602 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



CATTLE SHOW AT COKCORD. 



The Sixty- Seventh annual exhibition of the 

 Middlesex Agricultural Society took place at 

 Concord, on Thursday last, Sept. 19. The weath- 

 er was one of those clear, hot, New England days 

 that usually precede the line storm ; a little too 

 hot and dusty for comfort, but one upon which 

 there was no doubt, so that all who desired to go 

 to the Show did not hesitate on account of the 

 weather. But it was not hot enough to enervate 

 any person of energy, or (o suppress the lowing 

 of kine, the pawing of rampant steeds or crowing 

 of lusty cocks. Everything seemed to be rife 

 with life, and glad to come forth on this gala day, 

 80 full of ancient usages and memories. The 

 aged men and women were there, looking at the 

 mammoth productions of a young America, but 

 matching them with tales of their own achieve- 

 ments in days long gone by. The boys and girls 

 were there — buoyant and hopeful as young life 

 itself — giving color and tone to all, as brilliant 

 gems give lustre to more sombre surroundings. 

 So the middle-aged were there — the workers full 

 of bustling activity, controlling and progressing 

 to the grand result. Scholars were there — doc- 

 tors of Law and Divinity ; Professors, — men of 

 genius — inventors, all had turned from their ac- 

 customed pursuits to mingle in the happy throng 

 to see and be seen, or generously add something 

 to the attractions of the occasion ! And well did 

 they discharge their duty, for as the curtain of 

 night ffll quietly over the scene, every avenue 

 from the grounds was filled with gratified partic- 

 ipants diverging from the centre as the rays from 

 a star. » 



Considering the great scarcity of fruit, and how 

 deeply the public mind is absorbed in the war, 

 the exhibition was a good one. The officers of 

 the society, and the people, had evidently exert- 

 ed themselves — as they always do in old Middle- 

 sex — to make the show a good one. Yet with 

 the exception of vegetables and flowers, we think 

 there was less in every other department than 

 there has been many times before, and especially 

 was this the case in the show of neat cattle. 

 Small as this was, however, it contained several 

 admirable specimens of stock. The Ayrshires of 

 G. M. Baukett, of Concord, and Leonard 

 Hoar, of Lincoln, the fat and working oxen of 

 Nathan Brooks, and Nathan Pratt, of Ac- 

 ton, the fat cattle of A. Boyington, of Pepper- 

 ell — the sleek and beautiful herd of Jerseys, of 

 John B. Moore, of Concord, and one of A. B. 

 Wellington, of Wayland, — the dark and well- 

 fed Devons of brother Buckminster, of Framing- 

 ham, were a credit not only to Middlesex, but to 

 the State. 



The number of Swine was small, but they were 

 all excellent. A. S. Lewis, of Framingham, 



made a fine show, and so did Wm. Hastings, of 

 the same town, presenting the finest boar we have 

 recently seen. T. J. Damon, of Wayland, had 

 three very fine pigs of the Columbia county and 

 Suffolk breeds ; but the swine that would make 

 the mouth of a lover of "pork and beans" water, 

 were the two porkers of Augustus Tuttle, of 

 Concord, resting complacently upon a bed of 

 freshly turned earth, which, contrary to all seces- 

 sion proclivities, they had condescended to make 

 for themselves before lying down ! They were 

 very fine, indeed ; clean, healthy, inviting. 



There were 31 entries of Horses, and among 

 them some superior animals. They were shown 

 off in the ring, and made an interesting part of 

 the exhibition. 



The show of Poultry was not large, there being 

 but 16 entries in all, but it included some very 

 fine specimens of various breeds. John Hosmer 

 and Hiram Jones, Concord, had fine turkeys ; 

 P. Gleason, Wayland, had a crate full, four 

 months old, that seemed to us unusually large 

 for that age. He also had six ducks, almost vy- 

 ing with the splendid Wood Duck in beauty of 

 plumage. They were white on the under side of 

 the neck, on the breast and wings, and the re- 

 mainder jet black. John Brov/n, 2d, Concord, 

 had a coop of fine Brahma Pootras. George M. 

 Barrett, Concord, also presented very fine fowls. 

 He raises them in large numbers, and under- 

 stands the business well. J. B. Farmer, Con- 

 cord, presented a coop containing seven pullets 

 and a cock of mixed breed, but very handsome. 

 We understood him to say that he had 35 fowls 

 on the first of January last, and that en the first 

 day of September instant, his income from them 

 had been $135 ! 



The show of Farm and Culinary Implements 

 was small — including a few plows, one Woods' 

 mowing m.achine, a few hay cutters of the Green 

 Mountain pattern, andRhoades' Clothes Wringer. 



The display of Friiit was creditable for this 

 year, but bore only a faint resemblance to that 

 v/hich has been upon the table in former years. 

 In conversation with several persons who are 

 large fruit-raisers, we found the opinion common 

 that there is just about one barrel of apples this 

 year where there were fifty barrels last year. 

 There were few pears, fewer peaches, and of that 

 variety of apple so common all over the county, 

 the Baldwin, we could find only about a dozen 

 plates on the table, and these would have been sec- 

 ond rate last year. There was a pretty fair show 

 of grapes, including the Isabella, Concord, Hart- 

 ford Prolific, Diana, Delaware, and perhaps some 

 others. Ebenezer Davis, of Acton, had a beauti- 

 ful vine of the Sweet Water, with some tempting 

 clusters. 



Dread and Butter were presented in consider- 



