vi REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 



There was quite a large display of flowers ; that of pot-plants by 

 E. Shepard was excellent. An average show of farming imple- 

 ments and inventions. The show of household manufactures was 

 quite large. A good display of cereals. 



The display of horses, neat-stock, swine and sheep was fair. 

 The show of poultry was larger than usual ; among the many 

 exhibitors Were W. H. Eastman, of Stoneham, seventeen .coops of 

 fowls, and C. L. Parker, of AVinchester, seventeen coops of fowls, 

 all of which were of more than an average excellence. The display 

 of pears was unusually attractive, embracing nearly all of the choice 

 varieties. There were several contestants for superiority in the 

 ploughing-match, the first premium being awarded to L. Phelps, of 

 Lowell. 



A prominent feature in the exhibition on the second da}' was the 

 dinner given by the Societ}-. 



It is well known that this Society has in the two previous years 

 exhibited in connection with the New England Society. Those 

 who should have exhibited with this Society seemed to feel a 

 timidity' in competing with the professional breeders of the several 

 New England States, and thus deprived the Society of some choice 

 specimens of the products of their farms and herds. This was a 

 mistaken idea, as they should have competed for the larger pre- 

 miums offered by the New England Society', rather than allow them 

 to be taken by persons living at a distance. The union was finan- 

 cially a success, and we hope that time will show it to have been 

 agriculturall}' so. 



The Society has some seventeen acres of land inclosed with a 

 substantial board fence, an exhibition building some seventy by one 

 hundred and ten feet long, two stories high and a basement, afford- 

 ing commodious apartments for exhibiting in the three stories ; also 

 about seventy-five stalls for the accommodation of horses and cattle, 

 as well as sheds and like conveniences, and a superior half-mile 

 track, — thus giving the Society a property for which at any time 

 it could realize thirty thousand dollars, all of which is paid for, 

 leaving the Society out of debt and with several hundred dollars in 



its treasury. 



J. Ladd. 



MIDDLESEX SOUTH. 



On arriving at the Society's grounds, 3'our delegate found matters 

 in that chaotic state comprised in those oft-quoted words " getting 

 read}'," but everything betokened success when all was ready. Upon 

 inspection of the cattle-pens and sheds (being a neat-stock fancy 



