THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. oS7 



the fair be all things to all men. Let it be so diversified in its features 

 that all will find some attraction — some in the way of amusement, some 

 through instruction and some through everything that may be offered. 



It should be borne in mind also that while the fair is a source of edu- 

 cation it must be made to pay its way. It is easy enough to say that 

 though some features may be attractive to a certain class and may add 

 to the income of the management they should not be tolerated, neverthe- 

 less, because they fail to meet the approbation of another class. As long 

 as they are not immoral and have only amusement for their merit why 

 not admit them? Every one who attends a state fair does not care to 

 listen to a scientific lecture. The mind just then may perhaps not be in 

 unison with scientific thought. More hearty, healthy enjoyment could be 

 obtained from watching the antics of trained monkeys or the pranks of 

 dancing bears than could be obtained from a learned discourse upon the 

 origin and destructiveness of a newly discovered insect. The insect lec- 

 ture no doubt would be profitable to those who cared to listen, but to the 

 generality of visitors one might as well lecture upon the best way of 

 catching weasels asleep or how to ensnare birds by putting salt on their 

 tails. The general visitor wants his instruction ready made. He does 

 not want to reason it out He sees the working of a machine or a live 

 stock exhibit or a display of other products from the farm and he is not 

 required to think. The instruction for him is there ready made and to 

 his hand. So that whatever will instruct by way of exhibits and what- 

 ever will attract attention by way of amusement should be added to the 

 program wherever possible. The days spent there are days of recrea- 

 tion. The visitor does not. want to be burdened with the somber side of 

 life. There has perhaps been enough of that already. What may be silly 

 to one may be highly meritorious to another. The young are as much to 

 be cared for, if not more so, than the old, and the fair should prove the 

 common ground of instruction, amusement and profit. 



Homestead. 

 The farmer who can attend a state fair and not enjoy himself cer- 

 tainly has a bad liver. I spent several days at a state fair recently and 

 met scores of friends and readers of this paper. The exchange of ideas 

 was mutual and beneficial. There was a mixture of enjoyment and red 

 lemonade, flags and souvenirs galore. Machinery was there by the acre 

 and nowhere on earth have I seen a better or larger display of all kinds 

 of live stock. There is a steady improvement all along the line. It is at 

 the fair where improvement can be observed. The man who is not im- 

 proving his stock is going backward. Let there be a distinctive advance 

 in merit, even though it be slow. 



