85 



Beet Guina Pigs, P. Merryfield, Sheffield, 

 Best Common Fowls, Jos. G. Canfield, Sheffield, 

 Largest and best display, A. Dings, Lee, 

 2d do., George Kellogg, Sheffield, 



W. G. Backus, 

 Ira N. Tuttle, 

 John C. Wheeler, 



50 



2 00 

 5 00 



3 00 



Committee. 



Plowing. 



Whole number of entries, 8. Horse Teams, 7 ; Side Hill, 1. 



HORSE TEAMS. 

 Best Plowing, E. S. MerrilJ, Lee, 

 2d do.. J. P. Ballard, Alford, 

 3d do., J. Chadwicb, Great Barrington, 

 4th do., F. A. Burghardt, Great Barrington, 

 5th do., Anson Buck, Stockbridge, 

 6th do., J. Wiuthrop, Stockbridge, 



Wm. Stoddard, ) 



I. H. PiXLEY, 



H. T. Potts, 



SIDE-HILL PLOWING. 

 Best Side-Hill Plowing, M. I. Wheeler, Great Barrington, 



Elisha Collins, 

 F. Abbey, 

 Isaac, Spijbr, 



Orchards — 5 entries. 



Committee. 



$6 



Committee. 



$10 



Best Apple Orchard, Dr. C. E.. Heath, Lee, 



2d do., Phineas Pettis. New Marlboro', 8 



Best Pear Orchard, Phineas Pettis, New Marlboro', 10 



2d do.. Dr. C. E. Heath, Lee, • 6 



Dwight Boardman, I ^ 

 George Parkish, \ Committee. 



Shade Trees. 



If the amount of work accomplished is a correct measure of the benefits 

 arising from a specific purpose, the efforts of the Housatonic agricultural socie- 

 ty to adorn and beautify the waysides of the county by planting shade trees is 

 assuredly a success, for your committee have found as the dir-ect result (fH the 

 premiums offered for that purpose, more than six hundred trees set in accord- 

 ance with the conditions of that offer, and indirectly the awakening of an 

 interest in the subject that is sure to increase, as the good already accomplished 

 becomes from year to year more apparent. We therefore advise a continuance 

 by the society of offering some encouragement by way of premiums for im- 

 proving and embellishing the waysides for the pleasure, the comfort, the re- 

 finement, and the benefit of the whole community. If this premium is con- 

 tinued, either every year, or at intervals less frequent, the committee who are 

 to pass judgment upon the claims of the different competitors should be al- 

 lowed a liberal discretion in making the awards. The size and form of the 

 trees alone, should not control their decis-ions. Location should be considered 

 to some extent. True, men cannot change the general features of their loca- 

 tions, and hence all could not compete for the prize on equal terms, but then 

 a perfect equality in competition should be subordinated to the general good. 

 No man shoulil be encouraged to plant a tree where it will do no good, simply 

 because he has no other place to plant it. A row of trses, however fine, 

 planted where the mountain or hill rises immediately and abruptly in the rear, 

 loses its effect by the greater prominence of the overshadowing background. 

 So, too, there are places where trees would be decidedly objectionable by shut- 

 ting out from view scenery more enjoyable than any that could be substituted 

 by intervening f)bjects. The location and adjacent surroundings should be 

 taken into account also in deciding what kind of trees to set. If a tree is to 



