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agement of farms entered, and taken a detailed statement of the stock, crops 

 and improvements. 



We are happy in being able to say that we have found some most excellent 

 farms, and, as a whole, we have been greatly pleased with their management 

 and improvements. We are satisfied that the offer of these extra premiums has 

 elicited much enterprise and has stimulated the competitors to great improve- 

 ments. As there were but five premiums offered, all could not receive one, but 

 most of those who failed to secure the spoons secured improvements which 

 were of more value to them than the aggregate of the premiums. Buildings, 

 fences, lands and stock were improved, and these will bring better interest than 

 silver spoons. The single item of running water at the barn will tell wonders 

 on a herd of thirty cow T s, to say nothing of the waste of labor and manure in 

 watering such a herd by hand or at some distant spring. We hope therefore 

 that this premium for the best managed farm will be continued, and that the 

 number of competitors will be increased. 



We cannot let this opportunity pass without congratulating the Berkshire 

 farmers upon the fact that the lines have fallen unto them in pleasant places. 

 We have seen something of our broad country, but nowhere do we find more 

 evidences of productiveness and thrift ; and especially is it true that nowhere 

 either in our own or foreign countries are the homes of the yeomanry more com- 

 fortable, or the general style of living of so high a character. The Berkshire 

 farm houses very generally give evidence, both externally and internally, of in- 

 telligence, refinement and comfort, and we desire here to express our thanks for 

 the generous hospitality everywhere shown us. The pleasant re-unions on our 

 annual rounds more than compensated for all labors and fatigues. We can as- 

 sure our successors in this pleasant office that everywhere they will find "the 

 latch-string huug out," and that they will make many pleasant acquaintances, 

 and will take many good lessons in farming. There is no better school for a 

 farmer than a tour of inspection among the premium farms of Berkshire county. 



While we thus commend the farms and farmers of this county we must not 

 be understood as thinking that there is no margin for further improvement. 

 Much of our land still needs draining. As Emerson said of Middlesex, so we 

 may say of this county, there is another Berkshire underlying Berkshire and it 

 only needs tiles to develop this basement and double our products. We are 

 more and more satisfied that good drainage lies at the foundation of good farm- 

 ing. One of the competitors for the premium on improved farms, Mr. Elizur 

 Smith of Lee, has set the farmers of Berkshire a noble example of what tiles 

 can do for laud. Some six years since he bought a farm which was proverbially 

 cold and wet. Hardhacks covered much of its surface, and it yielded scanty 

 returns for the labor and manure bestowed upon it. On this farm he has dug 

 miles of ditches and put in ear-loads of tiles, and the result is that he grows pre- 

 mium corn where the hardhacks so lately grew, and counts his potatoes by the 

 thousand bushels. The land is naturally strong, well adapted to grass and only 

 needs that the superabundant moisture should be removed and to be stimulated 

 with a little manure in order to produee this great staple of New England. Mr. 

 Smith is turning his land to grass as fast as he can subdue it and as an evidence 

 of his success we will state that he has this year cut one hundred and fifty tons 

 of hay. So far as improvements are concerned there is no question but that 

 Mr. Smith is entitled to tin 1 first premium ; but he has not developed his plans so 

 far yet as to reach the farm house, and we cannot therefore call his a complete 

 farm establishment, though his lands and stock show enterprise and excellent 

 management. His system of drainage is especially worthy of commendation. 

 4 jjWe find the stock of the County mostly composed of cows, and though we 

 would not advocate a sudden change, for we do not believe in frequent changes, 

 still we desire to suggest that possibly .the time has come when sheep- husbandry 

 may again occupy the attention of the Berkshire farmers. Qur }ii}ls are well 



