64 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



But Elkanah's troubles were not over even after the success- 

 ful establishment of the Berkshire Agricultural Society, and the 

 filling its coffers with the aid of funds from Boston. His next 

 endeavor was to get the female part of the community to iden- 

 tify itself with the society. " It was a great object," says the 

 enthusiastic old man, when, in his old age, relating these occur- 

 rences, " to excite the females to a spirit of emulation. We 

 were satisfied no measures would lead to that result with so 

 much certainty as premiums on domestic manufactures, and 

 closing the second ' farmers' holiday ' in innocent festivity by an 

 agricultural ball ; also to unite them in singing pastoral odes at 

 the church." All of which was effected in 1813, as well as the 

 organization of a viewing committee of agriculture ; and the 

 old gentleman relates with marvellous interest how he managed 

 to induce the weaker sex to assemble together in a private room, 

 " where some valuable premiums of silver plate were exclusively 

 devoted to them," to be awarded on domestic manufactures, and 

 how they wouldn't go in until he procured his wife to precede 

 them, such was their timidity I "And what a glorious sight," 

 said he " to see a group of tlie most respectable farmers, as if 

 under the solemnity of an oath, critically inspecting in the 

 midst of fields of grain, grass, vegetables, &c. ; also the state of 

 the orchards, buildings, fences and farming utensils, and to wit- 

 ness the anxious candidate for premiums attentively seizing 

 every lisp favorable to his husbandry or probable success. A 

 sight," said he, " more exhilarating to the friends of patriotism, 

 than to view the gorgeous pageantry of palaces and their pam- 

 pered tenants decorated in gold ! " 



This was a little more than fifty years since, and the " Berk- 

 shire system " of cattle shows, with some modifications, has pre- 

 vailed over the country. The novelty of crop viewing has van- 

 ished with the timidity of the fair sex, who are no longer afraid 

 of being laughed at, but rather dare to do whatever man essays, 

 and we are to-day assembled as members of one of the most 

 flourishing of these exhibitions, at the close of a bountiful har- 

 vest, to bring together our best if not first fruits, to exhibit 

 our best animals, our wives, our children and our noble selves, 

 and to listen to the lesson of the day, and wind up our festivities 

 by relieving our treasurer of his load of silver. Now, if we had 

 time, the true way of arriving at the best results from our gather- 



