STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 81 



In making up my report to this Society, it will be proper to 

 notice the decided advantage of having a permanent location lor 

 the State fair, especially in erecting permanent buildings suita- 

 ble for the different displays, and otherwise improving the grounds 

 for the purpose intended. I think the State can make no better 

 disposition of a portion of the public funds than by the encour- 

 agement of Agriculture, Horticulture and Mechanic Arts. 



Our fairs are held at that particular time of the year when the 

 husbandman can relax his hand from toil, and wipe the sweat 

 from his brow; when the hurry of summer has ended, and the 

 season has crowned his labors with the luxuries of life, and with 

 a heart of gratitude to the Giver of all good, he is prepared to 

 bhow the progress attained, and what advancement in the details 

 of industrial progress have been made the past year, and from 

 year to year. 



But I was only intending to speak particularly of the vegetable 

 exhibit. There are some things very peculiar about it, especially 

 in regard to the exhibitors themselves as a class. I find that 

 the man who "did'nt bring anything along" always had much 

 better at home than anything he saw there. Such persons 

 might as well have remained at home themselves with their light 

 under a bushel, as they never will become the educators of the 

 people. There is another class who only exhibit for the premi- 

 ums that may be offered. They always make their entries in 

 compliance with the rules, but keep back their product* till 

 near the time when the judges are expected to come around, so 

 as to have it all look "nice and fresh." In the mean time they 

 examine everything in competition, and if they think their 

 neighbors have a better showing, do not take trouble to bring- 

 forward their exhibits at all. This, of course, can only apply to 

 some living near by. 



Then we have our seedsmen who are indispensible to the 

 gardener, and a fair would be incomplete without tbem. They 

 know how to arrange everything to the best advantage, so as to 

 make an attractive display. All this of course is only an adver- 

 tisement for " our seeds," but then they manage to show a full 

 assortment of the very best vegetables that can be procured as 

 the products from their seeds, and make up a full list of single 

 entries and also for a general display, thus placing themselves 

 in competition with the actual grower. I think a sweepstake 

 premium would be about the correct thing for a display of this 

 kind. How far this management was carried out at the last fair 

 I do not know, but some complaint was made. 

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