1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



505 



■were the plowing-match, the show of town teams, 

 with all the neat stock on the track, — the draw- 

 ing-match, the trial of walking horses and pacing 

 horses. Everything passed off well, and the at- 

 tendance was good. The show of poultry and 

 swine was large. The exhibition of sheep was 

 fair for the present era of sheep husbandry. 

 Among the stock there were some fine pairs of 

 oxen, both working and fut cattle. A fine grade 

 bull of the short-horn type was exhibited by the 

 President of the Society, with other of his stock 

 which was fine, including a pair of steer calves, 

 about seven months old, that weigh a little short 

 of 900 lbs. 



On Thursday, the first exercise was that of the 

 spading-match. There were five entries. This 

 was a spirited exhibition, and attracted considera- 

 ble interest. Following this, the foot-race came 

 off, and was quite exciting. There were three 

 that ran round the half-mile course — time 2.32 

 and 2.40. The third got out of wind before he 

 came round. 



The dedicatory exercises of the new Hall on 

 the Fair Grounds came off in the afternoon of 

 Thursday. Dr. Durfee, the President, made a 

 brief address and introduced Lcander Wetherell, of 

 Boston, elected to deliver the dedicatory address. 

 His subject was "Experimental Farming," and he 

 was attentively listened to by a large audience. 

 Prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. McDonald, of 

 New Bedford. Music by the Bridgewater Cornet 

 Band. 



On Thursday evening there was a war meeting 

 at the Hall, addressed by Mr. Westall and Dr. 

 Hooper, of Fall River, Mr. Wetherell, of Boston, 

 and others. 



On Friday morning, the old board of oflScers 

 was principally re-elected. The trial of working 

 and trotting horses came off, and attracted a large 

 crowd. The attendance during the three days 

 was large. 



The dinner was served in the Hall at 1, P. M., 

 about 400 partaking of it. Reports were read 

 after dinner by the Chairmen of Committees, and 

 interspersed with speeches by the President, Ja- 

 cob Dean, of INIansfield, L. Wetherell, of Boston, 

 Dr. Hooper, of Fall River, Maj. Phinney, of the 

 Barnstable Patriot, and others. The Fair closed 

 with a sale of fruit by auction for the aid of the 

 Society. 



This, though the youngest Society in the State, 

 is one of the most enterprising, vigorous and suc- 

 cessful, even though deprived of the State boun- 

 ty, and of a representation in the State Board of 

 Agriculture. 



This Society has purchased a farm at Myrick's 

 Station, on the Old Colony Railway, and enclosed 

 45 acres of the same for the cattle show and fair, 

 and thev have erected suitable buildings thereon. 



NORFOLK COUNTY AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 



The fourteenth yearly display of this Society 

 was held on the Society's grounds at Dedham. 

 The weather was beautiful, and the attendance, 

 though not as large as upon some former occasions 

 was very good, considering the state of the coun- 

 try. The show of horses and cattle was not as 

 large, but was considered by many as more choice 

 than upon any former occasion. Mr. W. T. G. 

 Morton, of Needham, had a fine collection of Jer- 

 sey and Aryshire stock. Mr. A. S. Drake had 

 some beautiful cattle — and A. W. Austin, of West 

 Roxbury, exhibited his curious Kerry stock. 



The plowing match took place at 2 o'clock, and 

 was one of the best that has marked the Society's 

 history. The drivers seemed to have taken a les- 

 son from the patient beasts they drove, and went 

 about their work with a quietness and calm meth- 

 od which excited general applause, and of course 

 produced the desired result — most excellent plow- 

 ing. Eleven teams engaged in the match. 



The show of fruit was not large, but was very 

 fine. The President of the Society, Hon. Mar- 

 shall P. Wilder, as usual, was on hand with a fine 

 display of ])ears, including 125 varieties. Mr. F. 

 Clapp, of Dorchester, also exhibited fine apples, 

 pears and peaches, while the show of out-door 

 and hot-house grapes by Mr. Geo. Davenport, C. 

 B. Shaw and J. W. Clark, of Dedham, was very- 

 fine. 



The display of barn-yard fowls, both staple and 

 fancy, was quite large. 



The second day's proceedings commenced with 

 the spading match, to which there were five entries. 



After this came the cavalcade. This consisted 

 of all the horses entered for premiums, and was 

 formed under the leadership of Sheriff J. W. 

 Thomas, and, led by Gilmore's Band, proceeded 

 around the track, the line reaching nearly half a 

 mile. There were but few particularly fine look- 

 ing horses in the cavalcade, and the committee 

 consequently withheld a large portion of the pre- 

 miums offered by the Society. After the proces- 

 sion had passed around the track, the horses in 

 the diflerent classes were put through their paces 

 before the committee. 



After this came the dinner, and address by 

 Hon. B. F. Thomas. Mr. Thomas commenced by 

 referring to farming from the commencement of 

 the world, when Cain went out from the presence 

 of the Lord, and asked how many young men in 

 our day leave the quiet of a country life, to go in- 

 to the market-place and the forum, thus going out 

 from the presence of the Lord. The exchange 

 and the forum have many rich piizes ; but in seek- 

 ing these, who can gather up the golden hopes 

 that are lost in the strife with the world ? He 

 thought there were no shares in bank or manufac- 

 tory that paid better than the plowshare ; for a?- 



