1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



511 



WORCESTER AGRICULTURAL SHOW. 



The Forty- Tliird annual exhibition of the TFor- 

 cester Central Agricultural /Society commenced on 

 Thursday of last week, and continued through 

 Friday. The main exhibition was concluded the 

 first day, and the second day was devoted to a 

 show of horse flesh. The exhibition was very 

 large in nearly every department, the show of 

 cattle and sheep being very much more extensive 

 and better in every way, than that of last year. 



The extent of the exhibition may be judged 

 from the number of entries of blood stock. There 

 were 12 entries of Ayrshires — 3 bulls, 3 cows and 

 6 heifers ; North Devons — 7 bulls, 2 cows, 8 

 heifers ; Durhams — 4 bulls, 9 cows, 6 heifers ; 

 Jerseys — 4 bulls, 5 cows, 7 heifers; bulls, 7 ; bull 

 calves, 5 ; milch cows, 13 ; heifers with calf, 18 ; 

 other heifers, 34 ; working oxen, 25 ; working 

 steers, 6 ; steers of two years, 8 ; yearling steers, 

 10; calves, 3; fat cattle — 4 oxen, 4 cows; sheep 

 — 12 bucks, 14 ewes ; swine — 8 boars, 7 sows, 7 

 pens of pigs ; poultry — turkeys, 4 entries ; ducks, 

 5; geese, 4; common fowls, 27 lots. "Sundry 

 animals not elsewhere entered," 12, including a 

 trained dog, three English ferrets, and a consid- 

 erable number of rabbits. Of stallions there 

 were 16 entries ; horses for all purposes, 12 ; 

 matched carriage horses, 5 ; brood mares and 

 colts, 16 ; gelding colts, 6; filly colts, 10. 



About 400 sat down to dinner. "When that 

 was through with, the President of the Society, 

 William S. Lincoln, spoke to them encourag- 

 ingly of the condition and prospects of the Socie- 

 ty, and introduced Dr. Bartlett, of Chelmsford, 

 the delegate from the State Board, who said the 

 exhibition of cattle that day was the best he had 

 ever seen. Dr. Loring, of Salem, next spoke, and 

 congratulated the farmers of Worcester upon 

 their display of cattle. Amasa Walker, of North 

 Brookfield, spoke of the advantage of an agricul- 

 tural life. 



The first exercise on the morning of the second 

 day was a trial of mowing machines, for which 

 there were eight entries. The remainder of the 

 morning was occupied in the exhibition of horses. 

 There were no speeches at the dinner-table to- 

 day. 



Dogs We have recently received two or three 



articles on the subject of dogs, in addition to 

 those already published, but it does not seem 

 necessary to us to continue the discussion further. 

 "J. C. D.," a former correspondent, in a mild and 

 well written article says : 



I must repeat my conviction that the present 

 dog law of Massachusetts, if enforced as it should 

 be, is admirably calculated to remove all reasona- 

 ble grounds of complaint. Over and above the 

 ample provisions for the confinement and destruc- 

 tion of dangerous or mischievous dogs, and for 



indemnifying all who may suffer injury or loss by 

 means of them, I claim an especial merit for the 

 clause providing for the registration and taxation 

 of dogs ; inasmuch as, if enforced, it would pre- 

 vent the keeping, and still more the breeding of 

 animals, which being considered worthless even 

 by their owners, are especially likely to be a nui- 

 sance to the public, and to bring disgrace on their 

 more valued, and therefore better cared for 

 brethren. 



extracts and replies, 

 draining a swamp. 

 I have begun a job that I am not well acquaint- 

 ed with, and wish you would direct me. I have 

 a swamp hole of about three-fourths of an acre, 

 and there is a chance to drain it by cutting 

 through a little hill. What kind of a drain shall 

 I make ? I have stones that I would like to use ; 

 can they be made into a drain so that the ditch 

 will not choke up ? How would you manage it ? 

 A Constant Reader. 

 Taunton, Sept., 1861. 



Remarks. — We have omitted some of your in- 

 quiries, because it is impossible for us to answer 

 without being on the ground. We should advise 

 you to use tile instead of stone, as the tile if well 

 laid, will probably last a century, without filling 

 up ; while in such ground, a stone drain would be 

 likely to get choked in three or four years. 



RACCOONS. 



In answer to the inquiry of your correspondent, 

 Mr. Whitaker, I will tell you now I trap raccoons 

 without keeping a dog to hunt them. I take a 

 fox trap and set it on a level spot, so that it will 

 set firm where the 'coons most haunt, which is 

 nearest to a brook or run ; I take a piece of dry 

 codfish, or a string of trouts, and suspend by a 

 string and slanting stake about two feet above 

 the trap. In this way I generally take one the first 

 time they come along. The trap needs no cover- 

 ing. A Subscriber. 



Banbury, N. E., Sept., 1861. 



winter barley. 

 In the Farmer of Aug. 31st I saw an account 

 of some winter barley raised by Mr. J. B. Far- 

 mer. Can you inform me whether I can get a 

 bushel, and what the price will be ? 



J. H. Parker. 

 Waterville, Me., Sept., 1861. 



Remarks. — Mr. Farmer sold all the seed he 

 could spare to Messrs. Nourse & Co., and they 

 have distributed it among some thirty of their 

 customers, at $3 per bushel. We cannot tell you 

 where it can be obtained. 



premiums at cattle snows. 

 As the season is again come rou.id, when these 

 shows are to be holden in all the counties of the 

 State, for the purpose, as is presumed, of improv- 

 ing the stock of cattle kept on our farms, may it 

 not be proper to inquire, for a moment, whether 

 the besit method has been adopted of efl'ecting the 

 desired object ? A reward of a few dollars is 



