four acres, so uneven and stony as to prevent the land being 

 laid out for the workmen in parallel lines. The soil was 

 a deep solid loam, and somewhat stony, with a tough sward ; 

 making it a very undesirable task for the competitors, though 

 quite as easy for the Committee to determine the compara- 

 tive skill of the ploughmen and the strength and training 

 of their teams, as in a more easy and friable soil. No time 

 was specified in which the work was to be performed, your 

 Committee believing it much more important that the ground 

 should be well ploughed than rapidly ploughed,— though, 

 every thing else being equal, dispatch should be considered 

 worthy of merit. 



There were eleven teams that performed their task, and 

 taking into consideration the hardness of the soil, the task 

 was well performed. 



There were many things to be considered by the Com- 

 mittee in judging of the merit and demerit of the various 

 competitors. They hesitated, examined, and re-examined 

 the work performed, before they could satisfy their own 

 judgments in making the awards. 



A number of teams were unable to plough the required 

 depth, (seven inches.) Some of the competitors did not 

 turn the furrow quite flat and smooth enough to be consid- 

 ered perfect workmen. One or two others performed with 

 their hands and their feet what should have been performed 

 with the plough. But the work on the whole was admira- 

 bly performed, — quite as well as in any preceding year. 



Some of the teams performed their work in as thorough 

 and workmanlike manner as we ever witnessed. Not a 

 flaw could be discovered in the ploughman, his team, or 

 their work ; and they all did their work remarkably well 

 abating some of the defects we have mentioned. 



The Committee are unanimous in awarding the following 

 premiums. But one horse team performed in the match ; 

 that was by Daniel Miles of Westminster, to which we 

 award the second premium of $3 00 



