NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



331 



reiga climes, from a want of faith in the dignity of 

 of agriculture as a pursuit, He believed there was 

 no better field for youth than the field their fathers 

 trod. In speaking of agricultural education he 

 thought the State might do much, but that there 

 was a power in the farmers tiiemselves, which 

 would render applicable the words of the poet used 

 for tlic Greeks when struggling under the Turkish 

 tyranny. 

 "Who would be free, themselves musl strike the blow." 



He advised the farmers to set in motion the work 

 of reformation in their own towns and school dis- 

 tricts. The Governor was frequently applauded, 

 and his remarks were listened to with deep atten- 

 tion. Speeches were also made by Mr. Page, 

 President of the Bristol County Society, Mr. 

 W.^LKER, Secretary of State, and several other 

 gentlemen. 



There was a fine display of domestic and agri- 

 cultural manufactures, of vegetables, fruits, flowers, 

 &c., in Franklin Building, near the Common — al- 

 so many lots of very nice butter. Half an hour 

 was pleasantly passed at Pickman Hall in looking 

 at the Horticultural Society's collection of fruits 

 and flowers. The pears were unusually fine speci- 

 mens, as were some of the grapes and apples. 



The address was delivered by Rev. Milton P. 

 Braman, of Danvers, and was principally devoted 

 to the subject of agricultural education. A just tri- 

 bute was paid to the memory of that excellent man, 

 the late Daniel P. King, long one of their most 

 active and eflicient members. Mr. Braman spoke 

 of the present state of agriculture in China, and 

 the implements used there, contrasting them with 

 those now in use among us, and also spoke of the 

 tenacity with which people are wedded to old ha- 

 bits and usages. 



Upon the whole it was a day to be remembered 

 in Old Essex. Such a gathering cannot fail to ex- 

 cite an interest which will be felt in all the depart- 

 ments of husbandry — in the field and in the gar- 

 den, in the dairy, with the stock, and in every de- 

 partment where there is room for improvement. 

 These festivals stimulate to a laudable rivalry, and 

 give importance to the occupation; they are a cen- 

 tre-point around which throng the thoughts of the 

 farmer while laboring through the year, as the 

 place where his eflbrts at improvement will be ap- 

 preciated and in part rewarded. There is also 

 another motive for action and excellence beside 

 that of daily bread; and that is, the approbation of 

 those who are leaders in the work of reformation, 

 whose opinions they respect, and whose examples 

 they are earnest to imitate. 



Speculators generally die poor. If they 

 make ten thousand dollars to-day on a coal-mine, 

 they must try and make twenty thousand to-mor- 

 row, by dabbling in the Do-'Em-Brown railroad. 

 Like the boy who undertook to steal figs through 

 a knot-hole, they got their hands so full of sweets 

 that they can't pull them back again. 



MIDDLESEX COUNTY SHOW. 



The annual exliibition of cattle, implements, 

 fruits, vegetal)les, &c., of this society, took place 

 at Lowell, on Wednesday, the 24th of September. 

 This society, we believe, is the oldest in the State, 

 and its sliows for more than fifty years have been 

 holden in tiie ancient and time-honored town of 

 Concord We understand that it was the opinion 

 of tiie Board of Trustees that a more general inter- 

 est might be excited among the farmers of the coun- 

 ty by holding the show this year at Lowell. The 

 people of that city and vicinity were also desirous 

 of aiding in the duties of preparation, and the trus- 

 tees were unanimous in the decision that the exhi- 

 bition should take place at Lowell. 



The weather was auspicious, the contribu- 

 tions numerous, and in many instances of a high 

 order. Every accommodation was granted by the 

 city authorities, and by the county commissioners, 

 that could be desired, and the festival seemed to af- 

 ford great gratification to all who shared in it. 



There were on the ground four double teams — 

 eight being entered. The prizes were awarded to 

 A. B. Coburn, $10; O. M. Whipple, $7; .1. V. B. 

 Coburn, $.G, and J. H. Bent, .f.5. Four horse 

 teams ploughed ; Joseph D. Brown received the 

 first premium of ,flO; Charles Gerry, $7; J. Da- 

 mon, $6, and N. Brooks, $5. Ten single teams 

 ploughed. The grounds selected had the merit of 

 being near the cattle pens, were somewhat uneven 

 and stony, but afl^orded a pretty fair average for all 

 the contestants. In looking at the execution of the 

 work, and the ease and facility with which' it was 

 accomplished, there seemed to be a doubt on our 

 mind for a moment, whether the ingenuity of man 

 c luld devise any thing which should make its exe- 

 iution easier and cheaper. The ploughmen e.xhi- 

 oited great skill in the use of their implements in 

 avoiding stones, and in the nice movements and 

 changes of the plough in passing uneven places, in 

 order to leave a smooth and workmanlike furrow 

 behind. 



Thirteen entries were made for the trial of 

 slrength and skill of working oxen, while but sev^ 

 en teams took the ground; the load and wagon, 

 weighing agJdy-Jive hundred and twelve founds, 

 was drawn a distance of some 30 or 40 rods, up 

 hill, with steadiness and apparently without strain- 

 ing, by several of the teams. Some of the cattle 

 would not sufTer in comparison with the best of the 



couiiiry. 



There was a very fair collection of cattle in the 

 pens, but upon the whole not coming up to what 

 the farmers of Middlesex can do, if they should turn 

 out in greater numbers. There were several spe- 

 cimens of native cows, possessing most of the l)esi 

 points of the animal, and giving strong indications 

 that with proper attention to the sire, these animals 

 would produce a progeny of a very high order. — 

 The weight of one of these cows, belonging to Mr. 



