• APPENDIX. xi 



The collection of people the second (Jay was judged to be about 

 5,000, and we were very favorably impressed with the general quiet, 

 good behavior and interest, as well as general intelligence manifested by 

 all persons present ; and as they mingled together, all seemed conscious 

 of their own and each other's happiness, and that they were having, not 

 mei'ely in name, but in reality, a farmer's holiday ; and with that con- 

 stant toil exercised by most formers and their families of INIassachusetts, 

 it is desirable that they should at times turn for observation and recrea- 

 tion, and as we saw the interest manifested and pleasure taken, we were 

 impressed with the fact that our annual fairs are doing very much to 

 raise the standard of the farmers of Massachusetts. 



We cannot close without expressing our profound thanks to the wor- 

 thy president of this society, William G. Lewis, and secretary, James 

 W. Brown, for their united and untiring efforts to afford us every facility 

 for observation, and to make our visit interesting to us ; and also to H. 

 H. Peters, of Southborough, who came for us at the close of the first day, 

 and returned with us in the morning, in the intervening time making us 

 the recipient of his generous board, and showing us one of the best kept, 

 permanently improved and finest farms in Massachusetts, and also fifty 

 thoroughbred Ayrshire cows, as much alike as so many pease, and in 

 just the right condition of flesh to give the greatest flow of milk, and, 

 we venture to say, the best lot of Ayrshire cows in the United States ; 

 and we renew our thanks to J. W. Clark, Esq., for his attentions to us, 

 and for the facilities afforded us of seeing the surrounding towns, and 

 the thrift and pleasant country homes occupied by the men and families 

 of persons doing business in Boston, who are afforded every facility of 

 convenient conveyance by the Boston and Worcester Railroad. Said 

 road having an eye to its own interest and the interest of its patrons, 

 by offering such inducements of railroad as are building a continuous 

 line of country homes from Boston to Worcester, whereby men do busi- 

 ness in Boston and live with their families in the country. The Boston 

 and Worcester Railroad and its patrons are on the best of terms. Mr. 

 Clark has but two acres of land, yet he has it so diversified and laid 

 out that in observing all that is beautiful and useful, one would think 

 they were looking over a score of acres; and among the many of his 

 fruits we were shown a seedling grape," called the St. Catharine, of very 

 fine quality, which ripens much earlier than the Concord, and is perfectly 

 hardy. Oliver Bennett, Esq., has also a seedling grape, called the 

 " Framingham Seedling," of good size and quality, and which ripens 

 four weeks earlier than the Isabella. To secure a large crop of peaches 

 every year, and protect his trees, Mr. Bennett collects a few branches 

 together and binds them in straw, and then binds several of these 

 together ; and to render the operation more convenient, he cultivates 



