246 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



BERKSHIRE. 



Pursuant to appoiiitineut by the Board I attended the fifty- 

 first exhibition of the Berkshire Agricultural Society at Pitts- 

 field, commencing Wednesday, October 2d, (it being one day 

 later in the week than required by law,) and continuing three 

 days, closing on Friday afternoon. 



This being the oldest agricultural society in Massachusetts, 

 and I believe the oldest in the United States, with perhaps one 

 or two exceptions, it might reasonably be expected that it 

 would be more mature in all its parts than those societies which 

 have been in operation but a few years. This much at least 

 may be said of it, it has arrived to a high degree of excellence. 



The show grounds, the half-mile track, the hall for the 

 exhibition of the products of the farm, the garden and the 

 dairy, domestic manufactures and fancy articles. The dining- 

 hall and victualing stalls have all been described in previous 

 reports, and nothing more need be said of them. 



The first day was devoted, out of doors, to neat stock, sheep 

 and swine. The neat stock was mostly grade Short-horn and 

 Devon, and mostly fine, large, well-formed animals. If the 

 number and quality of bull calves (of which there were 

 seventeen entries) on exhibition is any criterion by which to 

 judge, the farmers of Berkshire mean that their stock shall not 

 only not deteriorate, but rapidly improve. And if cal^-es fulfil 

 what their looks indicate when so young, they will far excel 

 their elders on exhibition ; in fact the young stock all showed 

 good progress in the right direction. 



The exhibition of milch and breeding cows (of which there 

 were twenty-one of the former and twenty-nine of the latter) 

 was very fine, probably as good a collection of grade cows as 

 could be brought together, of an equal number, in the State. 



The oxen were large, of good shape and well-matched ; but as 

 there was no trial of working I could not judge of their abilities 

 or training, but from appearances they could with proper 

 training do any thing reasonable. 



Of sheep there were sixty-seven entries, twenty-two of fine- 

 wool, and forty-five of coarse-wool, indicating that this branch of 

 husbandry received its due share of attention, and showing 

 plainly that Berkshire people do not mean to be entirely under 

 the control of king cotton. 



