1863. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



299 



a description of his journey to Europe and what 

 he saw and did there. It required a considerable 

 stock of presumption and confidence to sally out 

 from a Green Mountain home to compete with 

 sheep from the pastures of Vermont against those 

 of the imperial flocks in France and the German 

 States ; and their forebodings were not rendered 

 less unpleasant, when, on the outward passage, 

 they were informed by intelligent German comtois- 

 setvs that for the Americans to enter into such a 

 competition would be simply for them to roll in 

 the mud, as a premium for their 12 little sheep 

 would be entirely out of the question. However, 

 they hoped. And their most enthusiastic and san- 

 guine hojje was that the American sheep might 

 peradventure receive one firet premium. 



The arrival, and subsequent proceedings of Mr. 

 N. and his companion, Mr. Campbell, the owner 

 of the American sheep, were narrated very inter- 

 estingly. The committee of award consisted of 

 18 gentlemen, most of them noblemen, and all 

 educated atid thoroughly competent judges. De- 

 spite the attempt of the German press to forestall 

 public sentiment against the American sheep, the 

 sub-committee of this body agreed "upon bestow- 

 ing two first premiums and one second premium 

 upon them, and this award was subsequently rat- 

 ified by the unanimous action of the general com- 

 mittee. 



^Ir. X. related that the time appointed for the 

 examination of sheep by tlie committee was 6 A. 

 M., and that on going to the reiidezvous of the 

 committee at iwo minutes past that hour he found 

 that every man belonging to the body had already 

 rejjorted himself, and that the several sub-com- 

 mittees had gone about their respective duties. 



The 12 American sheep owned by Mr. Camp- 

 bell competed against 1761 foreign sheep, 60 of 

 which wei-e contributed by the Emperor of the 

 French, and were shown in a separate ai!d costly 

 enclosure, apart from the other sheep on exhibi- 

 tion. The circumstances attending the coming 

 to the German public of the knowledge that the 

 American sheep were thus highly honored, were 

 next graphically rehearsed. 



So great was the outburst of popular disap- 

 pointment and discomfiture at the committee's 

 award, that remarks b^gan to be freely made in 

 the papers and in conversation that there was 

 bribery in the case ; that the committee (all of 

 their own men) had been unduly influenced. 

 AVhereupon Col. N. himself proposed to Gov. 

 Wright, of Indiana, the American delegate, that 

 there should be a new trial of the question ; that 

 a grand sweepstakes purse of $100 should be 

 made, each sheep-owner entering to pay SlO, and 

 the sheep being sheured on the spot the one yielding 

 the heaviest fleece to be declared the most meri- 

 torious, by a new committee of Gennaiia, The 

 result of this proposal was that but one person 

 entered for the trial, and that was Mr. C, the 

 owner of the American sheep. This conclusively 

 settled the business ; and at the close of the ex- 

 hibition Count Siier Tho<!s purchased the twelve 

 American sheep for $5000. 



Mr. N. remarked upon the success of the Ham- 

 burg Exhibition, and said that every article of 

 American skill and industry exhibited found ready 

 purchasers, while very many of the English and 

 other wares remained unsold. The address of 

 Col. Needham occupied about an hour, and was 



in all respects a most pleasing and edifying nar- 

 rative. He was frequently interrupted with pro- 

 longed applause. 



Third Day. 

 The interest of the Fair was materially increased 

 on the third day. The number of sheep had in- 

 creased to about 700, the horses to about 400. 

 The sheep were of the American Spanijsh Merino 

 sort, and the "long and middle-wooled" variety, 

 as they are called, or, by some, "mutton." Mr. 

 E. S. Stowell, of Cornwall, has a buck on the 

 grounds for which he yesterday refused an ofler 

 of SHOO! Mr. John- Gui-gouy, of Northfield, 

 and Mr. Joux H. Si'Uaglk, of Waltbam, have 

 bucks which money could hardly purchase. It is 

 related about the fair grounds ' that there is one 

 farmer in Addison county who has recently dis- 

 posed of three bucks at $iOOO each ; while anoth- 

 er individual in the same famous sheep-growing 

 district is reported to have refused an ofi"er of 

 $50,000 for his stock of 200 Merinos ! 



The array of horses was not only large, but very 

 fine — in fact, surpassingly so. There are on ex- 

 hibition Sherman Morgans, Woodbury Morgans, 

 Messengers, Henrys, Hambletonians, "Colum- 

 buses," and probably other blooded horses ; and 

 these several characteristics appear in staUions, 

 matched horses, geldings, mares and saddle-horses 

 to an almost unlimited extent, and in some in- 

 stances with remarkable effect and beauty. The 

 horses of Vermont, are the horses of America. 



The fair grounds this day were densely crowd- 

 ed, and the interest of the occasion was at its 

 height. The programme included a prolongation 



j of the testing of horses (the committees not hav- 

 ing been able to conclude their labors yesterday ;) 



j trial of working oxen, of which there were about 



; half-a-dozen yokes, all, however, cattle of great 



j merit. 



I In the departments of nemt stock, the dairy, do- 

 mestic manitf ad tires, macliincnj and agricultural 

 implements, the Fair did not excel, the great lead- 

 ing interests of sheep and horses absorbing every- 

 thing else. 



Fourth Day. 



This was the closing up day. Visitors took a 

 more quiet look at the various articles of skill and 

 industry, the products of a thrifty and intellegent 

 people, — that now covered every portion of the 

 grounds. There was some trotting and trading, 

 and Mr. Roper's steam carriage went around the 

 half-mile trotting course twice, making the route 

 in exactly three minutes and a quarter. 



Peach Pickles. — One of the most agreeable 

 pickles ever tasted is made from clingstone peach- 

 es. Take one gallon of good vinegar and add to 

 it four pounds of Inown sugar ; boil this for a few 

 minutes, and skim off any scum that may rise ; 

 then take clingstone peaches that are fully ripe ; 

 rub them with a flannel cloth to remove the down 

 upon them, and stick three or four cloves or some 

 blades of mace in each ; put them into a glass or 

 earthen jar, and pour the liquid upon them boiling 

 hot. Cover them up and let them stand in a cool 

 place for a week. 



Potato Crust. — Parboil and mash twelve po- 

 tatoes; add one teaspoonful of salt, two table- 

 spoonfuls of butter and half a cup of milk or 

 cream. Stiffen with flour until vou roll out. 



