AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Jmprir ta inijr^k tire ^farmer, % flatter, attfr tfre (Sarimr, 
AGRIOULTUBE IS THE HOST HEALTHY, THE MOST USEFUL, AND THE HOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN.- Washington. 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ALLEN & CO., 189 WATER ST. 
YOL. XIII.—NO. 6.] 
NEW-YORK, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1854. 
[NEW SERIES.—NO. 58. 
m~FOR PROSPECTUS, TERMS, $c„ 
SEE LAST PAGE. 
FIRST ANNUAL SHOW OF THE CONNECTICUT 
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
It is with no small degree of pleasure that 
we record the above show as eminently suc¬ 
cessful. The State Society was organized 
less than two years since, and till the open¬ 
ing of the Exhibition at New-Haven, on the 
10th inst., there were comparativly few 
names enrolled as members. There are but 
eight counties in the State, and in two or 
three of these, agricultural societies have 
only recently been formed. As far as our 
observations have extended, there has been a 
general apathy in most parts of the State in 
regard to the value and importance of a State 
agricultural gathering. The different rail¬ 
roads were so little awake to the matter and 
especially to their own true interests, that, 
till a very late day, none of them offered any 
facilities in the free transportation of stock 
and articles of exhibition or in reduced rates 
of passenger fare. 
But, notwithstanding these and other dis¬ 
couraging circumstances, a few of the more 
active members set themselves vigorously at 
work to get up, if possible, a show which 
should place Connecticut at once upon a par 
with other States. Without disparaging the 
efforts of others who lent a willing hand to 
the enterprise, we think it but just to say, 
that very much of the success attained 
should be accredited to the Executive Com¬ 
mittee, Judge Huntington, of Hartford Coun¬ 
ty, and Messres. Henry, A. Dyer, of Wind¬ 
ham County; and T. S. Gold, of Litchfield 
County. Those who have not “been through 
the mill,” know little of the immense amount 
of labor involved in getting together the 
varied productions of a State, in preparing a 
suitable place of exhibition, including its in¬ 
closure, buildings, tents, seats, attendants, 
&c., and in making up a judicious list of 
premiums with competent committees of 
awards, &c., &c. The few who got up and 
managed the enterprize in this instance, have 
made their mark, and need no aid from our 
pen to heighten the admiration with which 
their labors are regarded by their fellow far¬ 
mers. 
The Show Grounds, inclosing fifteen 
acres, were admirably adapted for the pur¬ 
pose, being located upon the level, sandy plain, 
a mile and a half west of the State house. 
With regard to the arrangement of the 
buildings, tents, stalls, &c., we might say, as 
we said last week of the New-York exhibi- 
ion, this was a model to be imitated. Th 
stalls for horses, pens for sheep and swine, 
and coops for fowls were arranged around the 
outside. Within this circle, and parallel to it, 
were placed the covered cattle pens, open on 
both sides, so that the animals could be 
viewed both from front and rear. This is 
an important consideration, and Should al¬ 
ways be kept in view. Within this last cir¬ 
cle was laid one of the best tracks for trying 
the speed and training horses that we have 
ever seen upon any show ground. Inside of 
this track were the buildings for mechanical 
productions, and refreshments, and several 
tents, including one for horticultural and one 
for vegetable products, one for agricultural 
implements, one for carriages, one for meet¬ 
ings of committees, and one for the President 
of the the Society. A part of the space in¬ 
closed with a rope, was devoted to exhibiting 
the various animals in successive groups or 
classes. 
The number of entries amounted, in the 
aggregate, to 1440. Many of these included 
several distinct specimens, and we think the 
entire number of articles would amount to 
5,000, or more. 
The weather throughout was propitious, 
and the attendance very large. On Thurs¬ 
day there were not less than 23,000 to 25,- 
000 persons within the inclosure, at one time. 
The receipts amounted to little short of 
$7,000. This, added to the $2,500 appro¬ 
priated by the State, and a like amount sub¬ 
scribed by the citizens of New-Haven, gives 
the Society a fund of about $12,000, which 
will suffice to pay the premiums and all ex¬ 
penses, and leave a handsome sum as a 
foundation for future operations. 
We must not omit to notice the perfect 
order and decorum which every where pre¬ 
vailed during the entire four days. Had we 
not lived in Connecticut before the operation 
of the Maine Law, we should not dream that 
this State had not always deserved the cog¬ 
nomen of the “ land of steady habits.” Cer¬ 
tainly, on this occasion, the thousands con¬ 
gregated presented an array of cool-headed, 
intelligent and refined men and women, such 
as we have not before looked upon. They 
came together for a great agricultural holi¬ 
day, and not for one of carousal and dissipa¬ 
tion. These remarks apply equally to those 
within the grounds and to the outsiders. 
May the farmers of Connecticut long enjoy 
an annual recurrence of such an exhibition. 
The good influence thus exerted upon the 
agricultural interests of the State will be in¬ 
calculable. 
We have not space for a minute report, 
but will add a few items .from the copious 
notes collected during the four days we were 
present. For Horticultural report, see that 
department, page 86. 
CATTLE. 
We were somewhat surprised at the large 
display of cattle, though we should not like 
to say, as almost every visitor to both Shows 
whom we conversed with did say, that the 
collection, taken as a whole, far excelled 
that of New-A ork the week preceding. The 
number of good Devons was quite beyond our 
expectations, and in working cattle the Con¬ 
necticut Show was certainly superior. We 
think the working cattle would be hard to beat, 
any where in this Country, or out of it. W T e 
went expecting to see Fairfield County ahead 
in this department, but Middlesex bore away 
the palm without a word of contest. The 
town of Portland, on the east side of the 
Connecticut river, in that County, (and the 
location of the far-famed free-stone quar- 
riees,) contributed 21 pairs of magnificent 
oxen. Joseph Hall, of that town, exhibited 
a pair weighing 5,100 lbs., and all the others 
were of such proportions that any one of 
them would raise a commotion if placed 
among the 3,000 animals that weekly appear 
in the cattle-yards of this city. These 21 
pairs appeared upon the ground in a train, 
drawing a large cart, which bore aloft a U. 
S. flag, and a large pennant inscribed 
“ Portland,” and was loaded to overflowing 
with a delegation of Portland men. A very 
interesting part of the Show exercises, was 
a trial of strength by each of some 20 or 
more pairs of working oxen. The Portland 
exhibitors were’ the Middlesex, Shailer & 
Hall, and Brainard Quarry Companies; 
Daniel Russel, M.*F. Pelton, Joseph Hall, 
Nelson Hall, Edward Shepard, Samuel Wil¬ 
cox, Joseph Hall, Henry S. Cadwell, and R. 
Goodrich. 
Among the other exhibitors of the differ¬ 
ent classes and varieties of cattle, we noticed 
Messrs. Townsend, of East Haven ; R. Bat- 
tell, of Norfolk ; Wm. A. Clark, of Wood- 
bridge ; Lester Luce, of Newington; Horace 
Hai-t, of New-Britain ; Thomas Cowles and 
Frederick Deming, of Farmington; Silas C. 
Judson and Nathaniel B. Smith, of Wood¬ 
bury ; Dr. Gold, of Cornwall; Mr. Birdsey, 
of Meriden; and E. B. Bishop, of New- 
Haven. 
HORSES AND MULES. 
The exhibition of Horses was perhaps one 
of the best that has been connected with an 
Agricultural Show in this country. Every 
department, of fast, heavy, carriage, and team 
