To Silas Shaw, for thin boots, Ferdinand Warren, for best harness, No sole leather entered. In 1849, the committee awarded: To Ferdinand A. Warren, Buckfield, for best harness, Same, for best upper leather, Same for best calf skins, $0.50 3 00 $3.00 100 . 1.00 50 ON BOOTS, SHOES, HATS AND CAPS. In 1844, Mr. Joseph Staples, of Turner, was awarded $2 for a nutra and beaver hat. He was also awarded $1 for a well manufactured otter trimmed cloth cap. In 1845, the committee awarded: To Joseph Staples, for best fur hats, Alfred Twitchell, for thick boots, $2.00 50 Three well manufactured fur trimmed cloth caps were presented by Mary A. Staples, and as no premium appears to have been offered, your committee recommend a gratuity of $1. In 1846, the committee on hats, &c., awarded: To Joseph Staples, Turner, for best hat, Joseph C. Shaw, for best thin boots, pegged, $1.00 50 Samuel C. Watson, Waterford, for best pegged thick boots, 50 In 1847, the committee awarded: To Perley G. Chase, Denmark, for best hat, $1.00 Same, for best cap, No boots or shoes offered. In 1848, no hats, caps, or boots were entered. ON MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES. From the origin of the society articles of various kinds have been presented under this caption. For the present purpose there will be included under this head, all those things which have not received the annual appointment of a committee, such for instance, as horse shoeing, drawing match, cabinet work, and wagons and sleighs. In 1844, specimens of printing, maple sugar, a rocking chair, and a sifting mill, received premiums. In 1845, Amos Wheeler, for spinning wheel, and Ira Berry, for printing, received a premium of 50 cents each. G. A. Hastings, for best horse shoeing, $2. The articles of cabinet work entered, were "one bedstead, introduced by Mr. John Tucker, of Norway, for the nurse or sick room, and ought to be brought into common use." A sick aid, introduced by Rev. Charles Frost, Bethel, which "the committee consider entitled also to particular notice, believing it will prove valuable in the use for which it is intended. For this a gratuity of $1." In 1846, no articles were presented which, by the rules of the society, were entitled to a premium, but from their combination of the ornamental and useful, in the opinion of your committee, are entitled to a gratuity. They award as follows: To Warren & McNeil, of Fryeburg, as manufacturers of To Valentine R. Ripley, of Buckfield, for best specimen. To Brown & Co., Norway, for Mechanicville Cook Stove, 3 00 Thomas Higgins, Norway, for air tight parlor stove, 2.00 1 00 1 00 50 75 50 Charles and Prentice Manning, of Norway, for rustic chairs and settee, 25 Julia Fobes, Paris, for soap, George W. Parsons, Norway, for maple sugar, To Amasa H. Merrill, Milton, for best single sleigh, . In 1848, the committee awarded: To Perley G. Chase, for caps, Abel Spalding, for gun, Robert Gray, for maple sugar, John Donham, for best drawing oxen, Charles P. Kimball, for best wagon, Same, for best chaise, a gratuity, In 1849, the committee awarded: $3.00 50 1 00 50 2.00 3 00 2.00 To Charles P. Kimball, Norway, for a one horse wagon, a gratuity of. Sarson Chase, Turner, for do., a gratuity of 2. 00 2.00 1.00 There were an increased variety of agricultural and horticul tural implements, showing every variety of improvement. Messrs. Gwinneth & Tolman, of Portland, brought from their warehouse, well finished and highly useful specimens of their art, which to be appreciated must be seen. Their horticultural tool chest, comprising 25 different implements, many fitted to 1 handle, is a great curiosity as well as important improvement. Farmers and gardeners should examine it. You will find, also, a superb ox yoke, a cheap and most excellent hay cutter, corn sheller, pruning saw and chisel, a lactometer (to ascertain the quality of milk) a novel article. This beautiful variety was not entered for or entitled to premium. We hope every farmer in Oxford county will call on them at Portland and examine their stock of articles. Messrs. Brown & Co., Norway, presented as beautiful specimens of castings, in the shape of stoves, fire frames, oven mouths, &c., as can be found in New England, adding essentially to your exhibition. Their Mechanicville and Oxford cooking stoves are splendid articles; their hollow ware beautiful. We have cheerfully awarded them a gratuity of $2. To Larned Swallow, of Buckfield, we award a gratuity of $1 for as fine a specimen of flour as ever graced the larder of an English epicure. To Mr. C. F. Davis, of Buckfield, we award your premium of $1, for the manufacture of 43 pounds of superfine flour from 1 bushel of Mr. Swallow's superior wheat. Farmers of Oxford! Mr. Swallow's farm and yours, and Mr. Davis' mill, are a long way this side of New York. A specimen of maple sugar did not satisfy the sight alone of your committee; we therefore applied the sense of taste and pronounced it sweet, and to its owner, Robert Gray, by way of gratuity, we award 50 cents. Mr. John Tucker, of Norway, exhibited a washing machine, which seems every thing desirable for washing and wringing, and the work is done so readily, that a fortune might be made in one week at California prices. To him we give a gratuity of $1. Stephen Titcomb, Esq., of Farmington, sent in his patent bee hive and house, with certificates of its merits from gentlemen of respectability in Franklin county. We think the culture of bees too much neglected in this county, and recommend the examination of Mr. Titcomb's hive. It may be all that is desirable. It may not be considered inappropriate to refer the members of the society to some other subjects intimately connected with their interests, besides those which have usually received their attention. There has been no premium offered by the society on the best method of raising poultry. This seems the more remarkable, as this article, with its accompaniments-eggs and feathers constitutes one of the exports and sources of wealth in an agricultural community. Much less poultry is raised and carried to market now than formerly; although farmers in some quarters are at the present time beginning to give more attention to it. On large and even small farms a great amount of poultry could be produced, at small expense. Hens and turkeys, especially, properly managed, can be raised in unlimited quantities at remunerative prices. For a great portion of the season they procure their own food; and by destroying insects, they prevent the ravages of crops by these unseen, yet powerful agents. Some will, perhaps, say they destroy more than the insects. This may be true in some cases, but is not necessarily so in any case. When crops are first sown, a large number of hens and turkeys let loose upon them would do harm; to prevent which they should be shut up for awhile. This is because insects and other natural food are scarce at this season. When seeds have vegetated and begun to appear above the ground, there are ten chances for them to be destroyed by insects to one by hens or turkeys. So far from these fowls being prejudicial to crops, even if occasional depredations are committed, they, like the birds of the air, by destroying bugs, worms, grasshoppers, and the like, do a work of immense value to the farmer, for which they receive but few thanks, little protection and less credit. The egg business has become of considerable importance to the agricultural interests of this State. The amount exported westward, at the present time, if known, would astonish our farmers. It is a source of wealth to egg merchants, and ought to be equally profitable to the producer. The quantity now produced is not inconsiderable, but it is not one-fourth or even one-twelfth what it might be, without any perceptible outlay of capital. The editor of the New York Mirror recently made the following remarks on this subject: "THE EGG TRADE. A French writer not long since submitted a plan for paying the interest of the national debt, in a |