WHAT OTHERS SAY. 463 



THE PAY IS TO PATRONS. 



Citizens of a good county do not esimate the value of their annual 

 fair by the aggregate amount of liberal premiums awarded them. The 

 benefits come as of " bread cast upon the waters," to be gathered after- 

 ward. At these fairs the best animals of improved breeds of sheep, 

 cattle, horses, etc., are seen by large numbers of farmers, who naturally 

 compare their common plug horses with finer, better animals, and resolve 

 to make improvement in their stables ; and so of all stock shown, noth- 

 ing is so convincing as to plainly see the difference. 



HOW IT WORKS. 



Where a good fair or stock show is run a few years, the result will 

 be observed all over the county in the improving character of pigs, 

 poultry, sheep, cattle and horses. Scrub cows are abandoned for better 

 milkers, the farmers' improved teams show the blood of a better breed. 

 He caught it at the fair, is "breeding" up all his stock and finds it pays 

 largely. So of the field products, by comparison we learn which is the 

 best corn, wheat, oats or other grains, find thus the earliest, largest and 

 best potatoes and other vegetables, and at once determine to have the 

 best varieties of all these and to practice the best methods to procure 

 largest yields. Thus the farmer finds the value of his county fair in his 

 fields in larger crops of better grains, grasses and other products. 



These agricultural gatherings yield 



AN ANNUAL SOCIAL VALUE, 



that is also above the size of the average premium. Horticulturists 

 find the exhibition of their attractive, beautiful fruits, one of the most 

 efficient factors in multiplying the number of orchards and fruit growers 

 in the country. A well handled, good display of perfect, well colored 

 fruits is most enthusing — an appeal, irresistible to the good sense of 

 hundreds, who, standing by such display tables, determine to plant an 

 orchard and grow similar fruit. 



In such exhibits, experienced fruit men are able to compare many 

 varieties of the same kind, and are aided in choosing, more wisely, the 

 best to plant. 



BEGINNERS IN THE FRUIT BUSINESS 



are in some danger of being misled, by a grand display of a hundred 

 varieties of apples or more, into a desire to plant them all, or as many 



