11 



Tillage green gave it a look of as great activity, perhaps, as 

 it has shown since the days of May Trainings ; unless in 

 some excepted cases, when the " Cattle Show" may have 

 wakened the quiet spot to equal, and perhaps more enduring 

 animation. 



Topsfield may stand as the central town of Essex county. 

 It is located on land nearly as high as any, and for irregu- 

 larity of boundary line, may fairly challenge any of the 

 neighboring townships. But these peculiarities are of small 

 moment, compared with that, which gives Topsfield the 

 praise of rearing and preparing more schoolmasters than any 

 other place, probably, in Eastern Massachusetts. Its small, 

 square, " hip-roofed" Academy, occupying a pleasant little 

 rounded knoll, just at one side of the village, stands as the 

 monument of its own past usefulness, and an equal proof of 

 the continuance of that usefulness in the present. A greater 

 pride should this little structure be to Topsfield, than the 

 Arch of Titus or the Temple of Minerva, if either occupied 

 that little sunny knoll instead of it. 



A dispersion of the company into parties soon took place ; 

 one betaking themselves to the enjoyment of the fine views 

 to be observed from the summits of" Great Hill," and " Town 

 Hill", over whose steep acclivities the unvarying Newbury- 

 port Turnpike forces its toilsome and almost dangerous way ; 

 and another going into an examination of the somewhat 

 noted " Treadwell Farm", not long since bequeathed to tho 

 Essex Agricultural Society by its former proprietor. This 

 party was well entertained by the keeper, Mr. Brown, un- 

 der whose care several interesting experiments are progress- 

 ing, in regard to the comparative efficacy of different ma- 

 nures. Here the Pasture Oak exists in fine condition, but 

 the visitors noticed with regret the recent felling of some of 

 these trees, and the thought naturally arose, that little was 



