REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 125 



WORCESTER WEST. 



As the representative of the State Board of Agriculture, I 

 attended the eighth annual exhibition of the Worcester West 

 Agricultural Society, at Barre, held on the 30th of September. 

 It was evident that the society has the ability to make one of 

 the best shows in the State, but being held but one day, it was 

 impossible for your delegate to make as thorough an examina- 

 tion of the several departments as he could have desired. 



In stock, grade Durhams preponderate ; in fact, there were 

 few other cattle — and from the full-grown, fat and working 

 oxen, the beef cow, or in milk, steers and heifers, to the weaned 

 or sucking calf, it may well be doubted whether any society can 

 match this with cattle of their own raising. 



For a considerable period the farmers in this section have 

 been breeding grade Durhams, procuring occasionally a new 

 thorough-bred bull, and perhaps for all purposes where the 

 farms produce so abundantly the best of grass and hay, and 

 where work, beef and the dairy so equally share their attention, 

 they have occasion to be satisfied with the result. 



Though Mr. John Sanderson of Franklin County took the 

 first two premiums for fat oxen, there seemed no just ground 

 of complaint, as he had the enterprise to extend his landed 

 possessions into an adjoining county. 



The sheep, swine and poultry, I had no opportunity to see. 



The ploughing match was contested by ten teams, and though 

 the sward was underlaid with stone, the ploughmen, (mostly 

 owners of the teams,) showed by the complete manner of turn- 

 ing the furrow, that they were familiar with that description 

 of land. Some of the teams at the drawing match hauled and 

 backed a cart load of stone to greater perfection than is often 

 witnessed, with little or no whipping. There appeared to be a 

 good understanding between the owner and the oxen. 



The exhibition of horses on the common, was excellent, and 

 conducted with the utmost propriety. There were some supe- 

 rior animals. 



My opportunities were too limited to do more than to glance 

 at the numerous products of the dairy, the field, and the gar- 



