91 



beautiful, wide-spreading shade trees in the yard, looking 

 at a magnificent field of cabbage for but few moments, 

 when we were invited to partake of a very bountiful and 

 complete dinner. We had further proof that some of the 

 ladies of Essex county understand the art of cookery, 

 even if the men do not fully know all there is to under- 

 stand about farming. After dinner was served, we went 

 with Mr. Page to look more carefully at the cabbage yard. 

 The half acre which he had selected and entered, was 

 very promising. There were but very few vacant spaces 

 and but rarely a plant which showed the least sign of 

 defect. We regret exceedingly that the return statement 

 was not sent in so that the committee could pass upon it 

 at the meeting of the trustees, Nov. 15, when Dr. Loring, 

 proprietor of the Pickman Farm, moved to withdraw the 

 crop. The statement was only taken from the post office 

 when the chairman of your committee returned from that 

 meeting. Mr. Page showed us a fine barn full of hay, and 

 one of the stoutest crops of ensilage corn you often see, 

 and the farming utensils all in order. We shall not soon 

 forget our visit at Dr. Loring's place and the very kind peo- 

 ple we found there. 



A week or so later we had the pleasure of visiting the 

 other end of the county. 



At Methuen we found the place of W. Smith & Co. They 

 entered a crop of Marrow squashes and a crop of turnips. 

 There appeared to be a fair crop of squashes with what had 

 already been taken off for market. Turnips looked fairly 

 well, but there seemed to be quite a good many bare spots 

 which might materially affect the harvest. The statements 

 upon both of these crops hardly brought them up to stand- 

 ard of a premium, though the returns were quite good. Had 

 they been worthy of premium, the statements did not con- 

 form at all with the requirements of Society offering pre- 

 mium. See page 227, Transactions of Essex Agricultural 

 Society for 1886. 



We next visited Mr. Chas. W. Mann, one of the very 



