13G BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



BARNSTABLE. 



The Annual Exhibition and Cattle Show of the Barnstable 

 County Agricultural Society were holden at Barnstable on the 

 11th of October, 1854. The day was mild, clear, and serene. 

 The streets were filled with a larger multitude of people than 

 I have ever seen there before, — men, women, and children, — all 

 wearing that aspect characteristic of the people of Massachu- 

 setts on " cattle-show " day — all manifesting a disposition to 

 be pleased, and to please others ; to be happy, and to make 

 others so. 



The first part of the exhibition which I saw was the 

 ploughing match. Only three ploughs appeared upon the field, 

 each drawn by a single pair of oxen, without a driver. Of the 

 ploughs, one was Rugglcs, Nourse & Mason's; one Prouty & 

 Mears's ; and the other of a make not familiar to me, and its 

 style of work was such as not to make me desire to remember 

 it. The land was light and sandy — not requiring great skill 

 to plough it. The required depth was seven inches. The 

 work was performed in a creditable manner, both as to time 

 and execution. It is to be regretted that so few competitors 

 appeared, and to be hoped that this part of the exhibition will 

 hereafter become in Barnstable county what it is in other coun- 

 ties — one of the most exciting and attractive features of the 

 exhibition. 



My attention was next called to the show of animals. The 

 pens were excellently arranged upon a convenient lot; but I 

 noticed one great omission — no label or description of the 

 animals was affixed to the pens, with a single exception, so 

 that one was left to guess as to their age, breed, and qualities. 

 I saw upon the ground eight yoke of oxen — some of which I 

 judged to be working oxen, and some for beef. There were 

 also about forty head of cows, bulls, heifers, steers, and calves. 

 I noticed but one milch cow ; and I think the committee re- 

 ported that only one was exhibited. The animals generally 



