REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 117 



interest, as I have generally noticed at agricultural exhibitions, 

 was but meagrely represented. 



My time being somewhat limited, I hurried to the stock 

 department. Here I found an almost interminable line of pens, 

 filled with representatives of the various classes of animals. I 

 saw no very fat cattle but there were fine-conditioned working 

 oxen. Of the breeds of neat stock, the Alderney and Ayrshire, 

 seemed to predominate, although there was quite an infusion 

 of some of the other prominent breeds. I had no time to criti- 

 cize individuals, but feel constrained to say that a finer looking 

 stock of cattle, with no inferior animals, is but seldom collected 

 together. There were quite a number of very promising horses, 

 and some no doubt that could perform, inasmuch as one gentle- 

 man of considerable note was ready to bet that one of them 

 would do incredible things. That however was not in the pro- 

 gramme, and so he saved his reputation and his money. There 

 was a good cjilection of sheep and swine, and also of poultry, 

 but I was obliged to leave for the ploughing match. 



The ploughing came off with reasonable promptness, — the 

 crowd being obliged to wait only a half or three-fourths an 

 hour, — and showed some very good work. The field was an easy 

 one for the purpose. I noticed the usual fault of unnatural 

 speed, notwithstanding, according to the rules of the society, 

 it detracts from the merit of the competitor. There was one 

 land plough i by a pair of horses that as far as beauty goes was 

 the perfection of ploughing. There was literally scarcely a 

 blade of g' ass to be seen upon the whole piece ploughed. This 

 bespeaks rare excellence in the workman, the team and the 

 plough. 



After the ploughing match a procession was formed and 

 marched to tlie church, where an hour was profitably spent in 

 listening to a finely written and delivered address by Dr. 

 George B. I-oring, of Salem, upon the duties of the farmer ; com- 

 mencing with a beautiful tribute to the memory of the late Colonel 

 Moses Newell, who at the time of his death was a member of this 

 Board from the Essex Society. My own acquaintance with 

 Colonel Newell, although of comparatively brief duration, had 

 made so strong an impression upon me, that I felt his absence 

 from the exhibition of the Essex Society with sorrow, and I was 



