APPENDIX. xxiii 



and, as I understand, provided from the same funds, were luxurious 

 stalls for horses, in some cases, whose only merit is that they can 

 trot in the twenties or thirties. This comprises what I saw at 

 Hampden Park the first day ; and, with the exception of the 

 exhibitors* and members of the committees, there were but few 

 visitors in attendance. 



In the city hall I found a show of poultry of various kinds ; also, 

 of fruits, vegetables, fancy articles from the ladies, and various 

 miscellaneous articles. The show of fruits and of vegetables did 

 not meet rny expectations, coming from a rich valley and vicinity 

 of a populous city like Springfield. 



According to the programme, the second day at the park is 

 entirely devoted to the horse. This, I think, is wrong. It is 

 giving the whole of the second day — the important day, as the 

 Society must regard it, as they do not charge any admission fee for 

 any other day — to one interest, and giving that interest an impor- 

 tance that does not belong to it. Now, I admire a good horse as 

 much as an}' one, but, at the same time, I trust I have a proper 

 regard for good cattle, and other agricultural interests. What is 

 the remedy? First, concentrate the show at one place. Second, 

 provide sheltered pens for the stock, and have them kept on the 

 grounds during the exhibition, not only to instruct and gratify the 

 lovers of good stock, but if they must devote a whole day to the 

 horse, keep the cattle to give an air of utility and respectability to 

 the occasion. Third, make the exhibition attractive to the ladies, 

 and be assured that if you can attract to the exhibition the intel- 

 ligent ladies of Hampden County, } r ou will have no reason to com- 

 plain of the want of attendance of the men. 



John B. Moore. 



HAMPDEN EAST. 



The twenty-fourth annual exhibition of this Society was held 

 Thursday and Friday, September 21 and 22. 



The chill autumnal breezes of the first day may have detracted 

 somewhat from the exhibition, but the effect was more in the line of 

 sight-seers than with contributors, or seekers after knowledge. 



There appeared to be a good degree of interest in each of the 

 several departments of the fair, and it would be difficult to select 

 one in which there was not considerable competition. 



Among the pure-bred animals, there were 31 Ayrshires from the 

 State Primary School, exhibited by Dr. Wakefield of that institu- 

 tion ; 20 very fine Devons entered by Mr. H. M. Sessions of 



