THE GENESEE EAEMER. 



333 



The display of stock was large and excellent. 

 We find no detail of esliibitors. Some of the fine 

 herds from Ohio added to the interest and com- 

 pleteness of the exhibition. Horses are mentioned 

 as being of good blood and excellent quality. The 

 show of sheep was fair, but hogs appear to have 

 carried the day. The number is reported as large, 

 and the swine larger. They go the whole hog in 

 the Ohio valley, and find it profitable too. Addi- 

 tional evidence was furnished that poultry receive 

 as they deserve, cai-eful attention. 



Floral Hall, nnder the management of J. S. 

 Neglet, was fitted up with unusual taste. The 

 show of apples, pears, and peaches, as is usual with 

 those of 1858, was meagre. Grapes were abund- 

 ant and unusually fine, both exotic and native. 



In Domestic Hall, the wives and daughters of 

 the sturdy yeomanry of Pennsylvania and Ohio 

 hung up in great profusion the labor of their hands 

 in the shape of needle work, embroidery, and 

 household manufactures, well adorned with rows 

 of jars containing preserves, jellies, and confec- 

 tions, accompanied by delicious bread and butter 

 The fine arts, too, have many devotees at Pitts- 

 burg, to whom was appropriated Artists Hall, 

 which proved too small for their contributions of 

 landscapes, portraits, photographs, ambrotypes, and 

 lithographs, most of which received a higl\ meed of 

 praise. 



When the farmers of the Keystone State have 

 their next annual jubilee, may we be there to ob- 

 serve and note. 



INDIANA STATE FAIR. 



The Seventh Annual fair of this State took place 

 at Indianapolis. The attendance was gratifying to 

 the financial managers, and the exhibition a suc- 

 cessful one. Many exhibitors came from Ohio and 

 Kentucky, and a few from Illinois. 



The show of horses was superior to that of any 

 former year. The farmers of the west are jus^ 

 now giving more than usual attention to raising 

 fine horses, which they will doubtless find very 

 remunerating. There were nearly 400 entries. The 

 whole number of cattle entries was 200, embracing 

 some of the finest Short-horns of S. Mkeedith, and 

 Maltock and Davi8o:n-. Others had as fine cattle 

 though smaller herds. We find no mention of other 

 breeds and think the farmers of the west find the 

 Short-horns most profitable. The sheep pens were 

 well filled, there being over 200 entries, while 

 swine were reported as surpassing any thing on 

 record, some of those exhibited weighing COO to 

 700 pounds. 



In the Mechanical department were shown many 

 articles of sujerior merit, evincing much interest 



in those implements and machines that tend to ren- 

 der lighter the labors of the fiirmer. 



The Horticultural display was good for the sea- 

 son—evidence that the west manifests commend- 

 able interest in this important subject. In the 

 Fine Arts and Floral Hall, the exhibition was ex- 

 cellent. Tlie older States must look to their lau- 

 rels or the young lion of the west will carry off the 

 palm. 



SALT IN FEEDING CATTLE. 



Feom some slight and inconclusive experiments 

 of our own, as well as from physiological considera- 

 tions, we have had our doubts whether it was good 

 economy to allow animals, feeding for tie hutcliei^, 

 the free use of salt. Salt is doubtless conducive to 

 health, favoring the formation of bile, and aiding 

 in carrying effete matter from the system; but 

 there is no reason to suppose that it favors the ac- 

 cumulation of fat. Leibig, indeed, asserts that 

 ' fhe nhsence of common salt isfavoralh to the for- 

 mation of fat; and that the 'fattening of an ani- 

 mal is rendered impossible, when we add to its food 

 an excess of salt, although short of the quantity 

 required to produce a purgative effect.' Recently 

 however, in allusion to experiments made since the 

 publication of the work in which the above sen- 

 tences occur, Lieeig says :— ' Salt does not act as a 

 producer of flesh ; but it neutralizes the injurious 

 actions of the conditions, which must be united in 

 the unnatural state of animals fed or fattened in 

 order to produce flesh ; and the advantages attend- 

 ing its use can hardly be estimated too highly.' 



The experiments of Boussingault have often 

 been alluded to, as indicating that salt by no means 

 exercises a beneficial influence upon the growth of 

 cattle, and upon the development of fle^h, to the 

 extent usually ascribed to it. His more recent 

 experiments, however, result in fiivor of salt.— 

 Thus, two lots of steers, of three each, were fed on 

 hay for 13 months, one lot being allowed salt, the 

 other not. 



The average weight per head of the salted lot, 

 at the commencement of the experiment, was 955 

 pounds: at the end of 13 months, 2,090 lbs. In- 

 crease, 1,135 lbs. They consumed per head 15,972 

 lbs. of hay. One ton of hay, therefore, produced 

 143 lbs. of increase of animal. 



The second lot, which received no salt, averaged 

 at the commencement of the experiment 89G lbs. • 

 at the end of 13 months, 1,890. Increase 994 lbs. 

 They consumed per head 14,553 lbs. of hay. Or 

 one ton of hay produced 137 lbs. of increase of 

 animal. ,, 



The steers receiving salt produced 6 lbs. more 



