Fairs of the Pioneers 187 



mane and tail and Sam, the youngest, would be 

 prepared to put the Berkshire 's tail in curl papers 

 if necessity demanded; mother would be extra 

 careful about the bread and butter, and the daugh- 

 ters of the house would be working on a rag-mat, a 

 log-cabin quilt or a flannel shirt. 



The children coming in from school would tell 

 that Mrs. Smith over on the Tenth was going to 

 show bread, butter, blankets and other products of 

 the old-time farm, and the rivalry would grow and 

 grow. It was whispered about that Bill Jones had 

 quit ploughing as he feared the brood mare would 

 show galls on her shoulders in the show ring, and 

 old Sam Thomson was said to be feeding his 

 pumpkin vines sweet milk and forcing his hoped 

 for big yellow prize-winner to expand. Neigh- 

 bours watched each other's movements very 

 closely along about fair-time. 



Young farmers in those days at the Fall Fair 

 did not expend so much energy swinging the 

 wooden maul at the thumping machine in order 

 to obtain a cigar of doubtful quality, and inci- 

 dentally, demonstrate how muscular they were. 

 Instead they were to be found in crowds about the 

 plough exhibit and other displays of farm ma- 

 chinery or admiring the live stock, and with criti- 

 cal eyes, too. 



WHEN THE PLOUGH WAS THE CENTRE OF ATTRACTION 



Back in earlier days more attention was given 

 the art of turning furrows and, in order to test 



