704 MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



be obliged to deprive itself of the luxury of welcoming the 

 ladies, its most valuable and efficient coadjutors, to the 

 banquet. 



J. H. W. PAGE. 



MR. SPRAGUE'S REPORT. 



EXHIBITION OF THE BRISTOL SOCIETY. 



The Annual Exhibition of the Bristol County Agricultural 

 Society was held at Taunton on the 14th and 15th of October. 



A cold north-east wind indicated an approaching storm, 

 which came on in the evening of the first day, and continued 

 through the forepart of the second, and consequently the at- 

 tendance of a great portion of those who lived at any distance 

 was prevented. The multitude in attendance on the morning 

 of the first day gave evidence of the general interest felt on this 

 occasion. 



My attention was first directed to the cattle, as the most at- 

 tractive and most important object to the farmer. I was pre- 

 pared to see a large number, and a great variety of large, beau- 

 tiful cattle, and from the well known disposition of the presi- 

 dent to have everything in good style and taste, connected with 

 the influence and usefulness of the society, I expected not 

 only to be pleased with the cattle but also with the arrange- 

 ments made for their being exhibited to the best advantage. 



The first object that was presented to my eye, on passing 

 the crowd, was a long, double row of pens, the most rude and 

 unsightly that was ever hurried together by frontier settlers in 

 the wilderness amongst log cabins and rude barns, and this, 

 too, in contrast with the beauty and splendor of the wealthy 

 town of Taunton. There was a large number of young cattle, 

 but few that appeared to possess any great excellence. There 

 were no blood cattle, except two bulls, one belonging .to the 

 president, a full blood North Devon of good size and fine pro- 

 portions — a beautiful animal, every way worthy the owner. 

 The other was a brown or dark color, bearing the name of a 

 full blood Ayrshire. His color and form were not such as I 



