REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 215 



results of the indomitable energy and perseverance of Mr. 

 Nichols, in making the rough places of his farm smooth, and 

 causing not only two blades of grass to grow where but one 

 grew before, but in causing tons of vegetation to grow where 

 nothing but stones were visible before. His example to the 

 farmers around him must be of great value, and I trust that he 

 will receive a rich reward for the amount of his investments. 



At one o'clock, the society and invited guests sat down to an 

 excellent dinner, which had been prepared by Colonel Day, at 

 the Fitchburg Hotel, and which was eaten with apparent relish, 

 without grace, speech, sentiment, song or wine. After the 

 dinner, they met in the lower town hall, to hear the awards, 

 and eloquent words from the President, Colonel Thomas Bil- 

 lings, the Hon. A. H. Bullock, of Worcester, and others. 



Resolutions offered by J. T. Everett, Esq., of Princeton, 

 awarding due meed of praise to the State Commissioners, Hon. 

 Amasa Walker, of North Brookfield, Dr. G. B. Loring, of Salem, 

 and Hon. Paoli Lathrop, of South Hadley, for their wise, 

 prompt, and successful labors in extirpating the cattle disease 

 or pleuro-pneumonia from the State, were adopted. 



The show was highly successful in all its parts. 



I was requested while there, not to " hide the faults " which 

 I might see, but to report them ; and in accordance with that 

 request, must say that I consider it a great fault for a society so 

 full of life and energy, and so abundantly able as is that of 

 Worcester North, to have no place of its own on which to have 

 its exhibition ; having to show its stock in the public square, 

 and hold its ploughing match on borrowed ground a mile dis- 

 tant ; and what is still worse, to be subject to competition with 

 the " Fitchburg Riding Park," which advertised on the same 

 day of the fair to have two trotting matches, one for a purse of 

 'f 100, and another for $50, which, according to the newspaper 

 reports, were witnessed by a large number of people. So long 

 as men are willing to give even a " kingdom for a horse," it is 

 of but little use to attempt to beat them in a race with oxen ; 

 and whoever tries it may be sure of being distanced. 



I am indebted to the President, Colonel Thomas Billings, 

 Hon. Jabez Fisher and family, and other officers of the society, 

 for kind attentions, making my visit exceedingly pleasant. 



E. W. Gardner. 



