1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



491 



For the New England Farmer, 



THE HORSB AT OUR AQKICCTLTUKAIj 

 FAIRS. 



The horse has always occupied a prominent 

 place at our agricultural fairs ; but within a 

 few years he has taken a long stride forward 

 and left ail other domestic animals in the back- 

 ground, and now receives the major share of 

 the premiums and of the time of both man- 

 agers and attendants of the annual gatherings. 

 Even man himself, with all his attainments, is 

 cast into the shade by a good horse. 



There can be no doubt that this increased 

 interest in the equine race will result in its im- 

 provement, both in our estimation and treat- 

 ment of it. The most casual observer can 

 see that there is-^a great change of public sen- 

 timent in his favor — that his services are yearly 

 better and better appreciated. Owners of 

 horses take more pride than formerly in hav- 

 ing an animal that bears unmistakable marks 

 of kind usage. 



This is one of the beneficial tendencies of 

 societies and fairs, and is as it should be. But 

 to secure the desired result, is it necessary 

 that the horse should monopolize the time and 

 premiums of our societies ? It is not a little 

 interesting to see how societies professedly 

 devoted to the general cause of agriculture are 

 making a specialty of the horse : for example, 

 last year the premiums offered for the horse 

 by the New England Society amounted to 

 $4,500, while those for neat cattle in all their 

 grades and classes was $2,190 ; less than $800 

 •was offered for sheep and abount $260 for 

 swine. 



According to this schedule of premiums one 

 unacquainted with farming in New England 

 might reasonably suppose, that the value of 

 horses exceeded that of all other stock. But 

 the capital invested in cattle in these six States 

 is 30 to 40 per cent greater than in horses, 

 and yet this society is willing to-expend two 

 dollars upon horses to one upon cattle. The 

 expense, risk and care of taking cattle to a 

 fair is as great as with horses, yet the highest 

 prize for a herd was less than the lowest 

 prize in the trotting matches. The valuation 

 of sheep In New England is nine and a half 

 millions, or about one half of that of horses, 

 yet this society considered a single trot worth 

 more, or at any rate offered to pay more for 

 it than for the benefit of sheep-owners. All 

 the premiums offered for swine would be an 

 insignificant purse for horsemen. Now, I 

 think a prize bull and herd of cows are of far 

 greater value to a community than a fast colt 

 t'jat can win a prize by his speed ; and who 

 will say that the improvement of the sheep 

 and swine of New England is not of greater 

 importance than the best race this society ever 

 has or can get up ? 



Again, the highest prize for best mower, 

 horse- rake, tedder, or any of these great labor- 

 saving implements, was five dollars ; and 



throughout the fruit, floral, vegetable and 

 grain departments, and in that of domestic 

 manufactures, merely nominal sums were of- 

 fered. These, perhaps, are the same as other 

 societies give. But I think a society that is 

 willing to pay one thousand dollars for a horse 

 trot, ought to give greater encouragement to 

 exhibitors in all these important departments. 

 One thousand dollars for a horse trot, five 

 dollars for the best mower and thirty dollars 

 for essays upon subjects of vital importance to 

 farmers ! Is this a fair, a just recognition of 

 merit, talent or mechanical genius ? The 

 mower is the greatest blessing that mechanical 

 ingenuity has lately given to farmers, and the 

 price of all the trotting horses in a State would 

 be no inducement to give them up. Five 

 dollars to a trotting stallion and one thousand 

 to the inventor of a mower or any other great 

 labor-saving implement, would be a more just 

 appreciation of what does really promote the 

 welfare of the masses of farmers. Should 

 money be the only inducement for writing an 

 essay, the man so contemplating had better 

 throw aside his pen, buy a fast horse and go 

 in for the races. When the ladies see the 

 trifling premiums offered for the works of their 

 hands — the sum total being less than a horse 

 jockey gets at a single race, — is it strange that 

 they do not contribute more freely to these 

 fairs ? 



Our agricultural literature abounds with dis- 

 cussions upon "Intellect in Farming," "The 

 Superiority of Mind to mere Physical Power," 

 but is it not working antagonistic to these 

 well established truths when a higher premium 

 is paid for physical than mental labor, — when 

 a fast horse is valued higher than man himself. 

 So long as horsemen receive the lion''s share of 

 the attention and premiums of our fairs, it is 

 not strange that they assume consequential 

 airs, and are inclined to snub cattle breeders 

 and raisers of sheep and swine. 



It is well known that the bulk of the money 

 given to horsemen goes for racing, or, to speak 

 more guardedly, trotting or trials of speed. 

 The propriety of bestowing a society's income 

 in this manner may well be questioned. 



Passing by the effect as an amusement upon 

 morals and the intellect, what are its conse- 

 quences or benefits upon our horses? The 

 aim of breeders of horses in this class is to 

 obtain speed, for it is the fastest animal that 

 wins the large premiums. Speed is cultivated 

 to the exclusion of other qualities. In the 

 days when a well mounted courier was the 

 swiftest messenger, and hunting with horses 

 was a favorite employment, there was a de- 

 mand or necessity for breeding expressly for 

 speed. But since the steam car and telegraph 

 came into use, the real necessity for this de- 

 scription of horses has ceased ; the mass of 

 farmers do not want them ; the community, as 

 a whole, have no use for them. 



The excitement caused by exhibiting at our 



