xliv REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 



enjoyed by all present. The ladies are deserving of great credit 

 for the large exhibition of household manufactures, flowers, etc., 

 nicely arranged in the tastefully decorated hall. 



The officers and members take great interest in the Societ}'. It 

 really is the holiday of the year with them, and a majority of 

 the inhabitants on the island lend a helping hand for the benefit of 

 the Society. The weather has been pleasant, and the fair has been 

 one of success, in every respect. 



Thanks to Andrew M. Myrick, Esq., and lady, and Alexander 

 Macy, Jr., President and Secretary, for their kind attention to me 

 while in Nantucket. 



John E. Merrill. 



MARTHA'S VINEYARD. 



The annual cattle-show and fair opened Tuesday, October 3, for 

 the celebration of its nineteenth anniversary. 



Producers from all sections came together to present their choicest 

 products for each other's inspection, and compare the results of 

 their year's labors. 



The season has been a trying one for the farmers, and no one 

 expected the show of this year would be quite up to the average, 

 and, probably, in many respects it was not. But the display was, 

 nevertheless, very creditable. 



The first day was assigned for the show of cattle, sheep and 

 poultry. The entries of cattle were as follows : herds, 4 ; working- 

 oxen, 6 pairs; cows, 26 (of these, 16 were grade Ayrshires) ; fat 

 cows, 5 ; young cattle, 27. The animals exhibited were, for the 

 most part, quite inferior in quality. But the shortness of hay- 

 crops and pasturage for the past two seasons is, doubtless, sufficient 

 to account for this in part. Still there were some specimens worthy 

 of mention ; namely, a fat cow entered by Herman Vincent, and a 

 pair of working-oxen b} r J. Allen ; some very good three-year-old. 

 steers, by John Johnson and Elliot Mayhew ; milch cows, by Will- 

 iam Cottle and T. Whimpany. 



The show of sheep was very good, there being 6 entries of bucks 

 and 81 of ewes and lambs. 



The show of poultry is seldom equalled at a county fair, there 

 being 16 coops, composed of Light Brahmas, White and Brown Leg- 

 horns, Hamburgs, Bantams, and grades. One coop contained 22, 

 and none less than 6. 



The products of the field and garden were excellent ; a few 

 specimens well worthy of mention. Such, for instance, are some 



