10 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



for seeing a horse trot than for anything else, and if, as is often 

 the case, wo thus bring together a class of roughs which nothing 

 but a horse trot or some other kindred excitement will bring to- 

 gether, they certainly put their time and money to as good use as 

 usual, and themselves for the time being into good company. 



Now so long as the raising of horses is legitimate busines§, so 

 long as fast horses bring in money, as everything is conducted 

 fairly and honestly, and the operation produces the desired results, 

 I am not willing to abandon the enterprise until I see something 

 which promises better, or at least as well, which I am free to con- 

 fess is now beyond the reach of my limited vision. 



At one time the attraction depended upon to get the people out, 

 was an equestrian performance or exhibition by the ladies, but 

 this failed as soon as the question of "woman's rights" began 

 fairly to dawn upon us, for among other rights which pertain to 

 ladies was foujid to be the right to attract no more attention than 

 the gentlemen, if they voluntarily placed themselves in the same 

 position. 



Foot races were tried in many exhibitions but were a failure, 

 but a " pure agricultural horse trot "has succeeded every time, 

 for as Josh Billings has truthfully remarked, it is "just what the 

 people hanker artcr." 



It is well known to every observing man that the people will 

 have some excitement, and it is for us who contribute in some 

 measure to public recreation to decide whether we will give them 

 something not in itself harmful, and conduct it so that no harm 

 shall grow out of it, or leave them to seek their amusement where 

 the inevitable result will be such " communications" as the Bible 

 tells us "corrupt good manners." 



A few years since it was a disgrace for a respectable man to 

 enter a bowling-alley, and why ? Because the name was always 

 associated with a grog shop. Whei\ I was a boy a bowling-alley 

 could hardly have been found without a bar connected with it. 

 Now we find them just as properly conducted as any other physi- 

 cal exercise, and in connection with the first theological insti- 

 tutions and young men's Christian Associations ; so of horse 

 trotting, much of the prejudice which exists in the minds of the 

 people is the result of early impressions of what such practice 

 was and is, when conducted essentially as a horse race. If ladies 

 and gentlemen will visit the fair of the old Kennebec Society they 

 will find the trotting conducted with as much propriety and de- 



