REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 159 



A great many persons attended the show at Springfield for 

 the purpose of making purchases, who were surprised to find 

 that the horses, — like fruits on the horticultural tables, — were 

 for exhibition only. They went away disappointed in this 

 respect, and would not probably repeat their visit, if only an 

 exhibition of animals is intended. 



These suggestions are thrown out, not only for the considera- 

 tion of the managers and others who took an active interest in 

 the late show, but also for the serious consideration of the State 

 Board, as the first step in the initiation of a most important and 

 desirable system of fairs or open markets, such as have for many 

 years been held with such success in other countries, for the 

 sale of horses as well as of all other domestic animals ; and we 

 should be glad to have this system emanate from such a respec- 

 table and influential starting point as Springfield. 



If this plan should be approved, its execution might well be 

 left to the energetic zeal and judgment of those to whom was 

 intrusted the charge and conduct of the late exhibition, and 

 from whose hands it went on to the records of the past as the 

 most successful thing of the kind ever attempted in this 

 country. 



It is becoming in us at closing, to mention the kind civilities 

 and attentions which we received from the managers and from 

 citizens of Springfield. 



RiCHAED S. Fay. 

 Paoli Lathrop. 

 James S. 'Grennell. 



