48 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



At the entrance several self-registering turnstiles were 

 placed, and each visitor was notified, by a conspicuous sign, 

 to enter through one or the other stile according to the kind 

 of ticket that he possessed. This, besides being a precaution 

 against dishonesty, was also the means of readily recording 

 the number of visitors at the show. 



The agricultural implements, road-engines and other porta- 

 ble steam-engines, were the only articles not under cover, 

 and even some of these were provided with shelter ; all live- 

 stock and other articles were in covered sheds. At the York- 

 shire show a number of closed boxes were provided for 

 horses, and also a row of boxes with open fronts. All the 

 horse-boxes and sheds were here arranged with the fence in- 

 closing the grounds for one side. 



Let me now speak of the Highland and Agricultural Soci- 

 ety's show, more particularly in those respects wherein it 

 differs from the Yorkshire. Much of what I have already 

 said will also apply to the former. 



All horses, except brood-mares with foal by their side, 

 were shown in stalls arranged with the heads towards the 

 high fence which inclosed the show-grounds, and with a pas- 

 sage about eight feet wide behind the animals, under the 

 same cover ; this was a close shed, and the fact that there 

 were two hundred and ninety-seven horses entered for ex- 

 hibition will give an idea of the length of shed required. 

 The l)oxes for the brood-mares were arranged in the line of 

 stalls, and were about the width of two stalls and length of 

 one, the fronts being formed with movable wooden rails to 

 the height of four and one-half feet. Every day, except the 

 first, there was a parade of all the horses in the morning and 

 also in the afternoon, commencing respectively at 12 and 

 2.30 o'clock; but the cattle were never paraded. This may 

 seem to many of my home readers a hard thing to accom- 

 plish satisfactorily, knowing the number of horses exhibited, 

 but each class being paraded separately, though in quick suc- 

 cession, and volunteers being ready to lead the horses when 

 necessary, who seemed to be stimulated to do so by their in- 

 terest for the success of the show, every horse was always 

 present in the line looking his best. 



The prize-winners took the lead in their proper order of 



