512 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



Many of those that came in about midnight last night, 

 if they slept at all, must have done so while they kept 

 moving, which they had to do to keep warm, for, be it 

 known, that it is cold weather up here, even to repeated 

 white frosts. And notwithstanding all these crowds of 

 men, women and children, to-day is the day when the 

 mass are expected to begin to arrive. Most of the other 

 States are well represented. I hope that they may all 

 carry home some of the spirit that animates the agricul- 

 turists of this great State. 



The show ground is upon a beautiful spot of ground 

 about a mile from the principal hotels, on the west side 

 of the city. 



The collection of stock now in pasture near the show 

 ground is great and looks fine, notwithstanding the great 

 drouth that has visited this as well as every other part 

 of the United States this season. I am told that the low 

 condition of much stock will prevent the very great show 

 that otherwise would have been. 



But if I may judge by the vast sample of cheese and 

 butter on show, there must have been good feed some- 

 where. Many of the specimens in the fruit and vegetable 

 departments made a goodly show. Flowers are not quite 

 so pretty as some of those that were engaged all of 

 yesterday arranging them. Women ought to constantly 

 bear in mind that their race first sprung into existence 

 in a garden, and that that was undoubtedly a flower 

 garden of the most beautiful order, and that they never 

 appear so lovely as when in the same place or amid the 

 products of it. 



The number of agricultural implements is not so great 

 as I expected, but among them are some valuable ones 

 and some that are only good specimens of mechanical 

 skill rather than usefulness. Those that "get up" (that 

 is the fashionable term,) agricultural machinery ought to 

 study simplicity and durability instead of the powers of 

 complicated machinery that inevitable will get out of 



