STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



567 



WASHINGTON. 



I would briefly state that while a general apathy exists on the 

 part of our farmers in this county, in respect to the interests and 

 prosperity of our Society, arising in part no doubt from the too 

 common errors in all Societies of this kind, favoritism on the 

 part of those who compose the viewing committees, as also in the 

 arrangement of the premium lists, yet the feir of the present 

 year, in respect to numbers present, was at once commendable, 

 there not having been less than from 15,000 to 20,000 people 

 present, as estimated by good judges. 



Tlie fair Avas held at Union village, on the 17th and 18th of 

 September. 



The show of stock, with the exception of horses, was not what 

 could have been desired. The display of horses evinced a good 

 degree of interest in that department, and the horses were worthy 

 of the enterprise and good judgment of the yeomanry of "old" 

 Washington county. The display in the Agricultural department 

 proper, as also in the ladies' department, although not without 

 merit, was not what might have been expected. We trust that 

 we shall not be considered unwise in our own estimation, when we 

 attribute much of the failure witnessed in our county fairs, to 

 tluit very popular department which has recently been added to 

 the programme of almost all our Agricultural Fairs, to wit. : that 

 of " Ladies' Equestrianship." Without entering into detail in this 

 matter, we give it as our decided opinion, that the influence and 

 tendency of said department materially detracts from the interest 

 formerly taken in the more appropriate objects of the Society. 

 Much credit is due the president, Dr. Savage, as well as the inhabi- 

 tants of Union village, for tlieir generous efforts in belialf of the 

 Society, at its late fair. To their efforts, in a great measure, was 

 the success of the fair attributable. Tlie very able and well 

 directed addressed of James 0. Miller, Jr., of Montgomery, 

 Orange county, N. Y., and of Dr. Savage, the ju-esident at the 

 fair, liave been published in i)ami)ldet form, copies of which you 

 have doubtless seen. 



In conchision we would add tluit our Society receives the sup- 

 port and influence of some of the best men in the county, and 

 under judicious management may continue to form a valuable 



