MARKET DAYS. 145 



same time, I am so much impressed with what I have seen and 

 learned during a short visit abroad, that I hope you will not 

 consider it egotism in me if I allude to what I saw and heard 

 in connection with this subject. I know it is unpleasant to hear 

 a person speak of his own experience and observations, but that 

 is what we want here. 



I have been very much impressed for years with the difficulty 

 of this subject, and I was one of those to whom allusion was 

 made, indirectly, by Mr. Slade, who were interested in the 

 scheme of market days and fairs. Mr. Fay, who was formerly 

 a member of our Board, a son of Judge Fay, of this county, I 

 believe, was very much interested in this subject, and he wrote 

 one or two essays upon it, which were published by the Board. 

 A united effort was made at one time, on the part of the Board 

 of Agriculture, to see if the custom of weekly and monthly 

 market days, which exists to a great extent in Great Britain, 

 could not be established in this State. That effort, it is only 

 fair to say, was an entire failure. It was found to be so con- 

 trary to the habits and customs of farmers and consumers, that 

 it could not succeed. But what made it fail ? It was owing to 

 the fact that in a new and thinly settled country where all were 

 farmers or producers it was not necessary, and that our people 

 were not accustomed to daily markets, or to markets twice or 

 three times a week, in the central villages and cities ; because 

 it was necessary to furnish a market for the perishable articles, 

 those which are of daily use and necessity, as well as those 

 which the farmer can sell at a monthly market, anywhere with- 

 in ten miles of his farm. We all know that not only in Great 

 Britain, but throughout the Continent of Europe, every city and 

 every small village, even villages of not more than two or three 

 thousand inhabitants, has its regular market days — Wednesdays 

 and Saturdays or Tuesdays and Fridays ; and in addition to 

 that, once or twice a month it may have a cattle, grain or hay 

 market day. In Europe also, every large city has one or two 

 squares which are called " market squares," — perhaps there are 

 half a dozen of these squares in some of the large cities. But 

 in addition to that you will find, on two or three days in the 

 week, the farmers and market-women spreading out their goods 

 upon the ground, or upon tables arranged for the purpose 

 along some particular street ; not only articles which are neces- 

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