52 



VIEW OF THE SHOW GEOUND. 



[1852, 



horses where exhibited, his cit>/ friends in amazement asked, 

 " who does he expect to visit him in that outlandish place." 

 The most romantic believer in the future splendid destiny of 

 Toronto, would have scarcely dai-ed to suppose, that in one 

 short generation, the forest wild would have become the 

 judiciously chosen spot for a Canadian Pro\incial Show, to which 

 many himdreds of exhibitors contributed specimens of their 

 industry or ai-t, and to allude to one department only — but one 

 which above all othere stamps, perhaps, the character of an 

 agricultm'al people, namely, farming stock, — of such individual 

 and collective excellence wore the animals exhibited, that the 

 President of the New York State Agricultural Association 

 publicly acknowledged their superiority to the specimens sho\vn 

 at the late fair of the Empire Stito. 



These are facts which speak volumes for the progress of 

 Toronto, and searcel}' less for the hand-in-hand development of 

 the magnificent provinca of which she is the capital, and from 

 which she has derived her present imposing position and stores 

 of sohd wealth. 



We must not forget, however, that Upper Canada owes much, 

 very much, to her admirable position for commercial intercouree, 

 her bountiful soil, and her salubrious climate — three glorious 



gifts which nature has showered lavishly upon her, and which 

 must always be present to our \iew when we would truly 

 estimate the industrial and social position of her inhabitants. 



One of the most valued lessons taught to the Bi-itish people by 

 the Great Exhibition of all Nations, was an acquaintance with 

 their own ignorance of numerous artifices and processes familiar 

 to the manufaotui'ei's and artizans of other competing nations. 



To compare small things with gTeat, but to oui'selvcs of 

 highest importance, what are the lessons which the late Exhibi- 

 tion at Toronto is to teach the people of Canada ? 



Striving among ourselves, we can only form an estimate of 

 indixidual excellence in a contracted sphere. To an-ive at a 

 useful appreciation of our merits and demerits, we must have a 

 more exalted standard of comparison, and turn to a world-wide 

 field where comisetition is a struggle between giants ; there alone 

 shall we be able to ascertain whether there has been brought to 

 bear upon our works of industry and art tbat general knowledge 

 and practical skill which distinguishes true progress from 

 energies improperly directed. 



We now proceed to give a general description of the show- 

 ground, and shall afterwards a.hert more in djtriil t'> the pai-t- 

 cular departments of the Exhibition. 



View ol the Show Ground. 



The ground enclosed for the purposes of the Show contained 

 an area of about seventeen acres, exclusive of the hoi-se jjaradc; 

 its form was that of an oblong, nearly equally divided into two 

 parts by a winding but shallow ravine, through a part of which 

 a running stream of water found its way. The southern half of 

 the ground was quite clear of trees, with the exception of one or 

 two noble elms, stately records of the forest which a few ye;iiK 



since covered the spot. The northern half of the enjlofure was 

 prettily wooded with second growth timber, which aftbrdcd an 

 admii'alle park for the display of numerous varieties of cattle 

 collected in groups under the' shade of the trees. A circular 

 open space near the nortliein boundary of the enclosure was 

 originally intended for the horse parade, it was found, however, 

 to be much too small for that purpose. The hoi-^^es were exlu- 



