258 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



The weather was fine, and the village was crowded with peo- 

 ple during the two days of the exliibition. The professor left 

 his chair, the student his books, and men of all occupations, 

 with a pleasing proportion of ladies, joined with the farmers in 

 the celebration. 



L. SWEETSER. 



HAMPDEN EAST AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In accordance with the appointment of the Board of Agricul- 

 ture, I attended the exhibition of the Hampden East Agricul- 

 tural Society, which was held in the town of Palmer, on 

 Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 6th and 7th. 



After arriving iipon the ground, during the forenoon of 

 Tuesday, I made diligent search for some one of the officers of 

 the society, but no one knowing of their whereabouts, and 

 being unable to find any published programme of operations, 

 or learn from inquiry what was the order of arrangements, I 

 was necessarily left to proceed on a voyage of discovery. 



Upon visiting the stock pens, I found a good looking collec- 

 tion of neat stock and swine, and a very good display of sheep. 

 I had no difficulty in making my way about, for although there 

 was a very fair collection of people in attendance, yet the 

 vicinity of the pens was generally deserted. The explanation 

 of this want of interest on the part of visitors, I afterwards 

 found to consist in the superior attractions presented by certain 

 collections of serpents, wild men, peddlers, &c., all vicing with 

 each other in enticing the crowd of spectators away from the 

 legitimate exhibition which had drawn them together. 



The ploughing match I had no opportunity of witnessing. 

 By accident I learned of the trial of working oxen, and was 

 present. Although, as animals for purposes of draft, their 

 performance was creditable, yet when they came to back a load 

 weighing about 4,200 lbs., up a slight ascent, a sad want of 

 training was manifest. Instead of the driver quietly giving 

 them the word, which is sufficient with properly trained oxen, 

 the whip was generally applied without stint before the animals 

 were prepared to answer the demand upon them, and in some 



