128 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



HOUSATOXIC. 

 Report of the Committee. 



The ploughboys of southern Berkshire are not to be beaten. 

 They cannot well beat each other. Direct them to cut a fur- 

 row slice of precise width and depth ; to lay it flat or oblique, 

 and the direction will be obeyed to a hair. They are experts 

 at the plough in the full sense of the term. With such facts to 

 act upon, how can a committee discriminate ? When all stand 

 upon equal footing, instead of making solemn award in respect 

 to distinction of merit, the attempt to do which must necessari- 

 ly be greatly perplexing, the juster and readier way would be 

 to permit the competitors to " draw cuts." 



Forced, however, as the committee were to make discrim- 

 ination, they have distributed the premiums, in their judgment, 

 as properly as the difficult service would allow. 



Our ploughing match, always interesting and exciting, oc- 

 curred this year under most happy auspices. The day was 

 beautiful. A great concourse of " our good people " attended 

 to witness the struggle. There was a sufficient number of 

 competitors to render the scene animating; capital order was 

 maintained. Inside the lists was witnessed the glorious tug 

 for victory; outside was the applauding multitude, ready to 

 give the " all hail " to each ploughman as he turned over the 

 last inch of his furrow. Away with 



"The glory earned in deadly fray ! " 



and give us forever the glory of the plough. 



Not the least gratifying passage in the proceedings of the 

 day was the fact that the ploughing match was had upon our 

 own ground, purchased by the society — a fact worthy to be 

 noticed, as indicating the prosperity of the society. 



The number of competitors was twenty-two — fourteen with 

 horse teams, and eight with ox teams. Land ploughed by each 

 team, one-eighth of an acre. Time allowed, without rest, thirty- 

 five minutes. 



I. Sumner, Chairman. 



