PLYMOUTH SOCIETY. 485 



An editor of an agricultural journal, some years ago, said, 

 " It may be thought paradoxical to some that the county of 

 Plymouth should be agricultural. Plymouth, say they, — that 

 stepping-stone to sandy Cape Cod, that territory situated be- 

 tween two bays, and made up of pond holes, gi-avel hills and 

 sand banks, where every town is filled up with nail machines, 

 spinning jennies, anchor shops and shoe factories, — can such a 

 place have any pretensions to agriculture?" The same writer 

 adds — "Such may be the language of the prejudiced, but let 

 them not 'darken counsel by words without knowledge.' The 

 truth is, that Plymouth County is by no means behind hand in 

 agriculture ; it has much excellent land, and can boast of some 

 of the best farms and best farmers in the Commonwealth." 



We have met here to-day to present our claims for this en- 

 viable title, and the competitors for your bounties, and candi- 

 dates for this honorable distinction, are neither "few nor far 

 between." More than one hundred and twenty claims were 

 this year presented for premiums on improvements and pro- 

 duce, — nearly twice the number that ever before entered their 

 claims to become recipients of your bounties. Sixteen entries 

 were made for the greatest crop of Indian corn on one acre. 

 Notwithstanding a partial failure in some of the crops in con- 

 sequence of the extreme drought, yet we believe that some- 

 thing more than a medium crop of Indian corn has been 

 harvested in this county the present season. 



Premiums. 



Calvin Leavitt, of Bridgewater, is entitled to the first pre- 

 mium of ^8 ; he raised, according to the measurement, 122|^ 

 bushels on an acre. 



George W. Wood, of Middleborough, is entitled to the sec- 

 ond premium of $6; he raised 102|| bushels. 



Richard Sampson, of Middleborough, is entitled to the third 

 premium of $5 ; he raised 96|0- bushels. 



Martin Leonard, of Bridgewater, is entitled to the fourth 

 premium of $4; he raised 94|^ bushels. 



Philander Wood, of Bridgewater, is entitled to the fifth pre- 

 mium of $3 ; he raised 92|| bushels. 



