SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



The twenty-second annual exhibition was- held on the grounds 

 of the Society on Tuesday, September 29th. 



The weather was all that the oldest attendant had a right, 

 founded upon long experience, to expect, being cold, rainy and 

 disagreeable to the last degree. It is to be regretted that when 

 the General Court in itS' wisdom fixed the day of holding the an- 

 nual show it should have neglected to settle the weather also. 



The exercises were in accordance with established custom, 

 first in order being the trials of working oxen and steers at 9^^ 

 o'clock A. M., followed by exhibitions of gentlemen's driving 

 horses, family matched horses and town teams, which occupied 

 the forenoon. 



Dinner was served at 12^ o'clock P. M., Rev. W. W. Colburn, 

 invoking the Divine blessing. After a prolonged and successful 

 attack upon the good things abundantly provided by Mr. F. W. 

 Aldrich, President D. C. Miles called the assembly to order and 

 a quartette composed of Messrs. W. W. Clark, John Mather, S. 

 A. Wheeler, Jr., and E. D. Hewins, furnished abundant evidence 

 that excellent singing is the natural dessert of a good dinner. The 

 President spoke briefly upon the importance of Agricultural ex- 

 hibitions ; Mr. Geo. M. Baker of Mansfield, delegate from the 

 State Board of Agriculture, expressed himself as highly pleased 

 with the Fair and prepared to report favorably of everything ex- 

 cept the weather; Col. Ivers Phillips of Worcester, the first 

 president of the society, Mr. D. J. Tucker of California, Rev. 

 W. W. Colburn and George Trask of Fitchburg, and others, made 

 very interesting addresses. 



