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LINCOLN COUNTY SOCIETY.

The Secretary writes: "This Society now embraces 1,121 members, 159 new ones having been added during the past year. Its Annual Exhibition was held at Union, on the 18th, 19th and 20th days of October, 1859. Although on the first day we had a severe storm, the exhibition was a very good one, there being in the different departments about seven hundred entries. On account of the storm, the show of stock and horses was not so large as it otherwise would have been; still there was a very handsome show, being about 150 entries of stock, somewhat less than there has been at the two previous exhibitions. There was a very good show of Devon cattle, and a large number of colts, some of which were of high promise. The other departments were well filled."

Some of the premiums were awarded as follows:

LIVE STOCK.

Horses. First premium on a stallion, sired by the Gleason horse, to Samuel Quiggle of Union.

Second premium on one sired by Bush Messenger in 1847, to Edward Hills of Thomaston.

First premium on breeding mare, R. H. Sayward of Union.
Second premium to Levi Russell of Whitefield.

The committee recommend greater attention to the breeding and rearing of good horses, deeming the county behind many others in the State.

For best three years old colt, to Sumner Leach of Warren.
For best two years old colt, to Isaac Townsend of Union.

Bulls. First premium to William G. Hawes, for three years old Devon bull, reared by I. Wentworth.

Second premium on two years old, to A. B. Harding.

Several grades of Devon and Hereford also received premiums. One to A. B. Harding, for a bull of the "Comet" breed, from England.

Cows. First premium to Eben Cobb of Union, for Devon cow. Second premium to Lewis Robbins of Union, for Devon, both from the herd of I. Wentworth, Poland.

For dairy cow, to Charles Taylor, for a native, which had made 277 pounds butter in a season, besides supplying milk for a family and selling some.

Sheep. A Cotswold buck was shown by Samuel Ripley of Washington, reared by T. L. Hart of Connecticut. Other sheep were exhibited and received premiums, but no statements of their breed and character are found.

Swine. Those receiving premiums are described as part Suffolk and Newbury White.

FRUIT.

The committee speak of the show as very good. Among the larger exhibitors were John Currier of Waldoborough, who showed over fifty varieties apples, pears, grapes, &c.

Levi Russell, Jr., of Whitefield, showed twenty-eight varieties of apples.

Messrs. Creighton of Thomaston, and Herbert of Bristol, exhibited fine grapes, &c., &c.

CROPS.

Corn. First premium to Thomas J. Trask of Jefferson, for 100 bushels of ears on half an acre. Soil, clayey loam-greensward, plowed in fall, ten inches deep-five cords manure put on in May, and harrowed in, shovelful of compost in the hill.

Second premium to David Starrett of Warren, on 77 bushels of ears, on half an acre.

Third premium to Lewis Robbins, for 183 bushels of ears at 40 pounds to the bushel, on an acre and a quarter.

Fourth premium to Z. Collins of Union, for 145 bushels of ears on 150 square rods. Also on same piece 4 bushels of beans and a load pumpkins.

Wheat. Eben Cobb of Union, raised 22 bushels Java wheat

on one acre.

R. F. Sweetland, 10 bushels bald wheat weighing 65 pounds per bushel, on half an acre of light soil, in corn last year, and manured then with compost of yard manure and rock weed.

H. W. Partridge, 191 bushels Java wheat, of 66 pounds per bushel, on 151 square rods. Other exhibitors state from 18 to 20 bushels per acre.

Barley. C. R. Morton of Union, 30 bushels barley on half an

acre.

Thomas J. Trask, 48 bushels two rowed barley on one acre and three square rods. Other competitors state from 35 to 41 bushels per acre.

Rye. Roscoe McDowell, 28 bushels rye on an acre, burnt land, weighed 64 pounds per bushel.

Oats. Eben Cobb of Union, 513 bushels oats per acre.

Potatoes. C. R. Morton, 246 bushels Snowball potatoes per acre-6 cords manure, land in potatoes last year. Strong mellow soil.

N. B. Bemis, 153 bushels Jackson and Snowball potatoes on one acre old pasture land, no manure, except a bushel of plaster.

Oren O. Stewart showed samples of Davis' seedling, grown at rate of 240 bushels per acre.

Simon Litchfield, 140 bushels on 67 square rods.

Carrots. H. W. Partridge of Jefferson, 109 bushels on one-sixteenth of an acre.

Beets. E. R. Kaler, sugar beets, three-sixteenths of an acre, at rate of 700 bushels per acre.

ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY SOCIETY.

The Annual Exhibition of this Society was held at Lewiston on the 4th to 7th of October, and was a very creditable one. A larger proportion than I expected to find, of the stock shown, bore evidence of high breeding and general success in management. Unless greatly mistaken, there has been very decided improvement in the domestic animals of this county within a few years past, and the interest evidently manifested augurs well for the future.

The Devons were out in considerable numbers, and attracted notice at once. Their symmetrical forms, beautiful and uniform color and known good qualities, win favor with all to whom great size seems of less consequence than hardihood, general adaptation to our wants, and profit in rearing.

The Herefords which are rather larger and about as good in most other respects, (dairy use excepted,) were present, but in less numbers; probably few if any of them were thorough bred, although the greater number were distinctly recognizable at a glance as partaking of the blood. There were also, as usual at our shows, cattle of various grades and of common or mixed blood; and here I may be allowed to remark, that size appears to have more consideration accorded to it usually, than would be the case if more correct views prevailed, as the value of an animal depends not so much on large size as upon the profit it may yield; and unless pastures and fields are rich and the climate warm, very large cattle have even proved less profitable than those of a size adapted to their capacity for feeding.

There is also another point upon which a remark may not be out of place here. I allude to the practice of many agricultural societies in offering premiums, to make no distinction between breeding animals which may simply please the eye of the judges, and such as are likely to impress upon their progeny desirable qualities; or in other words,

between grade animals or those of mixed blood, and thorough bred. If correctly informed, at this show the same amount of premium was awarded to each. Now if thorough bred animals do possess certain hereditary traits which are desirable, and may be expected to impart these to their progeny, why not offer larger premiums for these, as they cost high, and breeders need encouragement to induce them to purchase, while if they be procured, grades will be almost certain to come in plenty without such encouragement?

LIVE STOCK.

Horses. First premium for stallion, to S. J. Smith of Lewiston. Second premium, to William Keen of Poland.

First premium for stallion three years old, to David Bowe.

Bulls. First premium for Devon bull, to A. C. Mitchell.
Second premium, to Madison Sprague of Greene.

Third premium, to J. S. Garcelon of Lewiston.

Premiums were also awarded to S. Stinchfield, Ebenezer Ham, J. C. Bryant, and others, for grades and natives. Mr. Stinchfield showed a bull calf eight months old, grade Durham, girting 5 feet 9 inches; had been on the cow all the time and had some meal.

Farm Stock. P. B. Rackley of Greene, showed twelve head of grades of Hereford and Durham, and obtained first premium.

Milton Carville showed twelve grade Durhams, and obtained second premium.

The statements regarding the animals which have been received, although they contain information useful for the judges at the show, have little of interest to the public at large. From one by S. H. Read, we learn that a grade Hereford cow, from a Native cow of excellent milking properties, gave 28 quarts of milk in one week in December, which yielded 5 pounds, 7 ounces of butter. He says, "with kind treatment and good keeping, gives milk up to calving; with rough treatment and poor keeping will be likely to go dry four or five months," thus giving a hint which many may profit by.

Swine. R. P. Briggs took most of the premiums on swine, for grade Suffolks.

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