MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 455 



from the duty they owe themselves and the State, it is only in 

 this way they may expect to receive it for the future. 



The thirty-third anniversary of this society Avas held at 

 Northampton, on the 8th and 9th days of October last. The 

 undersigned, appointed as the delegate of the board to attend 

 this anniversary, regrets that he was unable to be present dur- 

 ing both of these days. The first day was devoted mainly to 

 the show of cattle and the ploughing match. The latter was 

 contested in a very spirited manner by thirty-three teams, and, 

 as your delegate was informed, all horse teams. Indeed, the 

 use of horses for ploughing, seems to be far more common in 

 the western part of the State than in the eastern, and is more 

 encouraged at their ploughing matches than with us. The 

 show of cattle was said to have been better than that of several 

 former years, but not so good as the valley of the Connecticut 

 should present. From the weight given to your delegate of 

 some of the fat cattle, the shows are decidedly before those on 

 the seaboard in this class of animals. And well they may be, 

 when it is remembered that the range of pasturage in Worces- 

 ter county, and onwards through the State to the west, is far 

 greater and better than that which is to be found in the east. 

 The middle and western counties are grazing counties, whilst 

 the other counties have but little to depend upon in the grazing 

 of cattle. And here it may be remarked that the old pastures 

 in the State are fast becoming exhausted of their scanty her- 

 bage, and demand most urgently the attention of our farmers 

 to renovate them, and the liberal encouragement of our agri- 

 cultural societies to aid in the work. Had the Legislature, in 

 the general enactments in regard to these societies, provided 

 that this should have been done, it appears to your delegate 

 that more practical benefit would have accrued to the commu- 

 nity than from the encouragement of the growth of forest 

 trees, which is the only specific subject taken under the foster- 

 ing care of the Legislature. 



The societies in the valley of the Connecticut have given 

 great interest to their shows, by offering premiums for th« 

 largest number of working oxen from any town. Three of 

 these teams v/ere present at the show at Northampton, 30 



