310 



WORCESTER SOCIETY. 



through all the hours of the day, the upper half of a small 

 door for the benefit of air and ventilation, in addition to some 

 small windows. The average number of hours that the cattle 

 have worked per day, has been six, but during the latter part 

 of the term their hours were occasionally extended to nine. 

 During the whole trial the oxen had nothing given them to eat 

 except hay as stated, and their only food from the loth Decem- 

 ber to March 1st, both inclusive, was hay and water. 



Had I exercised my own discretion in this matter, I should 

 have selected two animals for the trial who would have had 

 nothing to do, but to eat and groiv fat, as more likely to fur- 

 nish a result which would have appeared far better on paper, 

 and then should have been able to have complied with all the 

 requirements of the society. You will recollect that you sug- 

 gested to me to make the trial with the working oxen, saying 

 that you wished the trial should be made under all the cir- 

 cumstances common to a farmer's stock ; that it was perhaps 

 more important as applied to working stock than any other; 

 that you doubted whether any other person would make a trial 

 with oxen actually at work at the time, and expressed a wish 

 that I would do it. I yielded to your wishes, and at your re- 

 quest have made the trial, the particulars of which have been 

 stated, to be disposed of in such manner as the committee 

 shall judge proper. 



These cattle were bred in Vermont, were purchased for you 

 when they were about three and a half years old, and about 

 these days are supposed to be coming six years old. 



It should have previously been stated that the hay as given 

 to the cattle was all of it in a dry state. 



I append hereto the state of the weather, as taken from the 

 tables kept by Dr. George Chandler, at the State Lunatic 

 Hospital, in Worcester. 



