190 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Committee have understood that the age and weight of the 

 animal, and any other circumstance in the history of the horse 

 or liis training, might be taken into the account. In making 

 our award, therefore, we could not follow our predecessors, but 

 our own judgment. 



From the fact that, in a society embracing eleven towns, only 

 three horses should l)e entered for trial, your Committee are 

 agreed to urge that this part of the exhibition should be entirely 

 omitted, or such inducements offered, and witli such conditions, 

 as will call out an attractive and profitable display of working 

 horses and tend to increase their number and value. 



C. S. WniTMORE, Chairman. 



HAMPDEN. 



From the Report of the Committee on Stallions. 

 Of this class of horses but two were exhibited, and, unfortu- 

 nately for their owners, neither had the conditions which en- 

 titled them to an award from the society. It is not unreason- 

 able, however, to suppose that there are within the county other 

 and eligible horses of good breed and quality ; and it is to be 

 regretted that their owners did not feel interested enough to 

 bring them to the exhibition. Horse raising is not carried on 

 to much extent in this region. With the limited range of pas- 

 turage and the increasing expense of raising horses, it is not 

 likely that it will increase ; most of our farmers preferring to 

 depend for their horses upon other sections where pasturage is 

 more extensive, and where the cost of raising can be so reduced 

 that the value of the horse when fitted for work will come nearer 

 to their pecuniary means. It is only here and there that one 

 cares to undertake this work, and tlien only in a limited man- 

 ner, either because possessing a favorite mare, from which he 

 hopes to raise a " likely colt," or because he has unusual facili- 

 ties for the time being to make the attempt. It is therefore 

 desirable, if one should undertake it, that the best material 

 should be selected, in order that the experiment may have a 

 good chance for success. To incur so much expense and trouble 

 and then raise an inferior animal is the poorest kind of economy, 

 and, although we regret to say it, yet so far as our observation 

 goes this seems to be the general result. Our farmers either do 



