ESSEX SOCIETY. 7 



than at home. We fear that half of the coi:inty knows not 

 what the other half is doing in the raising of vegetables. We 

 know, — for we have seen their rich acres — that our market 

 gardeners can show onions, and squashes, and cabbages, and 

 the different varieties of esculent roots, in quality and quantity 

 per acre, second to none in the State; and vve invite them, 

 earnestly, to take an honest pride in these products of their 

 skill and industry, and present each a few baskets full at our 

 next show, for competition and admiration. 



The show of neat stock generally, did not quite equal, 

 either in numbers or quality, the expectation of those who 

 know what the county is capable of exhibiting. The severe 

 drought of the past summer, may account in part for the fail- 

 ure in this respect. The show of swine, however, especially 

 the Suffolks, was beyond anything we have seen in the county, 

 for years past. 



The ploughing match, boili with oxen and v/ith horses, was 

 never more spirited in Essex. Forty teams in all, entered the 

 list of competitors. The work, too, was extremely well per- 

 formed, and elicited the praise of all Vvho witnessed it. To 

 encourage a local pride in our towns, in having good working 

 oxen, a premium was offered for the longest and best team 

 exhibited from any town. Only one string of working cattle, 

 however, was exhibited, to compete for this premium, probably 

 for the reason that the object and terms of the offer were not 

 fully understood, — many persons supposing that by "town 

 teams," was meant the teams belonging to a municipal corpo- 

 ration, or its almshouse establishment, instead of a team 

 composed of cattle owned by the farmers of the town. 



The weather was uncommonly pleasant during the whole 

 show, and the multitudes that flocked to it, interested, de- 

 lighted, and, may we not believe, instructed, — afford a renewed 

 evidence of the profits and pleasures of these annual gather- 

 ings. Order, sobriety and courtesy marked the day, and with- 

 out disparagement to other public gatherings, we cannot but 

 think that none has so strong a hold of the popular favor as 

 this, the farmers' holiday. 



The society was honored by the presence of President 

 Hitchcock, of Amherst, as a delegate from the State Board of 

 Agriculture. 



