REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 287 



kinds of live stock, and of cro{)s, fi-uit, and articles of manu- 

 lacture, were crowned witli abundant success. 



The ploughing and spading were well performed ; and as 

 your delegate witnessed the former of these two operations, 

 performed by horses, he was led to consider whether, on the 

 rather light lands of the north part of Worcester County, 

 where farms and the market are well adapted to the dairy, to 

 fruit, and grain, the use of the horse was not most economical. 



The exhibition of the smaller farm animals was very good. 

 The swine had been reared and fed with considerable care, in 

 accordance with a fact noticeable throughout the Common- 

 wealth, that these animals are better bred and better cared for 

 than any other animals on our farms. 



The sheep possessed many points to recommend them. 

 Those on exhibition were represented to be a mixture of Cots- 

 wold, South Down, Leicester, and native. It would be difficult 

 to say what such a combination as this would produce ; but it 

 w^as somewhat evident that an attempt had been made to pro- 

 duce size at a small expense of feeding, and without due regard 

 for shape. There are but few districts in Massachusetts, capa- 

 ble of feeding during the summer months, the larger breeds of 

 sheep, in such a manner as to develop to the highest degree 

 their flesh and wool. Too much care cannot be taken, there- 

 fore, to secure such animals as will preserve their symmetry, 

 with such supply of food as our farms readily afford. A half- 

 fed cow may possibly pay, in proportion to what she consumes ; 

 a half-fed ox may drag through his daily toil ; but a half-fed 

 sheep seldom does more than reproach his owner for the mis- 

 taken economy practiced upon him. 



There were many horses on exhibition, which were well 

 worthy of notice. The round, compact, and muscular shape 

 of the Morgan horse, was everywhere visible. That fine speci- 

 men of this breed of horses, known as the Green Mountain 

 Morgan, or Hale horse, had evidently left strains of his blood 

 in this region ; and for energy and strength of bone and 

 muscle, few families of Morgans have surpassed his own. 



The breeding mares were as good a collection of well-shaped 

 and serviceable animals, as can be found in any part of our 

 State — not remarkable for especial care and uniformity in 



