 PREMIUMS AWARDED. 



The first National Cattle Show ever held in this 

 country took place at Springfield, Ohio, under the 

 auspices of the United States Agricultural Socie- 

 ty, Oct. 25, 26 and 27, 1854. We have conversed 

 with several gentlemen who were present on the 

 occasion, who state that the show of cattle sur- 

 passed anything they had seen before. Gentlemen 

 from England also stated that in their opinion so 

 fine an exhibition of pure blood stock could not 

 be made in that country, so great has been the 

 draft upon their best animals for several years 

 past. 



The occasion was one of pleasant meetings and 

 congratulations between persons engaged in the 

 noble cause from all parts of our own country, 

 and with those, even, from other countries,which 

 can not fail to exert a most happy influence upon 

 all. We are glad to encourage every peaceful 

 occasion which will bring our people together 

 from the various parts of the Union, believing 

 that thereby our common interests will be promo- 

 ted, and that many existing prejudices will he 

 softened or entirely obliterated. We wish our 

 limits would permit us to give several of the 

 speeches made at the festive board, among which 

 was a capital one by Cassius M. Clay, but they 

 will not. Below, we give the opening remarks of 

 our fellow-citizen, the Hon. Marshall P. Wild 

 ER, President of the Society, and which the editor 

 of the Republic, published at Springfield, says 

 were delivered in " a dignified and eloquent 

 style." They certainly are appropriate to the 

 occasion, a-na mauirusc an earnestness in the cause 

 worthy of imitation. 



Springfield, Oct. 20. — The Grand National 

 Banquet, given by the officers and members of the 

 United States Agi-icultural Society, took place 

 this, afternoon, upon the grounds of the Cattle Ex- 

 hibition of the Society, and was an event long to 

 be remembered by those who participated, and 

 worthy of the great object that had collected to- 

 gether, from various portions of the country, «o 

 many distinguished gentlemen and eminent agri 

 culturists. 



A large pavilion, one hundred feet long and 

 about sixty wide, built of wood and covered with 

 canvas, was erected on the ground. Inside was 

 arranged several tables, capable of seating one 

 thousand persons comfortably, and cross-tables at 

 the west end for the officers, invited guests and 

 committees. Pursuant to the announcement of 

 the Committee of Arrangements, a procession was 

 fonned on the front part of the ground, and prece 



ded by a band of music, marched to the Banquet 

 pavilion. First came the officers of the Society ; 

 next the invited guests ; next the judges, commit- 

 tees, and then followed the public at laro^e. 



The tables were spread with profusion, and most 

 admirably arranged. No liquors were used ; a 

 large number of ladies were present, and added 

 much to the interest of the scene. 



The Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, President of 

 the United States Agricultural Society, presided ; 

 and, on his right and left, were seated the invited 

 guests and officers of the Society. 



After the asking of a blessing by the Rev. Mr. 

 White, of Springfield, the assemblage disposed 

 of the viands with much zest and spirit. When 

 the repast was concluded, the President, Mr. Wil- 

 der,- rose and spoke as follows : 



Friends of Agriculture and Fellow Citi- 

 zens : — In behalf of the United States Agricul- 

 tural Society, under whose auspices this exhibi- 

 tion is held — in behalf of the citizens of Spring- 

 field, by whose liberality we are here assembled 

 — and in my own behalf, I present you cordial 

 salutations, and bid you welcome to this our fes- 

 tive board. 



Come ye from the Pilgrim shores of New Eng- 

 land, from the plantations of the sunny South, 

 from the great valley and fertile fields of the West! 

 Come ye from the walks of professional life, from 

 the halls of legislation, from the marts of business, 

 or from the high places of power — from whatever 

 section of our land, from whatever station of so- 

 ciety, ivelco7ne — a right hearty welcome — to the 

 joys and pleasures of this occasion. 



We have suspended our ordinary cares, toils and 

 conflicts of business, and come up to this thriving 

 city from our diiFerent and distant homes, to give 

 expression to a common and important sentiment 

 — the love of Agriculture. 



We meet here for no sinister motive, no sec- 

 tional object, no partizan purpose. We stand here 

 upon a platform, broader, deeper and firmer than 

 that of any politician or partizan ; a platform upon 

 which these may stand side by side with the no- 

 ble yeomanry of our country, honoring them and 

 honored by them. We are here for the promo- 

 tion of a depai-iiuent of that great art, upon 

 ■^yliipt, more than upon any other, depend individ- 

 ual happiness and national wealth, prosperity 

 and power ; an art whicl^^is the parent of every 

 other industrial pursuit, a'hd to which the special 

 blessing of Heaven is vouchsafed. 



I congratulate you upon the great interest 

 awakened, in our age and country, in the cause 

 of Agriculture ; an interest manifested by the 

 multiplication of societies and periodicals through- 

 out the land. I congratulate you upon the won- 

 derful improvement which science has recently 

 made in the implements of husbandry, and in the 

 arts of cultivation — upon the facilities for the 

 transportation of agricultural products to the 

 great markets of the world — and especially upon 

 the improvement of our domestic animals, and 

 the laudable enthusiasm which many of our wor- 

 thy citizens have manifested in the importation 

 of the best breeds of cattle. 



It was the latter that suggested the idea of this 

 exhibition, and it was deemed suitable by the Ex 

 ecutive of the United States Agricultural Society 

 to encourage this praiseworthy enterprise, and to 

 accept the generous invitation of its projectors, 



