Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-03-29
A Massa chusetts Cattle Show.

TIN are cordially invited to write for It.
A Massachusetts Cattle Show.
EDITOR BULLETIN In looking
over some old papers, l CHANGED
upon one containing report of the
Annual Agricultural Cattle Show
in my native county in Massachu-
sets, known as "Little Franklin"
And just here / will say that though
''little," and one of the most billy of
that mountainous and sterile State,
it turns off more good, neat stock
than any in Massachusetts,, and
perhaps, in proportion to its size,
than any in the Union. Much OF
this success, l have no doubt, is to
be attributed to the libcrality and
variety of the premiums offered by
their Agricultural Society, encour-
aging the growth of stock. AS this
is the season of the year when the
directors of our Agricultural Socie-
ty are making arrangements for an
other fall, place at your disposal
some statistics taken from the re-
port alluded to above, n few in re-
lation to stock in our own county,
and also intcrmingle a few thoughts
of my own. 1t has ever been one
Of the main objects of the managers
Of the Franklin County Society to
make their annual anniversary pre-
eminently Seattle Show" TO &C.
complish this, liberal premiums arc
offered for the LIST and 2nd best town
teams, the best herd of neat stock
Of ones own raising, the best steers
and heifers of 8 years and under,
best bulls and cows, etc. This
brings out ordinarily from three
hundred to four hundred head of
neat cattle to their show. To one
accustomed to attending their Fairs,
it seemed rather like a burlesqte
when attending like exhibition
here; with perhaps one yoke of OK
en-, twice as many cows and bulls,
and still less number Of three, two
and one-year-olds tied up around to
posts, all making what was called a
Cattle Shoe.
There was, to be sure, last fall, a
slight improvement on this picture,
but still nothing to compare with
what this stock-growing county
ought to exhibit. There is county
pride in having a good exhibition,
aside from the returns they may get
by way Of premiums; pride that
leads to healthy competition, that
gives an indirect return of profit
There, the work on the farms is
mostly done with ox-teams; not be-
ing here, premiums in that direction
would of course be superfluous.-
But as the weight of the successful
team which competed for the pre-
MUM of $12 will show the character
of their stock raised, I will give
it: 1t came from old Deerield,
noted in its early history as the
scene of many an Indian battle, con-
sisting Of 80 yokes of oxen, with an
average weight of 4, l6s pounds per
pair, making an aggregate of $780,
l76 pounds. The fine, heaviest
yokes ranging as follows: 1920,
1900, 477o, 1850, 400. VIM. H.
Bardwell exhibited one yoke which
weighed $500 pounds; John Ander-
son, of Shclburne, exhibited one
pair of threc-ycar-old steers, weigh
ing 1910 pounds; Anderson broth
ers, of that town, noted stock
growers, exhibited thirty-one head
of their own raising, amongst which
was a three-year-old heiter, weigh
ing 1900 pounds; CO. Bardwcll, of
the same town, a herd of twenty-five;
d. & H. Wells one of seventy, and
ten other herds, all from the same
town, varying from ten to seventy
head. J. S. Grennell, Esq, a native
Of Greenfield, the shire town of that
county, and the gcntlemanly Secre-
tary of the Agricultural Depart
ment at Washington, still owns a
farm there, and one that has done as
much as any in the county to i'm
prove It's stock, eXhlDlted seventy
of his Ayrshircs, noted for their
cheese products.
Says the report: "Tbc Ander-
sons believe in high grades, in pref:
erencc to 'thoroughbreds,' and in
proof of their theory, showed their
three-year-old heifer, which weigh.
ed 1900 pounds"
Again says the report: "Thc
special premium of $25, offered by
John Anderson, for the best bull,
either grade or thoroughbred, raised
in New England or New York, met
with "bully" reception by ten en-
tries, all splendid fellows"
Right here allow me to suggest to