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fruit, such vegetables, sucli cattle and poultry, such handiwork 

 from the women and children, and even such works of art 

 from our young people, would have surprised our fathers and 

 mothers, even at the regular county fairs, twenty -five years ago. 

 When nearly every farmer in the county vies with a Gregory 

 and Low, to produce the best and newest potatoes, squashes, 

 tomatoes, &c., — when tl)e farmers' wives and daughters, not 

 content with the old familiar flowers of their ancestors, order 

 seeds and plants from the most celebrated florists of this 

 country and Europe — and then you see progress; and whoever 

 says the farmer of the present day is not enterprising, not up 

 to the times with the trader and manufacturer, is not posted, 

 or has been misinformed. These " Farmers' Festivals," where 

 they exist, have become a fixed fact, and are looked forward 

 to by old and young as a sort of holiday, where a general 

 reunion and good dinner are not the least among the attrac- 

 tions. Here, too, the Governors and " big men" have an 

 opportunity to display their eloquence and wit. Also the 

 politician and office seeker, with no other end in view, but to 

 instruct and amuse the people. My own idea would be for a 

 somewhat more quiet time, with perhaps an after dinner 

 address by a practical man, on some subject connected with 

 agriculture. I would say further that there is and should be 

 the best of good feeling between these and the " Parent 

 Society," which is the originator and exampler of these, and 

 they the auxiliary and helper of that. One other suggestion 

 would be that in all the cities and larger towns of the county, 

 these societies, or others that might be formad, should hold 

 exhibitions fortnightly, or weekly if they chose, during the 

 whole summer season ; not on a large scale, by any means, but 

 in a quiet way; two or three earnest, persevering individuals 

 might hire a room, and with a small entrance fee of ten or 

 fifteen cents, easily pay all expenses. It would soon become 

 a nucleus for people of culture and taste, while the social 

 greeting and pleasant acquaintance of friends and neighbors. 



