ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 37 



5741/2 lbs. ; in 1878 to 705 lbs. ; then by steady advances to 

 851 867 and 936 lbs. Eurotisama advanced the record 

 to 945 lbs. 9 oz., notwithstanding a slight sickness early 

 in the year, which caused a marked shrinkage in her milk 

 for a time. She retained the place of honor for only 

 a brief period. In the same year a Tennessee Jersey made 

 a record of 1,028 lbs. 5% oz., and in 1892, in another 

 quarter, 1,047% lbs. was attained. 



In September, 1891, the Society suffered a great loss 

 in the death of Dr. George B. Loring, Besides his active 

 endeavors to promote the finest methods of agriculture 

 in the County, he had founded the New England Agricul- 

 tural Society in 1864 and was its President for nearly a 

 quarter of a century. He was the President of the Massa- 

 chusetts Senate from 1873 to 1876, was a Representative 

 in Congress, and was appointed United States Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture by President Garfield in 1881. 

 President Harrison appointed him U. S. Minister to Por- 

 tugal, but he resigned the office and returned home within 

 a year. 



During this decade the burning question was: Shall 

 the Society continue its peripatetic course about the 

 County or secure a permanent abiding place? It was 

 warmly discussed at an Institute at Peabody in January, 

 1891. The advocates of a permanent location maintained 

 that under modern conditions the people could be brought 

 to the show more easily than the show could be carried to 

 the people. It was claimed that as $400,000 was invested 

 in horse stock farms in Essex County, their owners were 

 entitled to fair consideration. The conservatives opposed 

 the scheme, scenting a horse trot as the underlying 

 purpose. 



The drift of opinion was so pronounced in a few years, 

 that a Committee, chosen by the Trustees to consider plans 

 for a permanent location, reported in September, 1894, 

 recommending that the Society establish itself permanent- 

 ly in Danvers, where the citizens had pledged a contribu- 



