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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE FAIR. 



The second annual show of this society took 

 place at Manchester, N. H., on Wednesday, 

 Thursday and Friday, of last week. The peo- 

 ple in every part of the State had taken an un- 

 usual interest in its operations during the year, and 

 the officers of the society, together with the com- 

 mittees, and all others in any way connected with 

 its welfare, had been judiciously selected from the 

 several counties, so that there was one common 

 impulse to make everything convenient for stran- 

 gers, and to make the exhibition as useful and at- 

 tractive as possible. The first great and important 

 feature of the display was, that everything was 

 brought into one proximity. The stock, poultry, 

 sheep, swine, horses, ploughing match, trot- 

 ting course, forage, water, booths for dining, and 

 every other convenience, were included in an area 

 (if twenty acres, enclosed by a high fence, and sur- 

 rounded on three sides by a forest of yellow pines. 

 An hydraulic ram had been set up on a neighbor- 

 ing stream, which supplied the animals, as well as 

 persons, with an abundant supply of water. 



Horses. — The display of this noble animal was 

 veiy gratifying. There was a fine stallion, sired 

 by the old Black Hawk, and owned by Mr. S. C. 

 Hall, of Manchester; also several of Black Hawk's 

 colts. The old Giftbrd Morgan stock was repre- 

 sented with his progeny, some twenty-five or thirty 

 in number. Some good looking breeding mares 

 were also on the ground. 



Working Oxen. — In this class there was a bet- 

 ter exhibition than we have before seen in New 

 England. There was a team of some fifty pairs 

 from Cheshire County, which afforded an admira- 

 ble display. They were nearly all of light chest- 

 nut color, in good flesh, active and well propor- 

 tioned. A pair of four years old steers, the prop- 

 erty of Gen. Erastus Glidden, of Unity, were 

 the admiration of all beholders; although so youns, 

 their weight was three thousand eight hundred and 

 seventy founds; in color, symmetry and proportions, 

 they came as near perfection as the most ardent 

 admirer of the ox could desire. This gentleman's 

 success is proverbial. We were informed on the 

 ground, that he never contends for a premium but 

 he receives it — his stock is always thrifty, attains 

 a large size in a short time, and thus affords a 

 quick profit. In a case like this, where success is 

 looked tor as a matter of course, it is important to 

 h11 slock breeders to know his mode of managinti 

 — his particular breed, and everything that secures 

 such results. We therefore hope the society will 

 place Gen. Glidden in such a situation as will draw 

 from hirn a full report upon the rearing and man- 

 agement ofioorking cattle. Many other fine speci- 

 mens were on the ground, but we have room only 

 to mention one or two of each class. 



Bulls. — There were many fine animals in this 

 cla«^ NTTion? them we noticed one five years old,' 



the property of Robert Elwell, of Langdon; a 

 calf eight months old, from Dunbar & Currier, 

 of Warner; another six montlis old, fiom G. W. 

 Nesmith, of Franklin, the President of the Socie- 

 ty. These animals were all excellent, and pro- 

 nounced so by good judges who went the rounds 

 with us. There was also a very handsome Ayr- 

 shire bull three years old, and weighing one thou- 

 sand and six hundred pounds, the property of John 

 Hazelton, of Orford. 



Milch Cows. — The display in this class, we are 

 sorry to say, was sadly deficient. From our own 

 personal knowledge of good milkers in the south- 

 easterly part of the State, only, we know that this 

 deficiency was not because better cows could not 

 be produced. There has been a good deal of at- 

 tention paid to improvement in Milch Cows; that 

 attention has been crowned with considerable suc- 

 cess, and the show might have been such as to 

 have commanded the appiobation of good judges. 

 We hope that Mr. Preston, the chairman of the 

 committee on Milch Cows, with such other gen- 

 tlemen as he fan call to his aid, will see to this 

 matter another year, and fill up the pens with cows 

 that will do credit to their exertions. There were 

 specimens of fine Devon Heifers, and the Devon 

 stock of all kinds was highly attractive in its pure 

 dark chestnut color, clear face and fine limbs. 

 Ayrshire^ were not numerous; two or three cows 

 and as many bulls made up all that we saw of that 

 class. No calves, heifers or steers, were noticed. 

 There were a few pure Short Horns or Durhams; 

 some crosses of them were present with the cows, 

 but as with the Ayrshires, few young cattle or 

 calves. We cannot lose any opportunity of urging 

 upon our friends the importance of paying more 

 attention to our native stock. Those persons who 

 attended the show of the Middlesex County Socie- 

 ty, of Massachusetts, this year, will not doubt that 

 our cows, when receiving the attention which is 

 usually bestowed upon the foreign varieties, are 

 not only capable of being made profitable milkers, 

 but of being highly improved in beauty and sym- 

 metry, by levelling their prominent hunches, and 

 laying on the juicy muscle in their cavities. The 

 native Milch Cows at that exhibition abundantly 

 proved this — and as they are adapted to our climate 

 and pasturage, no effort should be spared to bring 

 them to as high a state of perfection as possible. 



Sheep. — Several lots in this class was pre- 

 sented. Among them was a French IMerino Buck, 

 two years old, the property of George Campbell, 

 of Westminster, Vt. His weight was 224 pounds, 

 and in June last he gave a fleece of twenty pounds 

 and twelve ounces of fine wool ! As considerable 

 attention is paid to the subject of sheep, by many 

 of the farmers along the Connecticut Valley, we 

 were a little surprised that there was not a larger 

 display. Perhaps Mr. Walker, the indefatigable 

 spcretnrv of the society, and who, we h^lipve, is 



