274 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



than between a pony and a draught horse, or a bantam and a 

 turkey ; and our societies should be the more careful to lead 

 committees to make just discriminations, when they perceive 

 that committees overlook distinctions and are inclined to award 

 a first j)i"cmium to the largest animal. 



The ploughing match with horses, in which there were, I think, 

 fifteen competitors, was one of the most interesting and instruc- 

 tive portions of this exhibition, and it may well be asserted that 

 the loss of neat cattle at this exhibition, and perhaps the cattle 

 disease itself may be fully compensated if the farmers of Essex 

 shall be induced to use horses more extensively for all the 

 purposes of the farm. And here, also, I am aware that I am 

 oppoe-ing, to a great extent, the well-settled convictions of 

 many of our best farmers and closest calculators, who think 

 that it will never do to plough with hoi"ses. As our country 

 becomes better cultivated, our farms smoother, and our land 

 more enriched and oftener turned from the sod, and the whole 

 business of the farmer more systematized and confined to his 

 business, our farmers will learn what the experience of England 

 has taught her farmers long ago, that the ox is the most expen- 

 sive animal upon the farm. What is lost in depreciation and 

 risk of accident and disease by the use of the horse, is made 

 up in celerity of motion and adaptation to market business. 



But whether these considerations are true or not, it sliould 

 be the policy of our societies to offer premiums for those depart- 

 ments and modes of husbandry which most need encourage- 

 ment. AVe have great doubts whether there is any better 

 ploughing with oxen now, or any more oats raised, than ten or 

 twenty years ago, by reason of premiums for these objects. If 

 the cultivation of wheat be desirable in Massachusetts let large 

 premiums be offered for wheat crops, and if it is well settled 

 that we should have pure blooded, until the quality of our stock 

 is raised much higher than the present average, the society 

 should offer a premium for a grade or mongrel bull. 



The show of horses was choice, and showed much attention 

 to the breeding of those animals. The most valuable animals 

 on exhibition were descendants of Vermont Black Hawk through 

 Trotting Childers, owned and kept by Lambert Maynard, Esq., 

 of Bradford. A five-year-old stallion, Doncaster, sired by 

 Childers, and owned by Dr. George B. Loring, attracted much 



