STATE rOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 47 



OUR EXHIBITIONS. 

 By D. H. Knowlton, Farmingtoii. 



Thoreau says, "PI very man is entitled to come to cattle show." 

 This idea is so popular that people by the thousands leave the farms 

 and the shops and the desk and hie awa}' to the fair. It is an 

 inexpensive outing where people come together for a little recreation. 

 A prominent man tells us it is no place to gain a person's attention 

 in a business way, for all are -'on pleasure bent." We often think 

 in this connection that recrea ion is made altogether too prominent, 

 that there is a little too much horse trot and too liitle agriculture. 

 The management of most fairs entertain the idea that there must be 

 sport for the crowd and they seek to secure it b}' the horse trot. 

 We do not object to a horse trot, but we doubt the wisdom of 

 making it the most prominent feature of the fairs. The writer has 

 noticed that as the horse trot is given prominence other important 

 features are lost sight of and in some instances have entirely dis- 

 appeared. 



It is a pleasure to see a crowd of people at a fair. They are out 

 to see their friends, to shake hands with one another and to enjoy 

 themselves. The outing will do them good no doubt, and they will 

 go home all the better for it. 



But whatever ma}' be said of the fairs in other respects the most 

 important features connected with them are competition and 

 education. A generous competition is in itself a source of educa- 

 tion. For as a man shows his products by the side of his neighbor's 

 he is able to judge of a rival's qualities. If they are better than 

 his own, he recognizes them and whether he wins the prize or not he 

 goes home a wiser man. In other words he has gained some 

 knowledge that in future years will develop into some power greatly 

 to his advantage. 



If there has been an evolution anywhere in the affairs of men it 

 may be found in the modern agricultural fair. Originally the fair 

 in European countries was a place of barter. From this, in Ameilca, 

 it has grown into an exhibition combining many attractions, in 

 order to give It popularity and insure a large attendance. We may 

 now say fairs are held for the purpose of (1) traffic, (2) recreation, 

 (o) competition and (4) education. Traffic for a time was nearly 

 lost sight of but now It Is among stock growers and breeder?! an 



