168 HAMPSHIRE, FRANKLIN, AND 



HAMPSHIRE, niANKLIN, AND HAMPDEN AGRICUL- 

 TURAL SOCIETY. 



The annual cattle show and fair of this society were held 

 at Northampton, on Wednesday and Thursday, the 8th and 9th 

 of September last. 



The ploughing match was unequalled by any similar exhibi- 

 tion within our knowledge. It came off at 2 o'clock, on the 

 first day of the show, on a large, flat and beautiful piece of 

 land, about a mile from the town, which belongs to Elisha 

 Graves, and is known by the name of " The Nook." And 

 truly it is a nook, one of the finest in Massachusetts. Stand- 

 ing on the fertile field where the match took place, the view is 

 charming. In the distance rises in bold relief the hoary head 

 of Mount Holyoke, with its clustering trees and beautiful foli- 

 age, and on its highest summit, peering through the variegated 

 colors of the changing forest leaves, is seen the mountain house, 

 a place of rest for travellers ; while at the foot of the mount 

 runs the Connecticut, flowing onwards with its pure placid 

 stream, to mingle its waters with the mighty ocean. Thirty- 

 two teams entered the contest, and unusual interest was felt in 

 the result. Ploughs from three different manufacturers, Prouty 

 & Mears ; Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, and Whittemore, of Chic- 

 opee, were in competition for superiority. There was also 

 another plough, which was new in this county, with a double 

 share, called the Michigan plough. It is virtually two ploughs 

 in one, the first plough or share turning over the turf, and the 

 second stirring up the subsoil. It pulverized the soil equal, if 

 not superior, to the spade. 



The show of cattle was not large, nor so good as this county 

 should present. The whole number of entries was one hun- 

 dred and sixty-two, of which nine were of fat cattle, ten of 

 bulls, and fifteen of milch cows. In young cattle a very 

 decided improvement was noticed over former years. Three 



