MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 103 



MIDDLESEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The annual exhibition of the Society of Husbandmen and 

 Manufacturers, in the County of Middlesex, took place at Low- 

 ell, on Wednesday, the 24th of September last. For more 

 than fifty years, the shows of this Society have been held in 

 the ancient town of Concord. At a meeting of the Trustees, 

 it was their opinion that a more general interest in the subjects 

 proposed to be promoted by the society, might be excited among 

 the farmers of the county, by holding the show this year at 

 Lo\vell. 



For the ploughing match, twenty two teams were entered : 

 Eight doable teams of four oxen each ; four horse teams of 

 two horses each, and ten single teams, of a pair of oxen each. 

 The ground selected had the merit of being near the cattle 

 pens, as somewhat uneven and stony, but afforded pretty 

 fair average lands for all the competitors. The ploughmen 

 exhibited great skill in the use of their implements, in avoiding 

 stones, and in the nice movements and changes of the plough 

 in passing uneven places, in order to leave a smooth and work- 

 manlike furrow behind. So much mind has been brought to 

 act upon the plough and its uses, within a few years past, that 

 this very important part of husbandry — ploughing, may be per- 

 formed now at one half the expense which it cost fifty years 

 ago. Not only is the work done cheaper, but it is believed that 

 the increase of crops occasioned by deep ploughing, more than 

 pays the cost of extra labor. Then, a depth of four and five 

 inches was considered sufficient, while now the intelligent cul- 

 tivator requires double that depth on stubble grounds, and a 

 subsoiling of five or six inches deeper, when the sward is 

 broken up. 



Thirteen entries were made for the trial of strength and skill 

 of working oxen, but seven teams only appeared on the ground. 

 The load and waggon, weighing eigltty-jive hundred and ttvelve 

 pounds, was drawn a distance of about forty rods, up a moder- 



