xxxii EEPORTS OF DELEGATES. 



UNION. 



The annual fair and show of the Union Agricultural Society was 

 held at Blandford, September 28 and 29. The fair day was a cold, 

 windy, uncomfortable one, but did not have the effect to blow away 

 the zeal, or freeze up the ardent desire of the farmers to have tlieir 

 annual gathering a good one. 



I understand that this infant legal organization is the offspring of 

 an efficient and influential farmer's club ; and, although tliis Society 

 is young and its present members less than 300, the two days'. 

 exhibition would be creditable to one more mature and of larger 

 size. 



Some eight surrounding towns contribute mainly to its support. 

 The society have about ten acres of land, partly well fenced, for 

 their show grounds, an exhibition and dining hall, two stories high, 

 with all necessary apparatus for cooking and cookery for the table, 

 and on the grounds a suitable judges' stand ; these are all new and 

 occupied for the first time this season. The Society have incurred 

 a debt of about $1,800, but tliis, instead of proving an embarrass- 

 ment, may act as an incentive for vigorous action and enlarged 

 effort to increase the interest in the good cause for which they are 

 associated, and to make their annual show more attractive from 

 year to year. 



There were on exhibition about 75 pairs of cattle and steers ; the 

 neat stock, consisting of cows, heifers, calves and bulls, 45 in 

 number. There Avere entries of thoroughbred and grade Durham, 

 Devon and Ayrshire ; Lewis R. Nye, G. C. Rowley and E. W. 

 Boise were the principal exhibitors of blood stock ; the intro- 

 duction of thoroughbred and grade stock into this town is quite 

 recent, but the future prospect for this kind of stock, judging from 

 what was exhibited, is encouraging. 



I was informed that it was quite a practice of the Blandford 

 farmers to raise and purchase young cattle and keep them a few 

 years, and then sell for working oxen, — hence the youthful appear- 

 ance of the stock. The show of sheep was small, as also that of 

 swine ; judging from the exhibition of the latter, we should suppose 

 the people in that locality were direct descendants of Israel. We 

 noticed several varieties of poultry which did credit to their respec- 

 tive breeds. Notwithstanding the unfavorable season in this })art 

 of the State for fruit, the show of apples was good; a few pears, 

 but good specimens. I was shown some very beautiful Norway 

 oats, vei-y heavy, weighing one-third more than our common oats ; 



