236 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



portion of yearlings and calves than I have ever seen at this 

 county fair. 



Among others Mr. Aaron Dodge,of Beverly, has gone largely, 

 for an Essex farmer, into the rearing of calves, having raised 

 within the last year eighty-six, at a cost until weaned, as he 

 states, of about $2.50 each ; whether his farm is sufficiently 

 extensive to bring this number annually to maturity I am not 

 advised ; or whether he has gone thus extensively into this 

 portion of farming to try experiments or as a permanent busi- 

 ness, he does not state. He does state that he purchased most 

 of them from the milk farms at one dollar each ; and that he 

 has tried oil meal, corn meal, and flour mixed with milk. But 

 I do not learn that he has instituted any comparison as to the 

 value of the different food, or the quantity fed ; a part of them 

 were weaned at from three to four weeks old, on pasture feed. 

 He says he has tried to raise them as cheap as he could ; he 

 has lost thirteen from various causes during the year. The 

 coming winter will probably determine whether it is good 

 economy to wean calves so young. 



Dr. George B. Loring, of Salem, is perhaps the next largest 

 rearer of stock in the county, having raised ten or fifteen annu- 

 ally for the last few years. He states that he takes them from 

 the cow when young, feeds on milk, meal and water made into 

 gruel, but docs not state the quantity or proportion of oach ; 

 he ceases to feed milk at from six to eight weeks old ; he has 

 crossed the Jersey with other stock. 



Among the entries there were thirteen pair of working oxen, 

 and they were fine specimens. There were good cows and 

 heifers exhibited, but none noticed so much superior to the 

 average quality as is sometimes reported. 



Twenty-eight teams competed for the various premiums 

 offered on ploughing, amounting in all to $140, and the quality 

 of the work done was evidence enough that ploughing is no 

 new feature at the Essex show. There were upon the ground 

 all kinds of ploughs in modern use. 



In the exhibition and trial of horses they were only exercised 

 to test their qualities for the various uses they arc designed for 

 by practical and business men. 



There were for exhibition or premium thirteen stallions, two 

 of which had received the first premium of the society. One 



