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of pieces, may be a household treasure of memories, as preserving 

 fragments of dress that have precious family associations. And it 

 is granted, in regard to originaHty of design, that the many cannot 

 be expected to be creators of art. 



- Still, your committee are of opinion that something can be done 

 by the Society to freshen and improve the departments of Fancy 

 .Articles and Domestic Manufactures, namely, by offering more 

 discriminating awards and premiums. 



First, inasmuch as form and color are fundamental to aU excel- 

 lence in fancy work, and enter largely into the useful, high premiums 

 should be given to drawing and painting, and very high premiums 

 to transcripts made directly from Nature. 



Secondly, High awards to the best essays by ladies, on the sub- 

 ject of these two departments of the Fair, or any topic involved 

 thei'ein. 



Thirdly, High premiums to any work of original idea and design, 

 if good, — no premium being accorded to monotonous repetitions 

 and common copies. 



In the Fancy department this year, there was a case of butter- 

 flies, creditable to the collector's skill. The insects were not sci- 

 entifically arranged, nor labeled — at least not so as to be read. 

 There should be a Natm-al History Department of the Fair, with 

 high ]*emiums for the best, and best classified and labeled collection 

 of anything in Nature, with special prizes to whatever illustrates 

 economic science, for example : beneficial and injurious insects ; 

 different species of wood, rough and pohshed ; samples of soils, 

 peat, and fertilizers, with analyses ; mounted skins and skeletons of 

 remarkable individuals among domestic animals, or breeds, etc., etc. 



In the Fancy department, novelties might be introduced by hold- 

 ing out encouragement to those who should cultivate foreign arts 

 of design. As a nation we pay large sums, for instance, to 

 Switzerland, for wood-carvings in the shape of articles of use and 

 elegance, or children's toys, — made by peasants of that country in 

 hours of leisure. 



Respectfully submitted, 



H. W. Pakker, Chairman of Committee, 



