ii EEPORTS OF DELEGATES. 



PtEPOPvTS OF DELEGATES 



APPOINTED TO YISIT THE 



AGEICULTUEAL EXHIBITIONS. 



ESSEX. 



The subscriber highly enjoyed the second day of the renowned old 

 Essex County cattle-show and fair. The Society migrates around 

 the count}^, giving different sections and towns the advantage of its 

 anniversary celebrations. I like the plan — or should — if the cattle 

 and horses could carr}' their stables and sheds around with them, to 

 protect them against foul weather. 



This year the fair was held in Gloucester, on the rock-bound shore 

 of the sea. A good exhibition of "fish" might have been expected 

 here, but the shows of "flesh and fowl" were quite startling to a 

 Berkshire man. 



The fair being held in an extreme part of the county, it did not, of 

 course, call out a fair exhibition of the live-stock of Essex. The 

 moderate number of oxen, steers, bulls, cows and heifers that were 

 on the grounds the second da}', were good specimens of the various 

 breeds. If oxen entered for premium were not numerous, the Society 

 has a wa}' of expanding the number which, to a backwoods Berk- 

 shire man, is quite novel and pleasant. The}' give the first pre- 

 mium to the off-ox and the second premium to the near-ox. 



The poultry-show was surprising and highly gratifying to me. 

 The coops of Brahmas, light and dark, the partridge and black 

 Cochins, the Plymouth Rocks, the Dominiques, the Bantams, the 

 Leghorns, the Bolton Grays, the great variety of beautiful ducks 

 and geese, — made a musical and interesting little neighborhood in 

 which I could have tarried contentedl}- a whole da}-. 



I was much pleased with the work done at the ploughing-match. 

 Although the field was not ver}- favorable, the furrow was turned 

 with a depth and thorough completeness that I do not often see in 

 my own agricultural county. 



