NEW-YORK AGRICULTURAL FAIR. 



205 



THE STATE FAIR AT UTICA 



Came off according to appointment, and pass- 

 ed without rain, dust, or accident of any kind, to 

 mar the satisfaction of any one of the many 

 thousands every day in attendance, unless it be 

 the slight chagrin which may have been felt by 

 those who were disappointed in their sanguine 

 expectations of bearing off prizes. 



To suppose that some of these were not mor- 

 tified, would be to presume a feeling of apathy 

 unworthy of the occasion, and one which merits 

 if it does not ensure the defeat of those who feel 

 or affect it. But with men of true spirit, all disa- 

 greeable impressions, from such cause, are 

 quickly brushed away, by the patriotic reflec- 

 tion, that what they esteemed good of their own, 

 has been met by something better exhibited by 

 a neighbor ; thus showing that the general 

 course of improvement is onward, and that vic- 

 tory in every department of rural l&dustry is 

 now only to be won by great exertion and great 

 excellence. 



Bearing in mind the comparatively high price 

 of the Farmers' Librarj', yet not high in pro- 

 portion to its volume and costliness of publica- 

 tion, its whole space must be economised and use- 

 fully appropriated. The question arises then 

 how far it can be expected to embrace full ac- 

 counts of all agricultural exhibitions, many of 

 the particulars of which possess but a local 

 interest, imparting only the fact, that particular 

 premiums were awarded to A and B for best 

 Sheep or Cattle, without conveying information 

 of any new discovery or truth of general appli- 

 cability and usefulness. Yet as State Fairs are 

 open to competition from the whole common- 

 wealth, and in this, and it may be in other States, 

 materially assisted by State funds, it may be 

 expected that a work designed for reference 

 should record for that purpose the authentic re- 

 sults of such genera! competition. 



As far, then, as at present advised, we have 

 concluded that the proper course will be to 

 journalize, from year to year, the distribution of 

 prizes at the Annual Fair of the New- York 

 State Agricultural Society, accompanied with 

 such suggestions as may appear pertinent to the 

 occasion, and likely to contribute to the true 

 designs of the Institution. 



We are much disposed to commit ourselves 

 at once to the same course as to all State Exhi- 

 bitions, to the end that the Fanners' Library 

 may be looked to as an official repo.sitorj' of 

 transactions at all these general displays of i 

 (409 



farming industrj'. reserving the privilege of such 

 brief notices of the proceedings of local societies 

 as jnay appear worthy of particular animadver- 

 sion and subservient to the interests of Agricul- 

 ture — and now, then, for the late Fair at Utica — 

 extenuating nothing, nor setting down aught in 

 wilful or unjust disparagement. 



In the first place, it is to be observed that 

 this was not the first, nor the second, but the 

 Fifth Fair of a Society patronized by the State, 

 and held only at intervals of one year. Five 

 years have elapsed, then, within which to 

 bring out improvement on improvement, in all 

 the departments of State husbandry ; within 

 which to bring to light discoveries in compound- 

 ing and using manures — in the trials of new 

 staples and systems of rotation and cultivation 

 — in the invention of new implements and ma- 

 chines to save labor, and to accomplish more 

 perfect tillage — for all this would do more for 

 tne permanent benefit of Agriculture, than the 

 mere show of animals, grains, vegetable.s, fruits 

 and flowers. In the display of //(ese, have com- 

 petition and rewards been followed by general 

 and marked improvement ? In a word, the 

 question is, did the exhibition which attracted 

 an immense concourse of spectators, and which 

 to all appearance gave so much satisfaction to 

 the multitude, serve to elicit many new or im- 

 portant discoveries in agricultural economy, or, 

 on the whole, to illustrate that progressive ac- 

 cession of knowledge and amelioration in the 

 practice of the agricultural art, which every 

 year ought to be expected to realize, among a 

 sagacious and vigilant people. 



As, in such cases, large contributions are ex- 

 pected to come from the county and town in 

 which the Fair is held, it is but fair in this in- 

 stance to bear in mind that Oneida is by far the 

 most populous county in the State, except 

 New-York, having now more than 100,000 

 inhabitants ; yet, on the other hand, if the Cen- 

 sus is to be trusted in anything, there are counties 

 which fall far behind it in population that exceed 

 it as much in the number employed in Agricul- 

 ture, as they do in their agricultural products. 

 For example, while Lewis county is put down 

 as having in 1840 a population of only 17,830, 

 it is reported as having 17,6-;i9 Horses, or about 

 one Horse for each person ; 78,G94 Neat Cattle ; 

 li;5,390 Sheep, and 60, .518 Swine ; while Oneida 

 with, at that time, 85,310 inhabitants, had but 

 7,604 Horses, 20,752 Neat Cattle, 40,531 Sheep, 



