160 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



NO V. 13, 1839. 



by the committee to surpass any work of the kind . 

 in the exhibition. I 



Beautiful wax flowers, wrought ladies' collars, , 

 cotton hose, atul fancy articles from the State Lu- j 

 natic Hospital, were viewed with great pleasure, 

 not only as an interesting addition to tho exhibition, ' 

 but as atfording practical evidence of tho blessed 

 influences exerted by that noble charity. , 



W. & S. T. Coc, of Worcester, exliibited a case ' 

 of medicines, perfumery, &c., so neatly and temp- 

 tingly put up, that the committee seemed really to ; 

 regret the want of an occasion to try them. These | 

 gentlemen are entitled to tlie censure of the socie- | 

 ty for offering men such temptations to be sick, | 

 A case full of groceries, were exhibited by E. F. 

 Dixie, of Worcester: they /ooA'erf nice ; but in rela- 

 tion to a portion of them, the committee felt that 

 more direct and practical proof was requisite. It 

 is hoped that Mr Dixie is of the wise, to whom a 

 word is sutTiciout. 



Tabourets, wrought with cruels, by Mrs A. D. 

 Foster, of Worcester, by Miss !Mary Denny, of 

 Worcester, and by Mrs Eliza A. Washburn, of Wor- 

 cester, were universally admired as Deautiful orna- 

 ments for the drawing room, and as monuments of 

 the industry, taste, and unwearied patience of those 

 ladies. 



Cotton sheetings, of a very nice quality, were 

 Bent by Messrs II. & S. B. Chase, of Grafton ; some 

 very good by Samuel Slater & Sons, of Webster. 

 One hundred skeins of sewing silk were offered 

 by Lucy Earle, of Leicester, to whoip the commit- 

 tee recommend a gratuity of .'Jl. 



Sewing silk of a good quality, and a lot of co- 

 coons, were sent by Mr J. H. Moore, of Charlton. 

 A small bureau, of very neat workmanship, by 

 James M. Russell, of Worcester ; a lady's work- 

 box by Seth Puffer, of Worcester ; a beautiful dress- 

 ing case by George Evans, of Worcester ; a lady's 

 work-box by Amos Evans, of Worcester ; nnd one 

 from r. W. & C. P. Bancroft, received much com- 

 mendation. 



Very perfect imitations of rose wood by Charles 

 P. Chapin, of Worcester, were much admired, and 

 the committee recoiiimend a gratuity of .§] lo that 

 gentleman. 



A very beautiful wrought lace capo by Miss Sa- 

 rah G. Davis, of Paxton, delighted the committee. 

 They recommend that a gratuity of $1 be given to 

 her. 



An ingenious machine for winding thread was 

 exhibited by Mary N. Hedge, o' Worcester. 



Two bonnets and a cap, tastefully made by Miss 

 M. WiUey, of Worcester, attracted much notice. 



A stuffed owl, a fitting representation of the cyni- 

 cal wisdom of the age, looked down very knowing- 

 ly upon the multitude beneath. 



Several portraits by George L. Brown, of Wor- 

 cester, were commended highly for the beauty of 

 their execution and their great fidelity as likeness- 

 es. Two pretty landscapes by the same excellent 

 artist, added to the attractions of tht' fair. 



A landscape, by Francis Wood, of Worcester, at- 

 tracted much attention. 



Specimens of neat and delicate paper hangings 

 were sent from the manufactory of J. M. Barry, of 

 Worcester. 



Silver ware, beautifully finished, and gold spec- 

 tacles, were offered for exhibition by Messrs Dun- 

 bar & Story, of Worcester. 



A very beautiful lady's work bag, wrought with 

 cruels, by Mrs Pratt, of Worcester, was found to 

 be added to the exhibition this morning. ■ 



Also, two neat palm leaf hats, by .Mrs Hapgood, 

 of Harvard. 



A door, made by Henry Earle, of Worcester, was 

 regarded as a specimen of rieat and finished work- 

 manship. 



The committee cannot, with any decent respect 

 to the patience of the society, even enumerate all 

 tho beautiful articles exhibited. Though not men- 

 tioned in this report, they did not escape the notice 

 of the crowd of visitors who thronged the hall. 



They would suggest to those who may furnish 

 articles for exhibition at a future time, to send them 

 at an early hour the day preceding the cattle show. 

 After the hah is opeijed for visitors, it is not possi- 

 ble for the committee to make a minute examina- 

 tion of the articles exhibited. They do not doubt 

 that many articles of gre^.t merit may have been 

 unnoticed from this cause. 



Yet, after all, the noblest specimens of our do- 

 mestic manufactures wore the daughters of our 

 county, who in thousands thronged this pleasant 

 village to celebrate the farmer's holiday. Tho com- 

 mittee could not but turn from the beautiful fabrics 

 to their more beautiful makers. Even the cold and 

 cynical bachelors, as they gazed upon the rosy- 

 cheeked and beautiful girls, folt the ice melt with- 

 in them, and for the brief hour were human. 



BENJ. F. THOMAS, Chairman. 



Committee on Slieep. 



Joseph Mason, Templeton, Chairman ; Scth Wy- 

 rnan, Shrewsbury ; Washington Howe, Petersham: 

 Cyrus Gale, Northboro'; Thomas Bottomly, Leices- 

 ter; Joseph Day, Uxbridge ; Samuel Daman, Hol- 

 dcn ; Sylvanus Holbrook, Nortlibridge. 



The committee appointed to award premiums on 

 sheep, respectfully submit the following report : 



Like the shepherds of antiquity, your committee 

 feel themselves honored in having charge of a floclt 

 of sheep. We have never felt any of that antipa- 

 thy for this useful and inoffensive animal, which 

 induced a distinguished southern gentleman to say 

 that he would go a mile out of his \</ay to kick a 

 sheep. On the contrary, we have always enter- 

 tained feelings of kindness towards this humble, 

 though very loarm friend of mankind. Nor do we 

 feel any sheepishntss in acknowledging our depen- 

 dent relation to them as the receivers of their cast 

 off garments to cover our nakedness and protect us 

 from the cold. 



In its n^d or savage state, the sheep is said to 

 be a bold, courageous, and fleet animal, able to op- 

 pose and defend itself against other animals of its 

 own size, or to escape by flight from those of supe- 

 rior strength. It is a problem that has not yet 

 been solved, how the art of man should so change 

 Us nature and deprive it of its natural courage and 

 boldness. As an explanation of this paradox, your 

 co;nmittee will merely allude to the fact, that the 

 ancient shepherds beguiled away the hi urs while 

 tending thcii flocks, in performing on the harp or 

 lyre some soft and simple strains of music ; which 

 ] fact affords a complete explanation, according to a 

 • principle laid down by the celebrated Montesquieu, 

 that soft and plaintive music diminishes the feroci- 

 ty and boldness of a people: unless, indeed, some 

 I good reason can be given why the same principle 

 will not apply to sheep, which that learned writer 

 : has applied to men. 



I It would be a matter of curiims inquiry, to ascer- 

 ; tain whether with this change which has taken 

 ■ place in the character of the sheep, there has been 



a corresponding change in its phrenological deve! 

 opnicnts. 'Miis question we will refer to the phr( 

 nologists, and we hope that some of them will c.> 

 amine the subject and report before the next cattl 

 show. It is to be presumed that there will b 

 found a great depression of the orran of destru( 

 tivencss, and an unusual elevation of the organ ( 

 shecp'rhness. 



A sheep should be judged of like a dandy, by th 

 fineness of his coat. We beg pardon of the shoe 

 for the comparisop — but it is so apt I In both ci 

 ses, the coat is the most important part of the anima 

 What is a sheep good for without a fleece, ar 

 what is a dandy good for without a coat? 



Some of the sheep examined by your conimitte 

 were of a superior quality. They were of diffgi 

 ent bhiods of Merino, Dishley, and Saxony, mixe 

 with that of the native sheep. None, howeve 

 were presented with a golden fleece, li':e thi 

 which Jason obtained in the celebrated Argonaut 

 expedition; and it is the opinion of your commi 

 tee, that that species of sheep is entirely extinc 

 at least, it is unknown in the county of Worceste 

 We think, that if another should be discovered i 

 these days, it would be kept to perpetuate tl 

 stock, instead of being sacrificed to either Jupiti 

 or Mars ; and that enough would be found to col 

 tend for the fleece, even though guarded by tl 

 bulls with brazen hoofs and horns, and the arrnt 

 men and the sleepless dragon. 



Your committee can express no opinion as 1 

 the best mixtures of blood for the wool grower 1 

 obtain. That must be determined by a variety i 

 circumstances. In connexion with this subjec 

 however, we will mention a very excellent sugge 

 tion of a good farmer's wife, somewhere in Ve 

 mont, who, having been put to some inconvenicnc 

 to procure some cotton to mix with her wool for di 

 inestic manufacture, advised her husband to get 

 cOlion i-am, so that they might have cotton and wo 

 ready mixed, from their own flock. 



Your committee awarded to Thomas W. Wai 

 the premium of seven dollars for the best Merii 

 ram. No other ram was presented that, by tt 

 rules of the society, could be considered as his con 

 petitor. Four Saxony bucks were presented t 

 Rejoice Newton, Esq., of Worcester; but as i 

 premium is offered by the society for Saxony buck 

 we can merely certify to all whom it ipay concer 

 that they had very fine wool and very large horn 



The best Merino ewes were presented by Mess 

 Francis Strong and-Charles Hadwin, of Worceste: 

 and your committee accordingly awarded to the 

 the premium of eight dollars, whij|h is offered t 

 the society. The premium of four dollars for tf 

 next best Merjno ewes, was awarded to Willia 

 Thompson, of Oakham. The wool of these ew( 

 was of a very superior quality, and had some a| 

 peurance of being a mixture of Merino and Saxon 



The only mixed Merino sheep presented for 

 premium were five ewes belonging to Thomas V 

 Ward, of Shrewsbury. They were a mixture i 

 Merino and Bakewell breeds, and both on accoui 

 of their size and the quality of the wool, entitle 

 the owner, in the opinion of the committee, to tl 

 premium of five dollars, which was according! 

 awarded to him.- 



The premium of five dollars for the best nativ 

 ram, was awarded to HoUon Maynard, of Northborc 

 This ram is reputed to be two years old ; an 

 though he had rather a mutton-headed expressioi 

 was, on the whole, a very fine fellow, and did n 

 discredit to the place of his nativity. 



