1889.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 349 



1888 At the solicitation of many farmers from the country, 

 especially from the western part of the State, and great 

 assurances of a very large attendance, with a sufficient guar- 

 antee fund from citizens of Springfield, the second fair of 

 the Bay State Agricultural Society was held on Hampden 

 Park in that city, commencing on October 4, and continu- 

 ing a week, — rather against the judgment of the officers of 

 the society. 



The grounds were admirably adapted and arranged, with 

 abundant water, and with ample, convenient and securely 

 enclosed sheds for the accommodation of the vast collection 

 of animals, and the comfort of their keepers. Every prep- 

 aration for a great display of fine animals and a very large 

 attendance of [)eople was made by the officers of the society 

 and the citizens of Springfield, in the most liberal manner. 

 The animals were there, the finest collection we have ever 

 had in Massachusetts, but the people did not come ; and the 

 pecuniary loss was about $10,000, of which $30,000 was 

 supplied from the surplus of the first fair at Boston, and 

 $7,000 from the guarantee fund of Springfield. 



One reason for the discouraging want of success in the 

 scant attendance was doubtless owing to the weather, which 

 during the whole week was exceptionally bad, — cold, 

 cloudy, raw, with rain almost every day and night, with an 

 occasional snow-squall. Aside from the inclement weather, 

 I am inclined to think that these two experiences settle the 

 question of expediency in holding a great and expensive fair 

 in a large city, or in the country, in favor of the city. 



If the farmers, with their wives and children, wish to see 

 the fine animals, — for comparison, for education, for pur- 

 chase or for the pleasure of sight-seeing, — they might just 

 as well come to Boston, and take a holiday, as they do 

 Arbor Day, Decoration Day, or Labor Day. While, of the 

 residents in the city, there are ten times as many, paying 

 ones of all classes, to whom the sight of these fine animals 

 is as a new revelation, and who will derive from their visits 

 to the fair an immensity of instruction and amusement, and 

 the teaching of the fair would be by no means lost. 



While some of the grandest animals were from beyond the 

 limits of our State, yet there were enough of the splendid 



