flit 



Jiutumn 6\'I]ibiti,ons. 



^^^NCE more September is upon us, and ■with it the accustomed 

 -_ round of annual fetes of rural industry commence. Some thir- 

 2 teen or fourteen States have announced their days of holding 

 State Fairs ; and in all these States there are county and other 

 local fairs, at which the best products of the farm and garden 

 ■^^xi-k ^'"6 to ^e brought forward for comparison and competition. 

 The amount of money and time spent in this country annually 

 Wv^rx*"^^ on these occasions is enormous ; but so far it has been well spent, for 

 !^5i^;i ^ they have awakened a spirit of improvement that has conferred vast 

 benefits upon the industry and resources of the country. They are not mere 

 holidays with us, devoted to frivolous amusements, sight-seeing, and dissipa- 

 tion ; people go to these exhibitions to learn, and they bring with them the pro- 

 ducts of their skill and industry to compare with that of their neighbors', for 

 mutual instruction and encouragement. The mere love of novelty can not 

 induce so many thousands of intelligent people to leave their homes and business, 

 and to incur all the toil and expense of attending these fairs. They have a higher 

 purpose in view — they seek information; and in proportion as these shows aiford 

 facilities for obtaining this, will they become worthy of public patronage and support. 

 Hitherto the want of experience on the part of those who have been entrusted with 

 the management of exhibitions has stood greatly in the way of their usefulness, and 

 great dissatisfaction has arisen from people being unable to gain the information 

 which they had just reason to expect. It is poor satisfoction for a man who has 

 traveled hundreds of miles and made great sacrifices of personal comfort, to be jostled 

 about in a crowd, scorched with heat and choked with dust, on the show grounds, and 

 yet not be permitted to see the objects exhibited in such a manner as enables him to 

 understand their merits. No pains should be spared in arranging and classifying all 

 objects, not only in the grounds and on the tables, but in printed catalogues, in such 

 a way as to enable judges to discharge their duties easily and accurately, and specta- 

 tors instantly to understand the position that each article occupies, and the degree of 

 merit that has been awarded it. 



We are glad to see that this matter is receiving attention, but we fear it has not 

 been carried out as far as necessary. We shall confine our remarks chiefly to the 

 department of horticulture. Our State Society, for instance, offers a premium "for the 

 best twenty varieties of good table apples, three of each variety, named and labelled, 

 grown by the exhibitor." Now, suppose that a dozen individuals should compete for 

 this premium; each one should be required to show just twenty varieties — neither 

 more nor less — and the twelve collections should be placed side by side on the tables, 

 that not only the judges but the spectators might easily make their comparisons, 

 one should be designated by a number only until the judges have made their 



September 1, 1853. 



Ko. IX. 



