34 



with liberality and energy. E. Hersey Derby of Salem, 

 and Gorham Parsons of Byfield, were among the early 

 importers of what were called Durhams in their day; 

 the Alderney was introduced by Col. Pickering, in 

 1825, and in later years by C. G. Loring, R. S. Fay, R. 

 S. Rogers and others. Ayrshires were imported in 

 1846, by Wm. S. Marland of Andover, and Chas. A. 

 Stetson of Swampscott, and by Geo. B. Loring in 1858. 

 An ^Ayrshire bull was consigned to Moses Newell of 

 Newbury by the Massachusetts Society in 1857, and 

 Dutch cattle were introduced by Wm. A. Russell of 

 Lawrence, in 1865. The improvement of stock in the 

 county is now evident, and the "dark brindle bull," 

 which took the first premium in 1820, would stand a 

 small chance in these days, especially under the Soci- 

 ety's offer for the " best full-blood bull." 



I have no doubt, and you have none, that all this ef- 

 fort of the Society, which I have recited to you as much 

 in detail as time will allow, has promoted the cause of 

 agriculture among us, and has encouraged us to over- 

 come those difficulties which arise from a hard soil and 

 climate ; and yet it is interesting and instructive to look 

 back and see what crops our fathers raised, when this 

 Society was yet in its infancy. I have already spoken 

 of Tristram Little's corn crop of 103 1-2 bushels to the 

 acre, and now let me give you a statement made in 

 1829, of the crops which had then been raised at differ- 

 ent times in different parts of this county : — 



Of Wheat — 24 bushels and 26 bushels to the acre. 



Of Indian Corn— 70 bushels; 72 bushels; 77 1-2 

 bushels ; 90 1-2 bushels ; 93 3-4 bushels ; 105 bushels 

 and 6 quarts; 110 bushels; 113 1-2 bushels; 115 bush- 

 els; 117 1-4 bushels. ^ 



