51 



mittee would never have suspected the fact, for we could not 

 trace the least resemblance to the pure Devon. Thej were, 

 however, a likely pair. 



There were three entries of yearlings. We award the first 

 premium of $5 to S. & N. Longfellow, of Groveland, for a 

 handsome pair of steers, which were so large that many per- 

 sons doubted their age, and the Committee themselves were 

 not satisfied until they examined them and found that they 

 had 2iot yet shed their calf teeth, which is proof that they 

 have not seen two years. We award the second premium of 

 $4 to J. Ralph Farnum, of North Andover, for a pair of Here- 

 ford Steers. A pair of yearlings, entered by B. W. Farnum, 

 of North Andover, although not quite as large as those which 

 received the premiums, showed excellent training, as they led 

 the North Andover town team around the Fair grounds. 



Of Calves there was but one entry, by R. S. Bray, of New- 

 bury, and the Committee consider them deserving of the first 

 premium of $4. 



On the whole we consider the exhibition of steers a very 

 creditable one, for taking into consideration the fact that there 

 are now but few oxen used upon the farms of the county, it 

 cannot be supposed that farmers will pay much attention to 

 the raising and training of steers. Probably there are not a 

 tenth part of the number of oxen upon the farms of Essex 

 County to-day that were here a half century ago. Just fifty 

 years ago, when the society was in its infancy, it held its fair 

 in the town of Andover. No premiums were then offered for 

 Town Teams, yet the farmers of that town, wishing to help 

 out the " Cattle Show," exhibited a team of three hundred 

 working oxen. Now a town team, even with the liberal pre. 

 miums offered, scarcely exceeds a tenth part of that number 

 and two of the members of this committee made the remark, 

 that there was not a single yoke of oxen in the towns from 

 which they came. Recently we saw it stated in an agricul- 

 tural paper that the introduction of the mowing machine 

 and the swivel plow was among the causes of the ox having to 



