AND HOIlTICnLTUUAL RF.GISTER. 

 Boston, Wednesday, Octoeek IC. 1835. 



CATTLE SHOW AT WORCESTER. 

 The annual Cattle Show of tho VVorresl.r Agricultu- 

 ral Society was held at Worcostef on Wedne^lay 9lh 

 in»t. The weather was as fine as cnukl be dfsired and 

 the attendance was never more nutnorous. Indeed, the 

 roads were crowded with vehicles of one descnpl.on 

 and another; and the side walks were so thronged with 

 men and cattle, that it required considerable skill in nav- 

 gation, a 20od deal of " luffing and benrins away, and 

 occasionally rounding lo," to itiake any heiidway at all. 

 The show of animals in the pens of the society, we 

 may say, we think without extravagance, was magni- 

 ficent • for really we hardly know Imw otherwise to 

 characterise it. There were no less than four hundred 

 and Beventythree entries ; and the pens of the society 

 were not only full but overflowing, so that several ani- 

 mals brought for eihibition from the immediate vicimty, 

 were sent home to make room for competitors from a 

 distance; an<i several were tied at diflerent posts for 

 want of other accommodations. It would be an idle, at 

 tempt to undertake to particularise in this case, and ih. 

 full and elaborate reports uf the several committees 

 which we sh.ill have the pleasure to lay befure our rea- 

 ders, will do perfect justice in this respect. 



The fat oien took the precedence in the pens. The 

 great ox Columbus weighed 2fi6t lbs. ; he was from 

 Princeton, and seems to have been made after the pat- 

 tern of the little Wechusett hill in his neighborhood - 

 Having now descended, how the fellow (we were going 

 to say poorfellow, but that will not do,) is ever to get 

 bick again to the lop of his native hills is not io easy lo 

 divine. An oj belonging to 1.. & E. Barnard, weigh- 

 ed 2252 lbs. ; another from J. Adams, Rutland, 2115 

 ibs. and another to J Estabrook, of Princeton, 1920 lbs. 

 A pair of oxen belonging to John Reile, of Sutton, weigh- 

 ed 3788 Ibs. ; a pair from J. Estabrook, 3880; a pair of 

 oien from Northhoro', 3905 lb?.; and a pair belong, 

 ing to L. & E. Barnard, 3914 lbs In this matter of grass 

 fed oien, and most of them native stock, we will chal- 

 lenge in the same number, even Smilhfield to beat us. 

 The show of bulls was excellent, and in this case the 

 improved stock made up of the Durham Shoit Horn 

 and crosses between the Ayrshire and our native breeds, 

 distanced very far our native bieerls. One bull calf, 

 represented as partly Durham, 1-5 months old, weighed 

 872 lbs. ; a yearling heifer in the same pen weighed 845 

 Ibs. A bull csif belonging to B. Miller, and less than 

 seven months old, weighed 604 lbs. A bull from Sut- 

 ton, of great excellence in all points, weiirhed 1495 lbs. 

 A bull from Needham, owned by Jabez Smith, was a 

 very fine animal, though not " slicked up" for the occa- 

 sion. 



The milch cows were numeruns and fine. A cow 

 gent by Thomas W. Word, of Shrewshnrv, was remar- 

 kable for her size and excellence of form. She was a 

 descendant from Denton, who was of great service m 

 theimprovementofiliestock of the county. The milch 

 gtock fro -n the hospital was of the most beautiful de 

 BCription, showing the best of keep and care. We do 

 not believe for the number, there is better stock in the 

 State: and certainly none in better condition. Th<-y 

 are any thing but insane. One of these cows gave in 

 the best of the seas.m, twenty measured quarts per day, 

 but whether beer or wine measur,- we were not able to 

 ascertain. A native cow from Sutton had made thirteen 

 aod half pounds of butter per week. 



The stock of John Welles, Esq., of Dorchester, of which 

 there were numerous specimens, attracted » continued 

 crowd around their pens. No gentleman has done more 

 or succeeded better in the improvement of his stock 

 than Mr Welles. His young animals were singularly 

 beautiful ; so was a cow exhibited by him. 



The exhibition of sheep was small; but the animals 

 both oflheDishley cross and the Merino and Saxony 

 stock were good. Worcester county is not a large 

 sheep district. The amount of this description of stock 

 is comparatively small. We believe they would derive 

 great advantage from the introduction of the South Down 

 among them, crossed with the native or Merino; and 

 that some proportion of this stock would pay better than 

 their dairies. 



The show of swine was admirable. There is not 

 much humor in a hog, though young pigs are not wholly 

 without it ; but there is some merit in being the cause 

 of wit in others; and to them, therefore, however un- 

 conscious they may be of having conferred the obliga- 

 tion, we are indebted for a report, which did them am- 

 ple justice ; and sparkling and bubbling with humor, 

 gave equal pleasure to the assembly who heard it. The 

 hogs from the hospital, a stock bred and improved there 

 and fair rivals of any breed in the country, were capital. 

 The Berkshire breed was fully represented in the pens. 

 A Berkshire boar two years old, excellent in every re- 

 pect, owned by Jas. H. Clapp, weighed 443 Ibs. : a 

 boar owned by Samuel A. Knox, seven-eighths Berk- 

 shire, in every respect fine, weighed 270 lbs. and receiv- 

 ed the highest honors of the occasion, A capital boar 

 was exhibited by the Shaker family from Harvard. 



We have omitted to state in its proper place, that 

 there were some very fine animals of improved neat 

 stock exhibited by Mr Orsimus Willard, which were de- 

 servedly honored with the premiums of the society. 



The working cattle shown on the occasion and the 

 noble team of sevenlyfive yoke of oxen from Sutton, a 

 town which stands first in the commonwealth for its ad- 

 mirably trained teams, was a beautiful sight. 



The drawing match was well contested, but called 

 away by other engagements, we had not the pleasure of 

 witnessing it. 



In the ploughing match there were eighteen compe- 

 titors, ten doirble^ond eight single teams. The ploughs 

 used were all, excepting one and that of a Hartford pat- 

 tern, ofthe pattern and make of Ruggles, Nourse &. Ma- 

 son, of Worcester. They are good and approved instru- 

 ments. 



The lots consisted of one-eighth of an acre each, and 

 the work was finished in times varying from one hour 

 and five, to one hour and fifteen minutes The ground 

 « as hard, dry, and stony ; the required depth was reach- 

 ed with much difficulty, and the plough even in sliillul 

 hands, continually thrown out. The teams in general 

 were very young, but in fine condition and .admirably 

 trained. The ph.ughing was good ; but we should do 

 injiislico to our opinions if we pronounced it more than 

 that. In saying this, however, we niter only our own 

 private judgment, and with no want of respect for the 

 competent committee, who pronounced a dififerent ver- 

 dict. In almost every case the ploughing failed to 

 re.ich the required depth ; it was very difficult to 

 I do this, but there were two other, as we deemed them^ 

 i errors, to which ther.- was scarcely an exception. The 

 1 plough was not held vertically, but went too much to 

 I land. This very much increased the difficulty ofdraught 

 and made the land side of the furrow ragged. In the 

 next place, the furrow slice was almost always too wide 

 i and the outside of it at the bottom was not cut by the 



furrow slice should never be wider than tne neei oi iiie | 

 plough, or the width of the share ; in this case the at- 

 templ was to make it even wider than ihe plough at the 

 top of the mould board ; or indeed as wide as the wing 

 of the plough could be made to force over. It is im- 

 possible in this mode of ploughing to do justice lo the 

 land <.r to make good work. Candid minds will cer- 

 tainly ascribe these remarks to no disposition to find 

 fault. We have no such feeling; but our only desire 

 is to advance, as far as our humble ability will permit 

 us, to contribute toil, tho cause of good ploughing and 

 good husbandry. We know very well the sensitiveness 

 to criticism, wiiicli prevails in our community. But in 

 practical matters every thing should yield to the great 

 objects of public improvement ; and we know no way 

 by which these objects can be so well advanced as by 

 the free but respectful utterance and interchange of 

 opinion. 



The hall ofthe society was filled with articles of pro- 

 duce, and mechanical and manufacturing ingenuity. The 

 report of Gov. Davis on inechanical inventions and tools 

 was a capital paper, full of instruciive remarks, which 

 we shall have great pleasure in giving to the public ; 

 and the report of Mr Thomas on all other inventions 

 and articles, was highly entertaining and piquant. 



Squashes, Rohan potatoes, beets, &c. Ac, samples of 

 corn, Dutlon and Tree corn, showed good soil and ex- 

 cellent cultivation, and displayed the unlimited bounties 

 of Divm'! Providence. The dairy produce, and espe- 

 cially the butler, was excellent, and left little room for 

 improvement in the manufacture or style of preparation . 

 I for ma'ket. 



The address at the church by Mr Foster, of Worces- 

 ter, was unassuming, sensible and int«resting, and gave 

 universal satisfaction. It was prefaced by some inter- 

 esting remarks of the president of the society, referring 

 toils history, condition and prospects, which we shall 

 give in another place. 



The Massachusetts Society for promoting agriculture 

 were represented on this occasion by a commiitee of two i 

 gentlemen, John Welles and Henry Codman, Esqrs.-I 

 The Massachusetts Society this year gave two hundred/ 

 dollars at Worcester, to be bestowed in premiums ir| 

 conjunction with the premiums of ihe Worcester counl| 

 society. On the part ofthe Massachusetts Society thi| 

 was a highly liberal appropriation, and brought numj 

 rous competitors from different parts ofthe State. 



The people assembled on this occiision weie not t| 

 least interesting and agreeable part ofthe exhibition. 

 We were repe.itedly asked if we thought any other p 

 of the State could present such an assembly. Our si 

 pie answer is. that we believe an assembly more resp 

 table fur good appearance, good manners, sobriety ' 

 intelligence, could no where be found; but then W 

 thank God that every part of our Slate is full of t 

 such people. "■ 



TRAiiSPt-AKTiNG — This is a fine season for tran^- 

 ling trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials. P'" 

 most any iind of trees, forest or fruit trees, (pefs, 

 p«rliap6,exceptecl,) and for fruit.bearing shrubs, ci^/ts, 



raspberries, and the like, we are satisfied that the f^n 

 \b the best lime fir transplanting ; the labor can ler- 

 formed with more ease, for the earth is in a bettfon- 

 dition to settle about the fibrous parts of the roo»nd 

 if the tree or shrub can be so firmly protectedlne' 

 the wind as not to be blown over or disturbed inPeJ. 

 Ihe process of rooting, if not going on during thnole 

 winter, commences with the first opening of thfifg, 

 and many weeks before the ground will be i^tate 



