54 CUMBERLAND COUNTY SOCIETY. 



Annual Fairs except by a committee -which, like this one, shall hold 

 over two or more years ; nor do they perceive that any premiums, 

 for a progressive movement in live stock, from good to better ; or 

 from a lower to a higher point, have been offered by the Society, 

 except such as may be awarded by this committee. Special prizes 

 are indeed annually declared for individual domestic animals of the 

 several classes ; and, last year, there vras one named for the best 

 farm stock. But it is obvious that a competitor may carry off all 

 such prizes, for several successive years, and yet have made no im- 

 provement at all in his herd, or in a single animal even. While at 

 the same time one, who, starting low on the scale, has steadily 

 improved his live stock, and increased its value a hundred per cent, 

 may have each year gone from the exhibition without encourage- 

 ment from the Society — perhaps, without notice. 



To illustrate this point, — the Society offering, as heretofore, only 

 its special premiums on each class of horses, neat stock, swine, &c., 

 and on the entire farm stock. Suppose A., an excellent off-hand 

 judge of live stock, a trading man, constantly purchasing to sell, 

 holds a?id buys the best he can find for the Show ; taken as a 

 whole, they prove to be the best on the ground, and he receives the 

 premium on farm stock. B.'s entry of stock, {perhaps the cojitrl- 

 hutlon of a whole neighborhood,) although not altogether equal, 

 includes some superior to any individuals of A.'s stock, on which he 

 obtains premiums. C. takes premiums upon one or two animals 

 which he also borrowed for the occasion. And so through all the 

 different classes, D, E, F, and G, take, each, premiums upon certain 

 animals, either bought, borroxoed, or taken xoithout the consent or 

 knowledge of the owmr, for the two days'" Shoio, and the prize 

 list is exhausted. The premiums advertised are all properly awarded 

 to the respective animals, accordi7ig to ride, yet none are bestONved 

 upon the man who actually bred them. This is repeated for three 

 consecutive exhibitions. During all these years S. has been im- 

 proving live stock of his own breeding, and each year, when he 

 exhibits them at the fair, they have manifestly doubled in value, so 

 that the third year his stock is four times as good, in all respects, 

 as it was the first. And, even yet, it falls short of A.'s. Nor does 

 any individual obtain a pi^emium in its class. AYhat encouragement 

 does S. receive from this Society ? 



