xviii APPENDIX, 



found the officers of the society busily engaged, at this early hour, in 

 preparing for the fair. 



On the street, the hurrying crowds of people, vehicles of all descrip- 

 tions, and with all imaginable kinds of occupants, strings of oxen and 

 groups of cattle, all passing in one direction, gave token that some 

 matter of more than ordinary interest was transpiring. 



I found that the exhibition of vegetables, fruits, flowers and domestic 

 and fancy articles, was held in the town hall ; while the exhibition of 

 stock, and the various trials attendant upon the fair, was upon the 

 grounds of the Charles Kiver Park Association, some three-fourths of a 

 mile from the hall. 



The first day of the fair was devoted to the exhibition at the hall and 

 grounds, and to the trials of carriage, farm and trotting horses. Nine 

 single and four double teams of carriage horses exhibited on the 

 grounds, and their appearance and performance was very fine. 



The trials on the second day were ploughing, and of working oxen 

 and steers. The ploughing was very spiritedly contested by some dozen 

 teams of oxen and one of horses, and the work very handsomely done, 

 notwithstanding the unfavorable condition of the soil from the extreme 

 dryness. 



The trial of draft oxen was very creditable, and their performance 

 gave evidence of thorough and careful training. I was particulai-ly 

 pleased to witness the very great and absorbing interest manifested in 

 these trials, by th>3 crowds of people who at this time had assembled on 

 the grounds. 



The exhibition of stock in the pens was good, although not so large 

 as I had anticipated, and as in previous years, as I was assured. There 

 were some good specimens of full blood and grade Jersey, Ayrshire and 

 Durham cattle, of which there were some full-blood bulls particularly 

 worthy of notice. Daniel Pratt, of Milford, exhibited fine grade Jer- 

 seys. There were on exhibition some very promising young grade stock 

 from the Milford Farmers' Club Durham bull Fabius. Perry Wood, 

 of Mendon, exhibited matched oxen and steers, well deserving of 

 notice. 



The exhibition in the hall was very attractive. The specimens of 

 vegetables and grain crops were very fine, and I ',was much pleased to 

 notice the almost entire absence, in this department, of those monstros- 

 ities of vegetable production which we are too apt to see at these exhi- 

 bitions, evidencing, to my mind, a just appreciation of what are good 

 products, in the estimation of these exhibitors. The show of apples, 

 perhaps, was good for the season ; that of pears very good, fine speci- 

 mens of several varieties of which were exhibited by D. S. Chapin and 

 S. C. Carpenter, of Milford, and A. Rockwood and George S. Ball, of 



