STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 529 



business office 50 by 30 feet, of neat and tasteful construction, 

 near the entrance. The buildings and fence next the road are 

 painted in a manner to give the whole a pleasant and attractive 

 appearance. We intend to erect other buildings soon. A track 

 for horses to exhibit is laid out, one half mile in length, with 

 suitable guards, &c., the two sides being straight, with a semi- 

 circle on each end, which form is thought to be better than an 

 ellipse or a circle. We have water in abundance from two wells, 

 dug and stoned the present year. 



Our expenses we estimate in round numbers as follows : 



Cost of land, _ §4,000 00 



Cost of fences and improvements, 1 ,800 00 



Amount of premiums paid, 1,200 00 



Total, §7,000 00 



Our premium list this year was increased from the old plan of 

 $400 or §500 to §1,500. Our liberality was appreciated by the 

 farmers, and perhaps also the excellent facilities afforded for keep- 

 ing, watering and feeding stock had some effect in drawing out 

 competitors, for in this department especially, as well as most 

 others, the fair surpassed any of its predecessors. 



The whole number of entries was 1,163; number of entries 

 of horses (of which 20 were matched horses, and 14 mares and 

 colts), 220; of cattle, 151; of sheep, swine and poultry, 97; of 

 plowing implements and machinery, 112; of fine arts and gene- 

 ral manufactures, 53; of domestic manufactures, 221; of grain, 

 dairy produce and vegetables, 202; of fruits and flowers and 

 miscellaneous, 97. 



The show of horses wa§ not only large but embraced many 

 animals of superior merit, and possessing the different requisites 

 of speed, strength and symmetry, showing that our best horses 

 were not as has been heretofore observed, " all smt to market^^ 

 this yrar. It shows also that much has been done in this county 

 towards inij)ruving our breed of farm horses, although it is 

 doubtless triui tliat indifferent and even poor horses are still 

 the most numercnis. The show of horses was j)erha]^s. the 

 main feature of the exhibition, but was not j)ermitted to 

 detract from other departments equally important, especially 

 with respect to those horses wliich are shown for speed and 



[Ag. Trans. I Hh 



