88 AGRICULTURE OF MAINi:. 



on a gradual decline, and in many instances we find societies 

 which were formerly in a flourishing condition, bankrupt and 

 not even operating their gates for public exhibition. Their once 

 attractive grounds are growing up to weeds and brush. 



In many cases we find so called ''Street Fairs," in place of 

 those formerly held. In these towns some street is given up 

 to this purpose, and booths and stalls are erected along its sides 

 which serve as a place where the produce of the country and the 

 wares of the village merchant may be exhibited side by side, to 

 the prospective purchaser. 



There are many reasons why fairs have fallen into this condi- 

 tion but there is one main cause which I believe has been 

 responsible for most of this failure and that is, the management 

 have drifted away from the original foundation idea. That idea 

 I believe to be this, — that a fair if it is a true fair, must depend 

 for its permanent existence on agriculture and that agriculture 

 and its products must be the one center about which all other 

 branches should gather. The fundamental idea and purpose of 

 a fair should be to educate the people, and by educate in this 

 sense I mean that such an exhibition should be held as will send 

 the man who breeds a good Jersey or Shorthorn cow, or a draft 

 or speedy horse, home, with a firm determination to improve 

 that breed and come out the next vear with some article in 

 friendly competition with his neighbor. He should carry back 

 with him as a result of that day's visit some new idea that will 

 aid him in bringing his farm up to a better state of productive- 

 ness, or a better method of performing the farm operations. 



I think if vou will look over the record of the different fairs 

 of this State, you will find that those in the most prosperous 

 condition are the ones which have kept close to the people. To 

 permanently interest the community, get as many life members 

 as possible. Let the public get the idea that this is their fair, 

 not the managers', and that they have a personal interest and, 

 in a way, are running things, and I do not believe you will have 

 much trouble in making the association a permanent factor in the 

 community. 



I have made the statement that the fair must have for its 

 foundation agriculture. Agriculture and the show of farm 

 products and animals are things everyone is interested in. 



You may criticise the statement I am about to make if you 

 will, but it is my best judgment that the day is past when horse 



