APPENDIX. xlvii 



workshop, and the many fancy and domestic articles the farmers' 

 wives and daughters everywhere know so well how to manufacture. 



The long tables of fruit first met my eye, embracing ai)i)les, 

 pears, peaches, grapes, quinces and cranberries, in a total two 

 hundred and thirty-six (236) plates ; Mrs. Shubal Smith, of Holmes' 

 Hole contributing the largest display, twenty-eight of pears, four- 

 teen of grapes, two of quinces and ten of apples, among which 

 was shown " The Smith Seedling," a seedling from the R. I. Green- 

 ing, very large, and, as I was informed, with all the qualities of the 

 parent apples, adding thereto keeping qualities equal to the Rox- 

 bury Russet, the tree being very hardy where other of our stand- 

 ard New England varieties will not thrive. The tables of 

 vegetables were more than full, the potatoes being legion. One 

 would have good reason to judge from the display that the people 

 here had the fever to the highest point, all the new and fancy 

 Varieties, as well as the old being shown. Beets, onions, turnips, 

 cabbages, huge pumpkins, and mammoth squashes, the product from 

 six hills being fifteen hundred pounds, tempting watermelons, all 

 had their allotted places. Of the grains I found fifty-seven sam- 

 ples, corn predominating. 



The dairy was represented by fifteen samples of golden butter 

 and three samples of cheese. Added to this the culinary show, of 

 forty-three loaves of bread and cake, made a tempting table to look 

 upon. Preserves and canned fruits were shown in large quantities. 

 With these, I saw twelve specimens of wines. Not sampling, can 

 only say, "distance lent enchantment to the view." The handy 

 workmanship of the wives, and daughters, occupied a large space in 

 the display of domestic and fancy articles. Plants and flowers, 

 though late in the season, added much to adorn and beautify the 

 hall. E. T. Dunham was on hand with his sample of Sicily nut-tree, 

 extolling its merits highly, and informing all that he had " but a few 

 more for sale ;" " purchase while you can " was his continual advice. 

 Painting and drawing covered one end of the hall, and in conspicu- 

 ous position, as well they should be, on account of. merit, were the 

 copied j)ictures by J. H. Nickerson, an infirm boy, whose practice had 

 been his only teacher. Agricultural implements were represented 

 by one each of Buckeye mower. Bay State rake, and ox yoke, added 

 to these the mechanical implements, and manufactures, as shown in 

 wagon, household uirniture, leather, brick and tile, tfcc, closed my 

 inspection of the hall, and brought me to the second day of the 

 exhibition, which was devoted to ploughing match, and horses. 



The j)remium for ploughing was contested for by three ox teams, 

 on a fine loam soil, and was skilfully executed, the first premium 



