THE GENESEE FARMER. 



349 



CONDUCTED BY JOSEPH FROST. 



THE NP]W YORK STATE FAIR. 



The New York State Agricultural Society held 

 their Exhibition for 1854, on the od, 4th, 5lh and 6th 

 of October, upon Hamilton Square, in the city of 

 New York. 



The management of the Society having made a 

 mistake pecuniarily, in selecting Saratoga Springs for 

 the display, last season, concluded to adopt the most 

 feasible way, in their estimation, to put the Society 

 again in funds. 



New York city in the extreme South-eastern part 

 of the State, comprising three-fourths of a million in- 

 habitants, from which ebbed and flowed the wealth 

 of the country, and whose people, when interested in 

 any thing, are always known to make their mark, was 

 tJie favored location. If money is wanted for foreign 

 missions, or other praiseworthy objects, or if enthu- 

 siasm should be needed, though required brimful that 

 tlie people would run half mad, what place would 

 'furnish it as readily and freely as New York, under 

 the proper direction? It was supposed the public 

 would put aside in part, for three or four days, the 

 tiiought of politics, theatres, operas, magnificent build- 

 ings and princely hotels, and receive a display of 

 beautiful horses, superior breeds of cattle, hogvs, sheep, 

 &c., as well as fowls expanded to an immense size and 

 to an unnatural shape, also a fine collection of fruits, 

 such as seidom grace tables in any country. 



There were sufficient inducements to attract crowds 

 of visitors in most places, but not in the commercial 

 metropolis; as the Society's meeting for 1854 has 

 proved to be a total failure, and far more disastrous 

 than that at Saratoga last year. 



According to published statements, the number of 

 persons who visited the grounds was 40,000, which 

 is a great disparity in numbers from the exhibitions 

 formerly in the Central, Eastern and Western parts 

 oi the State, where 100,000 attended. 



The amount of receipts were about $8,000, out of 

 which $8,000 in premiums are to be paid, besides the 

 ei'ection of suitable enclosures, tents, buildings, and 

 other fixtures, which was no trifling expense. 



In justice to the Society, we would say tha,t the 

 arrangenieut and order, as well as the fixtures, were a 

 great improvement upon those of previous years. 



The classification of the different articles were at- 

 tended to by competent persons, which rendered the 

 decision upon the different articles entered for com- 

 petition by the judges comparatively easy. But there 

 Ls still room for much more improvement, by extend- 

 ing it to every thing upon exhibition, which we hope 

 may be aslopted for the future. 



The police regulations were very complete, and re- 

 flected much credit upon the department. An inci- 

 dent occurred which caused considerable stir among 

 some, and caution on the part of others. The Chief 

 ol' Police visiting the grounds on Thursday, soon 

 spied two gentlemanly pickpockets in the act of 

 practicing their nefarious profession. The gentry 

 were quickly caught, and a large placard suspended 



by a string was hung about each of their necks, on 

 which was printed in bold letters " Pickpockets," and 

 they were compelled to promenade about the grounds 

 from two to three hours, under a strong escot of po- 

 lice, followed by hundreds who were eager to obtain 

 a si.sht of the scoundrels. 



The articles upon exhibition were generally choice 

 and well selected — 1 tetter, we think, than they have 

 usually been — but the (juantity was very snuill. 



Stalls assigned for cattle, pens i'or hogs, sheep, &c., 

 were not much more than half occupied. 



Although the New York Horticultural Society 

 combined its autumnal exhibition with theirs, the 

 contributions of fruits and flowers in Floral Hall 

 were not in as great profusion as heretofore. 



The causes of such deplorable results are very ob- 

 vious, the principal one being the location, which 

 was necessarily from four to five miles from the cen- 

 tral part of the city. The distance lieing so great, 

 every one was compelled to ride ; and the coimnuni- 

 cations being only with cars drawn by horses on the 

 3d Avenue Railroad— one passing every five minutes — 

 a line of omnibusses going within sight of it, and a 

 train on the Harlem Railroad leaving every half hour, 

 were the only means provi<led to convey the 40,000 

 visitors. It is only surprising to us how as iifiany 

 visited it as did; but during the five or six hours in 

 the middle of the day on Thui-sday and Friday, every 

 available space in the conveyances was packed, as 

 well as places on which to hang. Then there exist- 

 ed among the citizens the most perfect apathy con- 

 cerning it. Probably not one fourth of them were 

 aware that a State Agricultural Society was in exis- 

 tence. 



This will probably be the last time that New York 

 will be favored with this exhibition. It is thought 

 now that the interests of the Society will be suffi- 

 ciently looked after to always hold the future exhi- 

 bitions in the midst of the agricultural districts, and 

 among the farmers, who are the only ones directly 

 interested or benefited by them; and it may be relied 

 upon that just so far as they may deviate from this, 

 just so much will it prove unsuccessful. 



THE FRUIT TRADE. 



The peach trtidc to the Canadas and eastern cities 

 has assumed an importance of late years, second on- 

 ly to the apple trade. A city paper states that over 

 twenty-six thousand baskets of peaches have been 

 shipped at the port of Charlotte alone ; and judging 

 from observation, we should presume that an equal 

 number had been forwarded cast. 'I'his would make 

 an aggregate of over 50,000 baskets. 



Th(! fruit trade in this vicinity is increasing every 

 year- in value and importance, and the prices for good 

 "fruit were; perhaps never more remunerative. From 

 data furnished by a fruit dealer, we estimate that 

 about sixty thousand barrels of apples were shipped 

 to the eastern market last season by canal and rail- 

 roa'l; and from present appearances in our markets, 

 the amount will be largely exceeded the present sear- 

 son. Dealers are paying from one dollar and twenty, 

 five cents to one dollar and fifty cents per barrel for 

 fair winter fiuit — barrels included — which, at twenty- 

 five cents eachj makes the price per bushel from thir- 



