AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL FAIRS» 29 



neat cattle. A drover was asked the other day by a farmer how- 

 much a pair of seven feet oxen would dress. "Where do you 

 live ?"^aid he. " What has that to do with it?" asked the farm- 

 er. "I will tell you," replied the drover. "If you should say 

 you live in Readfield, or Wiuthrop, or Belgrade, or Waterville, I 

 should say 2000 pounds. If you should tell me you live in the 

 western part of Piscataquis, the eastern part of Somerset, North 

 Penobscot or Aroostook, I should say 1700 pounds." I thought 

 it was a little queer that a pair of seven feet oxen in Readfield 

 should dress 300 pounds heavier than a pair of seven feet oxen in 

 West Piscataquis. The trouble is just here. Almost all our 

 farmers keep about three horned cattle where they should keep 

 two ; it costs a little more to keep the three than it would to keep 

 two, and keep them well, and they are not worth quite as much 

 as the two would be. Two good cows are worth more for dairy 

 purposes than three ordinary cows. Two pairs of oxen, properly 

 kept, are worth more than three pairs, as we generally find them. 

 That is one great error that farmers have fallen into in many 

 sections of the State. 



One word more as to horse; trots. Since a'successful fair cannot 

 be got up without the fast horse, it is indispensable to have him 

 there as it is to have the ox, the cow, or anything else. In order 

 to get the crowd, the horse must be there ; they must know that 

 the horse is to be there, or they will not come. 



One argument against the horse trot is, that horses come in 

 from abroad and carry off the biggest prizes. Suppose they do. 

 We make up our list of prizes, and we have our "sweepstakes," 

 as tliey are called, and we expect the smartest horse to take them. 

 What is the result ? The result is, that one, two, three, five or 

 ten hundred people came in to see that trot. We can well aflbrd 

 to give them the highest prize, and perhaps give smaller prizes to 

 our horses that are deserving. The younger horses are there, not 

 for the money they are to get, but to show themselves. If you 

 want a smart horse, and he is coming from abroad, you must offer 

 iiiducements. In order to have the crowd, you must have the 

 horse ; in order to have the horse, you must offer handsome pre- 

 miums ; and ill order to have the show, and have it successful, 

 you have got to have the horse in it. 



Mr. Jewett of Oxford. I was one of the trustees of the agri- 

 cultural society in Oxford county, for several years. I have often 

 heard the objection brought up, that we were ruining the fairs by 



