APPENDIX. xxxiii 



and, perhaps, foots some of the bills, and furnishes the means of 

 lubrication. Captain Hawes of Fairhaven, an experienced naviga- 

 tor and amateur farmer, fitby occupies the wheel-house of this Society, 

 and, like Palinurus of old, it is believed, is safely steering this craft 

 between the Scylla and Charybdis of hard times, into the large, open 

 sea of improvement and success. 



The exhibition opened with a ploughing-match, in which there 

 were thirteen competitors, half of them driving oxen. The lands were 

 an eighth of an acre each, to be ploughed inside of fifty minutes by 

 the oxen, and forty minutes by the horses ; but the ground was too 

 dry and baked to show good work. 



There was a good show of cattle, chiefly of the Alderney and 

 Ayrshire persuasion. The sleek and portly Shorthorns, which so 

 largeby make up the exhibitions of Western Massachusetts, were 

 wanting. A few thin specimens of this breed from Bridgewater 

 were the only ones we noticed. The fearful drought, which was at 

 its height at the time of this exhibition, doubtless had considerable 

 to do with the appearance of the stock and the scarcity of this 

 particular breed. The City Farm of Fall River, and the Riverside 

 Stock Farm of West Bridgewater, sent thither large and creditable 

 herds. 



Half a dozen pens of sheep, and nine of swine, the former largely 

 Southdowns, and the latter Chesters, furnished the attraction in 

 these departments. The City Farm of Fall River was accredited 

 with two porkers, weighing respectively 940 and 560 pounds live 

 weight, with fat enough on them to satisfy a moderate pauper. 



The show of poultry, 140 coops strong, was very creditable, and 

 the breeds were of the more fashionable and fancy kinds. 



The horse exhibition was comparatively good, but decidedly 

 leggy. A few breeding animals and good colts were shown, and 

 some stylish carriage-horses. But the offer of $180 in premiums 

 for speed the first day, $185 the second day, and $405 the third 

 day, made the sports of the turf preeminent. 



The displa} T of the premium stock on the track, with badges, 

 indicating their rank, while the crowd halted in front of the grand 

 stand to hear the awards read by the president, was to our mind 

 one of the chief attractions of the occasion. First came the marshals 

 mounted ; then the New Bedford Band, in which were four buglemen 

 that followed General Sherman in his matchless march to the sea ; 

 then sixteen horses led by grooms ; then eleven bulls of various ages ; 

 then six yoke of oxen on a single cart, ornamented and overhung with 

 vegetables ; then four specimens of fat cattle ; then milch cows and 

 heifers ; then the steers and baby calves ; and lastly, a pair of large 

 draught horses finished the enchanting picture. The animals were not 

 5 



