232 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Dr. George B. Loring, of Salem, was the next speaker. The 

 Doctor commenced by cordially supporting the governor in his 

 remarks as to the maintenance of the war and the vindication 

 of the Union in its entirety, and the Constitution in its originality 

 and equality of application. He urged the farmers of Massa- 

 chusetts to the improvement of their opportunities. The markets 

 at their doors they had neglected, and left the supply to come 

 from the West. This State did not raise hay enough for its 

 own wants. The farmers, he said, had not sacrificed their sheep 

 to dogs, but. to a shiftless husbandry. They should have three 

 millions of sheep, not yielding a pound of wool and twenty-five 

 pounds of mutton, but weighing from seventy-five to one hun- 

 dred pounds per head. Such sheep we could have, and such 

 would be found profitable. Such our farmers did have till they 

 took the side of the dogs and raised fat curs and poor sheep. 

 Dr. Loring also gave some very interesting accounts of his 

 success in draining and renovation of exhausted and neglected 

 lands, all of which was listened to with great interest. Mr. L. 

 H. Tucker, of the Albany Cultivator, made the closing speech, 

 in which he expressed his gratification with the exhibition, 

 and what he had seen in former times of the farming in the 

 western part of the State, and gave some account of his personal 

 observations in his late tour in Europe. Thus ended the forty- 

 third exhibition of one of the oldest and most respectable 

 agricultural societies of the Commonwealth. 



Marshall P. Wilder. 



EAST HAMPDEN. 



The ninth annvial exhibition of the Hampden East Agricul- 

 tural Society took place at Palmer on the 17th and 18th days 

 of September and was attended by your delegate. 



The first day was rainy, and probably many persons and 

 some animals were detained from the exhibition on that ac- 

 count ; for the number of persons and animals present was 

 small. 



The cattle were mostly Durham and Devon grades of fair 

 size and in fine condition. A few were large. Two pairs, of 

 three years old steers, were said to weigh three thousand 



