31 



ers to submit their operations to the inspection of com- 

 mittees of the Society. I trust as our ambition increas- 

 es and our agriculture improves, this reluctance will be 

 wholly removed. 



The farms which are recorded as having received the 

 first premium are those of Jesse Putnam of Danvers, in 

 1824 ; Moses Newell of Newbury in 1826 ; Jacob Os- 

 good of Andover in 1829; Erastus Ware (the Pickman 

 farm) of Salem in 1830 ; Matthew Hooper of Danvers 

 in 1831 ; Thomas Chase of West Newbury in 1832 ; 

 Daniel Putnam of Danvers in 1835 ; Joseph How of 

 Methuen in 1837 ; Christopher How of Methuen in 

 1845; Leaverett Bradley of Methuen in 1849; J. F. 

 Winkley of Amesbury in 1850 ; W. F. Porter of Brad- 

 ford in 1851 ; Samuel Raymond of Andover in 1858 ; 

 Geo. B. Loring of Salem in 1862 ; and Richard Webster 

 of Haverhill in 1867. There are many others which 

 have received second premiums and honorable mention ; 

 and among them will occur to you the farms of Daniel 

 P. King of Danvers, Isaac Osgood of Andover, William 

 Thurlow of West Newbury, Joseph Kittredge of Ando- 

 ver, and E. Hersey Derby of Salem. I trust the chron- 

 icler of the next half century will have a longer list to 

 record than I have found in the past. 



Turn now with me to the exhibitions. The first of 

 these meetings was held at Topsfield. Oct. 5, 1820. The 

 amount of money offered for premiums was $182.00. 

 There were four classes : 1st. Working oxen and neat 

 LIVE STOCK : 2d. Fat Oxen and Swine : 3d. Indian Corn 

 AND Potatoes : 4th. On Manures. The first yoke of 

 oxen which had the honor of taking the first premium 

 in the county, belonged to Samuel Wheeler of Newbury- 

 port. The first prize bull belonged to Asa Andrews of 



