36 BREAD, BUTTER, CHEESE, PICKLES. 



I find that errors Tvere committed on our part, or rather that there 

 were oversights in making out our report, which may do injustice to par- 

 ties whose articles deserve consideration, and consequently injury may 

 come upon your Society. 



We thought we were going strictly according to the letter of our in- 

 structions,but on looking over the matter with the See. , I find we devia- 

 ted somewhat. AVe found assigned to us for examination. Jellies, Pre- 

 serves and Sweet Pickles, none of which, as we thought, were entitled 

 to a premium, because said articles were not entertained by the Society 

 as eligible to premiums. But we find the case was otherwise, that a 

 sum of money was appropriated as a gratuity reward for meritorious ar- 

 ticles in this line. We regret this exceedingly because parties will not 

 understand why their articles really so meritorious, are passed by in 

 silence. Such silence savors of contempt, and is more grievous than 

 positive disapprobation. 



In the hurry of the occasion your chairman looked at the wrong page 

 of his instructions, and he alone is responsible in the premises. To 

 make all the restitution he can, he would recommend that all the said 

 articles, viz, the preserves, jellies, sweet pickles and honey, have an 

 award of a gratuity ranging from SI. 00 down to twenty-five cents each. 

 All of said articles were meritorious, but as there were no two alike, of 

 course there could be no competition or comparison for premiums. 



In a matter which concerns the bread and butter of us all, more par- 

 ticularity and minuteness should b*e exercised than we were able to be- 

 stow at the time we made our awards. The trustees will pardon me 

 if I say our instructions were not quite so full as they should have been. 

 You will answer, what use of instructions if they are not read, but in 

 reply to this, we thought we were reading them, and trust that in most 

 particulars we fulfilled the whole law. 



For instance, in Bread, we found one loaf which the lady members 

 of the Committee ruled out because made of " milk emjityings." By 

 what authority this ruling was made I am not aware. The bread was 

 certainly good and if there was no rule of the Society excluding it, it 

 should have been considered. 



Then in the matter of cheese, I doubt if our award was strictly cor-' 

 rect. One premium was given to a sage cheese. Now in strict no- 

 menclature, we believe this should have had a gratuity as sage cheese, 

 as there was no other entry to compete with it. 



In regard to trying the different articles, I would say, that we had 

 to make some ugly gashes in the cheese for want of a borer, and that 

 the owners of preserves and jellies had more left to carry home with 

 them than they would have had if we had had spoons to try them with 

 instead of the blades of penknives. While making our examinations, 

 crowds of people gathered around, some of them parties in interest, 

 and by their interfence and commentaries, had a tendency to impede the 

 prompt and impartial discharge of our duties. 



