334 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



mostly to the Canada market. The county has an exten- 

 sive prairie called "Door Prairie," one of the very finest 

 for all kinds of grain, but not equal to those of a more 

 clayey soil for grass. The county, although destitute of 

 mountains, hills, and dales, yet abounds in good mill 

 seats, upon never-failing streams, many of which are im- 

 proved by fine flouring mills. 



The show of stock was small, but indicating that the 

 spirit of improvement has at length begun to show itself 

 in the west. There were some good Durhams, and im- 

 proved native cattle, and several fine samples of Merino, 

 Saxon, and South Down Sheep — and the gentlemanly 

 Berkshire was there in his pride and beauty. The exhibi- 

 tion of butter, and cheese, and household manufactures 

 was such as plainly to show, that that portion of the com- 

 munity which is the life of all our agricultural societies, 

 had here lent their good works to promote the good cause 

 in good order. 



There was also a show of fine fruit, such as no one 

 could expect in so new a country, unless he well knew the 

 remarkable productiveness of our soil. 



But the proudest part of the show was of the human 

 species — men, women, and children — old and young, of 

 all classes and occupations, turned out to make this what 

 every agricultural fair always should be, a most joyous 

 farmer's festival — an annual public thanksgiving. And 

 as public drinking is out of fashion, a public dinner was 

 substituted. The tables being arranged in one of those 

 beautiful Bur-oak groves which are only to be found in 

 this country of groves and prairies, were covered with a 

 profusion of good things furnished by the hundreds of 

 fair hands who graced the feast by their presence. The 

 whole scene being enlivened by what should always ac- 

 company such a festival, a fine band of music, volun- 

 teered for the occasion. 



It was a day, as all such should be, well calculated to 

 promote and increase the general stock of human hap- 

 piness. 



