234 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 



Among the horses were several noble animals. A few pairs 

 of horses trained to the carriage performed well. The draught 

 horses were large and powerful. 



A few breeding mares with colts by their sides together with 

 the colts of one, two and three years, although not of the 

 highest rank, comprised by far the best part of the horse show. 



The trial of the strength of draught horses was conducted 

 as follows : — 



Upon a wagon weighing six hundred pounds, were placed 

 fifteen barrels of flour, and drawn by each of five horses some 

 fourteen rods up an elevation of twelve to fifteen degrees (by 

 estimation.) The load was drawn with different degrees of 

 ease according to the weight, training, <fec., of the different 

 animals. Their average weight was about eleven hundred 

 pounds. 



At two o'clock, about forty gentlemen and a few ladies partook 

 of an excellent dinner at the Antique House, after which the 

 reports of the committees were read by the secretary of the 

 society. Very few ladies honored the occasion with their 

 presence. 



As announced in the programme, the three following questions 

 were proposed to be discussed at the table, instead of an address 

 at the church : — 



1. Are agricultural exhibitions beneficial to the community ? 



2. Is farming profitable ? 



3. Which is the most profitable, the raising of horses or 

 cattle ? 



The first question was very briefly discussed by a few gen- 

 tlemen, but a large majority of the company soon left the hall 

 to witness the trials of the speed of horses upon the show 

 ground. Thus ended the ninth annual exhibition of the 

 Hampden East Agricultural Society. 



Your delegate deems it his duty to say here, that the exhibi- 

 tion of the Hampden East Society did not quite come up to his 

 expectations, nor to what in his judgment ought to be required 

 of a society which receives the bounty of the State ; he thinks 

 there is a manifest want of interest among the members of the 

 society, in the cause of agriculture generally, and that compar- 

 atively few devote sufficient time and attention to the interest 

 of the society to render their exhibitions attractive or, in a 



