BRISTOL SOCIETY. xxxix 



people, and get monej' enough to pay the liberal premiums which 

 are offered and paid the farmers for their exhibits. The ingenuity 

 of officers of many societies is taxed very hard to keep up interest 

 enough to obtain funds sufficient to keep on prospering. 



The farmers, as a class, think too much of the premiums, and 

 overlook the great object for which agricultural societies are organ- 

 ized, viz., the gain of knowledge from the experience of their 

 neighbors, how to get the best results for their labors and invest- 

 ments. 



Ever}' exhibitor should state to the committee appointed to 

 award premiums the way and manner in which he conducts his 

 farm, how he goes to work to raise his animals and farm-prod- 

 ucts, what kind of land he has, and the kinds of manures used. 

 Such information as this, communicated to the several committees 

 either verbally or in writing, which would be far better, the com- 

 mittee could incorporate in their report ; and it would then find its 

 way into the printed transactions, and whoever would take the 

 pains to read it might be benefited. They would be very lilvcly 

 to follow some of the suggestions, and in many cases to their 

 advantage. There is no good reason why the farmer should not 

 make every effort to bring the products of his labors to perfec- 

 tion, as well as the manufacturer ; but quite too man}' are satisfied 

 with a common or perhaps an inferior production. 



I must here make mention of the address, on the second day of 

 the fair, by Professor S. T. Frost of Amenia, N.Y., subject, " The 

 "Waters of the Earth and Air." It was an able and scholarly 

 effort, and, though rather of a scientific nature, contained a fund 

 of information interesting to all his hearers, and valuable to farm- 

 ers. 



In closing, allow me to express my thanks to the officers of the 

 society for the kind attention and hospitality shown during my 

 visit. 



E. T. Lewis. 



BRISTOL. 



As a substitute for the regular delegate, I attended the Bristol- 

 county Fair, held at the city of Taunton on the 2Gth of Septem- 

 ber, 1877. 



The immense concourse of people attending the fair had full 

 scope for gratification and amusements, as, in the varied depail- 



