REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 141 



famed pumpkins. Tlie exhibition of fruits, altliougli limited in 

 quantity and variety, was very creditable for a section of our 

 State, where less attention is given to this subject than in some 

 other counties. 1 have reason, however, to believe, that were 

 more encouragement given to this department, a fine display 

 might be drawn out from private resources, which are now 

 entirely withheld from exhibition. In the floral department I 

 could have wished a much more extensive display. I am wont 

 to look to this department for the taste and industry of the ladies ; 

 this very essential adornment of all our agricultural fairs is 

 mainly dependent on tliem. We seldom find men who have 

 much taste for the cultivation of flowers, and if we do, it requires 

 the skill of the fairer sex to arrange them in the most attractive 

 form. 



I need not speak of the infinite variety of fancy articles ; they 

 did great credit to those who manufactured and presented them. 

 I was very much interested in the products of the dairy ; those 

 splendid cheese, not so much in repute now as in former time, 

 still enough so to attract the attention of many admirers. 

 Who could fail to desire at least one of them ? In tliis how- 

 ever, I was doomed to be disappointed ; my Berkshire cheese 

 I have never seen. The entries of butter and bread were very 

 large, and from appearance, of such excellence as to do great 

 credit to the fair housewives of old Berkshire. 



I was somewhat disappointed in not finding any exhibition of 

 heavy manufactures as Berkshire, has the reputation of being a 

 manufacturing district. 



The ploughing match was conducted in a manner highly 

 creditable to the farmers ; the entries were large, and every 

 part was executed in a superior and workmanlike manner. 



From this interesting performance our attention was hastily 

 called to the gathering of the multitude in the hall where we 

 were permitted to take counsel together, and listen to admirable 

 instruction from our worthy secretary. 



I could but admire the fine display of awards, so beautifully 

 arranged upon the platform. It was novel to me, it bein g the 

 first time I had ever witnessed such an. exhibition. It is 

 worthy of imitation by other societies. These beautiful articles? 

 ever present in the family, will remind the receiver of the source 

 from whence they came, and will act as a stimulus to farther 



