APPENDIX. XV 



WORCESTER SOUTH-EAST. 



Happening to be present at the ninth annual fair of the Worces- 

 ter South-East Agricultural Society at Milford, September 29 and 

 30, we were requested by the president, William Knowlton, Esq., 

 in the absence of Mr. Pierce, the regular delegate of the Board, to 

 take notes and report the same. This we do with the more pleas- 

 ure as we have nothing but success and prosperity to rei)ort. We 

 had supposed that the south-east part of Worcester County was a 

 good place to manufacture shoes and raise men, and had no expec- 

 tation of finding such evidence of agricultural enterprise as the 

 halls and grounds of the society furnished. The pens were well 

 stocked with cattle, sheep and swine, and nearly every breed was 

 represented. The Devons were evidently the favorites with the 

 working farmers, and the Jerseys with the gentlemen farmers, and 

 for the family cow. Long strings of oxen with ribbons streaming 

 from their horns came marching in from the neighboring towns, 

 advertising the fair as they came. Premiums were offered and 

 awarded for the largest and best town string, which called forth 

 much competition. We commend this plan to other agricultural 

 societies. In no way can they better advertise their exhibitions, 

 and call together men to study the different herds and the best 

 points of cattle. As these strings were paraded around the track, 

 they elicited as much attention and comment as do the racing 

 horses on some other grounds. The attention and applause were 

 still greater when the trained oxen were exhibited. These were 

 generally full blood or high grade Devons, and though we have 

 been teaching most of our days, we had no idea that an ox could 

 be taught so much. We shall never again use the comparisons, 

 " slow as an ox," " dull as an ox." The evolutions these Devons 

 performed would com})are fevorably with the military evolutions at 

 West Point. When standing in a line, with heads erect, they 

 seemed like a regiment of soldiers ready to make a charge. Single 

 pairs of oxen were placed head and tail together, and one would 

 back as the other advanced, almost keeping step. The near ox 

 would take the i^lace of the off ox, and one stood quiet as a post 

 while the other walked around him, and in his turn would nuike 

 the circuit while the other stood still. All Avas done without noise 

 on the part of the drivers. A nod of the head, a word or gentle 

 tap of the whip, the oxen seemed to comprehend and obey. We 

 have been in schools where the children understood the wink of 

 the eye and the motion of the hand of the teacher, and all went 

 orderly as clock-work, but we never expected to see cattle iu such 



