1800.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 293 



with temporary success, but work disastrously to tlie society 

 in the end. 



Tlie common idea and conception of our county agricult- 

 ural fairs, originating more than a half-century ago, belong 

 to another generation, another age and another condition of 

 society. The surroundings of the show of that day have 

 passed away, long ago. The successful society keeps pace 

 with the progress of the day. Its management must be in 

 accordance with the surrounding conditions of the time. 

 On the show grounds, oxen in any considerable numbers in 

 some localities are superseded by horses. The interest that 

 the old time-honored ploughing match excited, now centres 

 around the horse exhibition and poultry coops. In the 

 exhibition hall, bedquilts, embroidery, fancy and crochet 

 work, paintings and works of art, fill the places once 

 occupied by the olden-time hand-spun and hand-woven 

 fabrics. Fruits, vegetables and flowers, tastefully arranged, 

 furnish attractions for multitudes. The horse, so valuable 

 and useful an animal to man, always enlists a particular 

 interest when on exhibition, whether for speed or in other 

 classes. While societies should extend all proper, neces- 

 sary encouragement towards this great and growing 

 branch of industry, they ought not to allow the show 

 and fair to degenerate into a mere horse trot and race, 

 where the number of entries of fliers is the measure of 

 attendance. 



In some of the societies great improvement can and ought 

 to be made in the system of judging and awarding premiums 

 on stock. Committees are appointed nearly a year in 

 advance of the show, who fail to attend or decline to serve, 

 and their places are filled by selections from the crowd, 

 without much regard to their qualifications, the main idea 

 being to get some one to serve. Examinations are made 

 and premiums awarded which are often unsatisfactory, not 

 only to exhibitors, but to the public, which results in keeping 

 from the exhibition a large number of first-class animals. If 

 expert judges were selected outside of the society, their 

 awards, being based on the merits of the animals, would 

 give better satisfaction, and secure an increased interest on 

 the part of the public. 



