PLOWING. 39 



his letter notifying the secretary, it being dated Thursday 

 instead of Tuesday previous. George Wood entered his 

 team as a double team, by mistake. So that, conforming to 

 the rules of the society, we felt obliged to count out J. E. 

 Merriam and George Wood, (much to our sorrow,) leaving 

 only two competitors, Joseph Gushing and Levi Downe, 

 although all four plowed and did excellent work. 



Levi Downe with his six years old oxen, weight 2935 lbs., 

 and Michigan plow, performed his work of one-tenth of an acre 

 of sward land on Justin Stearns' farm, in thirty-nine minutes, 

 and we award him the society's first premium of $7.00. 



Joseph Cushing's six years old oxen, weight 3400 lbs., 

 with Blake & Barnard's plow, performed the same amount of 

 work in forty-one minutes, and we award him the society's 

 second premium of $5.00. 



J. E. Merriam with his four years old oxen, weight 2805 

 lbs., performed the same amount in thirty-nine and a half 

 minutes. 



George Wood with his four years old oxen, weight 2920 

 lbs., and driver and side-hill plow, performed the same amount 

 in forty minutes, all doing the work excellently, without 

 noise and whipping, all the oxen being trained to work with- 

 out much urging, which is, we think, an important feature in 

 the improvements of the day. 



And we would recommend that the society give a gratuity 

 to J. E. Merriam of $5.00, for the excellent manner in which 

 his four years old oxen performed their work, we being com- 

 pelled by the society's rules, to withhold a premium from him. 



In conclusion, your committee would recommend, that 

 land, to be plowed by competitors another year, be found 

 more contiguous to the village of Fitchburg, as we climbed 

 " Alps upon Alps," and a distance of one mile or more from 

 the village, rendering it very inconvenient for most persons 

 to witness this important part of the programme of Wor- 

 cester North Agricultural Show. 



Cyrus Kilburn, Chairman. 



