494 ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK 



Within a few years a better feeling and increasing interest have 

 manifestly prevailed; instead of the caricatures — furnishing food 

 for jesters — of former years, our county fairs are becoming fixtures 

 of decided interest; engaging alike the competing skill of the 

 husbandman, the mechanic, horticulturists — amateui'S and profes- 

 sional — and the ever-welcome, endless variety of useful and novel 

 objects, wrought by the dextrous hands of the fairest contribu- 

 tors to the fair. 



The law passed April 13, 1855, " to facilitate the forming of 

 Agricultural and Horticultural Societies," under which the county 

 Societies are generally reorganizing, plainly contemplated the per- 

 manent location of the Societies and fairs — a necessity to the 

 success of fairs that has long been apparent to all conversant with 

 the working of agricultural societies. Full authority to obtain 

 and hold real and personal proj^erty sufficient for the use of 

 societies was given in that act. Viewing the subject of a perma- 

 nent location as vital to the future success of this Society, quite 

 a spirited contest was had for the location, which resulted in the 

 selection of Little Valley by a vote of 52, to 13 for Ellicottville 

 and 7 for Gowanda; and at a subsequent meeting, after correspon- 

 dence with various sections of the county, the location was fixed 

 for ten years; a lot of 10 acres leased for that term near the 

 village for $10, in full for the term. Substantial fences, yards, 

 ojQfices, &c., have been erected, and a carriage track, 80 rods in 

 circumference, graded, and used at the last annual fair. 



The annual fair was held on the 17th, I8th and 19th of Sep- 

 tember. It was decidedly successful in every thing but the tent 

 exhibition. That was blown down twice by the severe gales that 

 prevailed, with clouds of dust, so that the ladies' part of the fair 

 was rendered comparatively of little interest, though ample 

 arrangements had been made for a splendid exhibition on their 

 part. The horse show in many respects was superior to any for- 

 mer one; and the cattle department was decidedly superior; some 

 fine Short-horns were on the grounds, a few Ayr shires and some 

 very superior Devons : among which were Molton, (351*,) Don 

 Carlos, (346*,) and other good Devon bulls; fStrawberry, (1061*) 



• Registered in Devon Herd Book, vol . 2. 



\ Strawberry, (1061,) thorough-bred and highly prized, owned by Messrs. Staunton & 

 Johnscn of EUicxjttville, was found on the morning of the 2od Oct., 1856, with her left 

 thigh bone broken. She was advanced to 266 days, (by Don Carlos, 346.) A skilful sur- 



