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The Sixteenth Annual Cattle Show and Fair of Hampshire' 

 Agricultural Society, occurred on their grounds, in Amherst, on^ 

 the 26th and 27th of Sept.- l8&6. Since the last publication of 

 the transactions of the Society, the society has been steadily 

 growing in numbers and prosperity, and has gained a strong hold 

 ttpon the community within which it is located. The expediency 

 of holding its exhibitions within an enclosure, and upon lands of 

 its own is no longer an experiment, but the experience of si'2^ 

 years has demonstrated that it is the true way to make the So- 

 ciety popular and prospero-usJ The great prejudice which in tHe' 

 first year of the adoption of this plan, existed in the minds of 

 some of its members, has been gradually dissipated, and it now re- 

 ceives the hearty support and co-operation of the Farmers and 

 Mechanics of the District. Each successive exhibition has 

 brought out a larger number of contributors, and a better variety 

 of articles for competition. The effect of this ia already visible. 

 Farmers are paying more attention to the improvement of their 

 farms. The old established customs of their fathers are bein^ 

 discarded. Experiments brought out by the patient trials of some,- 

 are eagerly adopted by others, — and a great improvement in 

 Agriculture is the result. Labor saving implements of farming 

 are rapidly introduced ; and very few persons who make farming 

 their business can now be found who do not use the Mowing Ma- 

 chine, the Horse Kake, the Hay Tedder, the Horse Hoe, and the 



