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an innovation at our agricultural fairs. Let " old fogies," 

 if they will, hold up their hands in horror, because they 

 think they smell a horse-race. They will be under the 

 necessity of " clearing the track," and of giving Young 

 America the " pole." They will be distanced in all their 

 efforts to hinder the march of improvement in this branch 

 of rural economy. 



One thing is sure, nothing does so much to make our 

 fairs attractive as the exhibition of this class of horses, 

 and when the trial of speed comes, every eye is eager to 

 see the whole. 



At the first fair of which we have any report, there 

 were but two entries and one premium. One of the com- 

 petitors brought sheep, and the other vegetables. There 

 arose some difficulty about the decision of the Committee, 

 and the mutton exhibitor was killed. Your Committee hope 

 that however much they may err in judgment, or however 

 much dissatisfaction may exist in consequence of their 

 decision, it will -not be attended with any such disastrous 

 results. They hope that no Committee will hereafter be 

 blamed until human wisdom shall be able to appoint one 

 better qualified to act than the Committee at Cain and 

 Abel's fair. 



Your Committee feel that in consequence of the law de- 

 barring them from giving premiums to animals which 

 have been entered for premiums at other fairs this year, 

 they have not been able to do justice to all concerned. 

 A pair of horses exhibited by Mr. Briggs of Springfield, 

 they think were not excelled by any present. Another 

 pair exhibited by Mr. Wilcox of Shelburne, and another 

 by Mr. Fogg of Deerfield, were worthy of particular no- 

 tice, and we think bore off their share of honor, if not of 

 cash, on the occasion. 



The first qualification in a pair of matched horses is, that 

 they should travel alike and drive evenly together. The 

 next must be size. No qualifications so far as color, 

 beauty or age are concerned, can make up for a defect 

 here. 



