298 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



fully striking would seem these changing glories ! 

 We should be like little children in the country 

 for the first time, -watching some new development 

 of Nature, with an eagerness that makes older 

 hearts shudder at their stolidity. Openness of 

 mind and soul are essential qualities of heroes, 

 some one says ; and truly how many more heroic 

 deeds should we have for History and for Song if 

 we cherished through our lives the eager ques- 

 tionings of childhood, 'the earnest seeking after 

 Truth,' instead of nourishing ever those 'cark- 

 ing, greedy cares," that rob us of our peace, and 

 leave mind and soul to become dwarfed and shriv- 

 elled in the seeming waste of Nature's hourly 

 miracles. This world is beautiful enough for 

 none but the pure ; why cumber meaner souls the 

 ground ? 



Still have Nature's fairy workmen toiled on, in 

 the sunshine and the darkness, through rain and 

 drought ; fashioning the leaf, secreting the germ, 

 and elaborating the juices of each little plant or 

 stately tree ; and now, in these October days the 

 master painter touches with deeper tmts the for- 

 ests, and as the glory brightens, throws a veil of 

 misty beauty over all ; a veil of shimmering soft- 

 ness, soothing Nature almost to slumber. 



Season of fruition ! more than fulfilling the 

 promises of springtime. Even so when comes to 

 us the autumn of life, may it find us laborers still, 

 with pulses of early energy urging on, with warm 

 gushes of affectionate sympathy for every noble 

 thought and work, throbbing •nitlun us ; while 

 the passions and ambition of youth are refined 

 and uplifted by converse with the hidden things 

 of Grod clearly revealed unto spiritual eyes." 



Beautiful thoughts, and beautifully expressed. 

 How strange it is that' so few, of either sex, are 

 inspired with that love of Nature which prompt- 

 ed these expressions. After the graces of purity 

 and gentleness which adorn woman most, it seems 

 to us that nothing can add more to her loveliness 

 than the possession of such a taste for natural 

 scenery and the beautiful and iastructrve things 

 that lie all along our paths. 



Let us hope that the attention of children will 

 be turned more to the glowing manifestations of 

 heavenly wisdom, rather than to the trifling and 

 superficial things that are as evanescent as the 

 morning mist. 



Premiums. — The Illinois Farmer, in an article 

 on the proper management of Agricultural Fairs, 

 makes the following statement : 



We have a premium list before us in which $31 

 is offered on agricultural implements, twenty-four 

 first premiums of 50 cents each, on farm products, 

 $8.50 on fruits,, $13 on flowers, $3 on dairy pro- 

 ducts, while horses come in for $193. 



If we only knew it, our retreats are often our 

 best and wisest advances. 



VERMONT STATE FAIR. 

 The 13th Annual Fair of the Vermont State Ag- 

 ricultural Society, began at Rutland, on Tuesday, 

 Sept. 8th, and was continued through the three 

 succeeding days. We were absent in another di- 

 rection, and are, therefore, obliged to make up 

 our notice from the ample reports of the JoumdL 

 The first day was devoted to preparation, receiv- 

 ing the entries, arranging machinery, dairy and 

 domestic products, fruits and vegetables. Some 

 distinguished visitors were present. 



The weather on the second day was all that 

 could be desii-ed. The entries were not fai" from 

 1200 ; there were about 250 sheep on exMbition, 

 and not far from 75 horses. The other entries 

 were divided between cattle, poultry, swine, and 

 other articles. There were some splendid horses 

 on exhibition. In the single depai-tment of "geld- 

 ings, mai-es and roadsters," there were 40 entries, 

 a number almost without precedent in the annals 

 of the State fair. The number of people present 

 was very lai"ge. The public houses were full to 

 overflowing, and the fair grounds thronged. 

 But the great event -of the second day was 



The "Wool Growers' Convention. 



Hon. Henry S. Randall, of Courtland, N. 

 Y., delivered an address on the "Sheep of Ver- 

 mo7it," and gave a highly interesting narrative of 

 the pi-ogres8 and culture of the Spanish Merino 

 sheep in America from the original seven impor- 

 tations, — the first one occurring in 1793. 



The first stock of Spanish Merinos in America 

 contained one remarkable animal, which at one 

 shearing yielded the extraordir/ary quantity, as it 

 was then thought, of 8^ lbs. of wool. A com- 

 mon fleece was from five to six pounds weight. 

 The present year there is a buck on exhibition 

 here, whose fleece this season weighed not less 

 than 24 lbs. 



Mr. R. predicted that one day, not far hence, 

 the wool-growers of Europe will send to Amei'ica 

 for animals wherewith to improrer their stock. 

 He urged the importance of care in breeding, and 

 discouraged the spirit which would impel a man 

 to decry his neighbor's animals because the latter 

 nught happen to obtain a greater price therefor 

 than the former. Each should rejoice in the pros- 

 perity of the othei', thereby insurinw more com- 

 plete siu:ces8 for the whole fraternity of sheep- 

 breeders. Mr. R. stated that he had himself been 

 an enthusiast in wool-growing, and a practical 

 worker in that field of entei*prise for more than 

 30 years, and related many valuable and whole- 

 some truths as the result of his experience in that 

 matter. He also iiiterepersed his address with 

 occasional sallies of wit, and embellished the sub- 

 ject with frequent anecdotes, thus imparting addi- 

 tional zest to a discourse that was keenly appre- 

 ciated by the audience. 



At the conclusion of the address, and after a 

 brief season of conversation among members of 

 the Convention, there were calls for Col. Daniel 

 Needham, of Hartford, who was the delegate 

 from Verment at the International Exhibition of 

 Hamburg. 



Col. N. took the stand, and was received with 

 applause. He thanked his auditors for the flat- 

 tering reception tendered him, and entered upon 



