NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



443 



NORFOLK COUNTY FAIR. 



The fair at Simcoe on the 13th, 14th and 

 15th of October was well worthy of the 

 compliment paid it by Mr. Alex. McNeill, 

 Dominion* Fruit Inspector, when he re- 

 marked to the secretary, " There are but two 

 fairs in Ontario, this and the Industrial !" 

 The grounds are very well laid out; the old 

 " Crystal Palace " was, fortunately perhaps, 

 recently burned down, and its place taken 

 by several tents and smaller single floor 

 buildings. One of these, which was de- 

 voted to art exhibits and ladies' work, had 

 three aisles the whole length, with partitions 

 on which the exhibits showed to excellent 

 advantage, while the whole was painted a 

 suitable tint of green. The grounds were !n 

 part elevated, and well planted with shade 

 trees, so that altogether the place was attrac- 

 tive to visitors. 



Another feature of this fair was the means 

 adopted to interest the officials in the suc- 

 cess of the Fair which was continued for 

 three days. On the evening of the second 

 day all the officers, judges, visitors and 

 others were invited to an informal gathering 

 at the Battersby House, where after social 

 converse and light refreshments, brief ad- 

 dresses were given on subjects pertaining 

 to the various exhibits, followed by a free 

 discussion. 



THE EXECUTIVE. 



Our old-time friend, Mr. H. H. Groflf, is 

 the president of the society, and conducts a 

 meeting in a most happy manner. A banker 

 by vocation, but a successful horticulturist 

 and plant breeder by practice and from love 

 of it, Mr. GrofT has advanced from being an 

 amateur to the enviable position of a scien- 

 tific horticulturist, whose contributions to the 

 beautiful in his specialty, the gladiolus, has 

 brought him a world-wide reputation. The 

 superintendent is Mr. W. F. Kydd, suc- 

 cessful farmer and horse breeder, whose ad- 



FiG. 2C68. Mr. H. H. Groff, Simcoe. 



dresses before the Farmers' Institutes have 

 been much appreciated. He is an energetic 

 Scotchman, and is as deeply interested in the 

 success of the fair as if it were his own pri- 

 vate business. But the man to whom, of all 

 others, the working out of this excellent 

 model fair at Simcoe is due, is Mr. Thomas 

 Murphy, the secretary, whose distinguished 

 ability in conducting the Simcoe Fair to such 

 ir.agnificent success, has led to his appoint- 

 n-ent as President of the Canadian Associa- 

 tion of Fairs and Exhibitions. 



A GREAT SUCCESS. 



The Norfolk County fair at Simcoe, al- 

 though by no means perfect, may well be 

 called a model fair, for, not only in point of 

 exhibits, but also in point of attendance it 

 was most exceptional. Fakirs were not al- 

 lowed on the grounds, but instead there were 

 interesting and instructive addresses by ex- 

 perts. In one tent Miss Mills, of Guelph, 

 and Miss Smith, of Hamilton, gave demon- 



