AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 143 



necessary to secure inducement equal to that which is secured 

 to the Framingham exhibitor. 



An examination of the disbursements of the society to the 

 people of the several towns in the district will show the unequal 

 assistance rendered. It cannot be supposed that the figures of 

 the secretary afford any criterion of the relative ability of the 

 several towns to compete. Were all the towns to take the same 

 interest in the affairs of the society as does Framingham, then 

 our society must occupy a place of great prominence in the pub- 

 lic mind. But the towns at a distance from the park feel the 

 incubus of a long road, and to them, small premium. Exhibit- 

 ors of stock know well that it is at considerable cost to the ani- 

 mal economy to take animals, some more than others, from 

 barn or pasture, and subject them to the gaze of hundreds of 

 persons, strangers to them, and irregularity of care and diet. 

 To equalize matters to all exhibitors, whether of Framingham 

 or the most remote town, and afford all practicable inducement 

 to compete, let the premium list be arranged upon the basis of a 

 sliding scale. To those who carry off honors, an addition may 

 be made to the sum of premium, for each three miles the ex- 

 hibitor resides from the park. If properly computed, every one 

 will have chance for the same reward. When the premium is 

 not money, money may be added to equalize. 



I do not propose to consider the advantages that may accrue 

 to the exhibitor, aside from considerations of premium. It is 

 one method of advertising. It is for the society to offer what 

 inducements it can afford, and leave the incidental advantages 

 of exhibition to individual discernment. 



There should be special encouragement extended to those re- 

 siding out of the district to exhibit articles at our fair.. It will 

 not seldom happen that what it thus brought to the park will 

 bring as much to the society at the gate, as the showing of what 

 is owned in the district. It is a special object that entices many 

 persons to the fair ; a single animal may be the inducement. 

 If it were generally known that the horse Dexter was to be at 

 the park another year, this would secure large attendance, not 

 only of horsemen, but of persons not specially interested in 

 horse culture. Whenever it is advertised that a thing highly 

 excellent of its kind may be seen at a particular place and time, 

 then, if the thing excites particular interest, or the interest of a 



