THE AGRICULTURAL HALL. 



[1852. 



The Agricultural Hall. 



Each side of tliis building was divided into seven compart- 

 ments, four of "whicli were entirely filled with competitore' sam- 

 ples for the great prize of the day. The very large quantity of 

 wheat entered for the Canada Company's prize— consisting of 

 not less than twenty-three samples of five-and-twenty bushels 

 each — occasioned much crowding in the grain department. It 

 was however very pleasing to witness the large accumulations of 

 sacks containing the staple production of Canada, a quantity 

 which might well have occupied one-half more space than could 

 be allotted to it in the Agiicultural Hall. In the compartments 

 next to those in which the wheat for the Canada Company's prize 

 was .stowed, the two bushel samples of fall wheat were arranged 

 in order, then carae specimens of spiing 'wheat, oats, barley and 

 rye. Marrowfat and common field peas occupied the last com- 

 partment on the west side of the Hall. On the east side numer- 

 ous specimens of various kinds of potatoe, some of a size we 

 have seldom seen surpassed, filled the first and second compart- 

 ments. After these were placed bales of hops, flax in the raw 

 and manufactured state, &c. The next two spaces were filled 

 with very neat specimens of flour in barrels, all exhibiting exte- 

 riorl}', much neatness and care in workmanship and some aiming 

 at a style of decoration which though showing a praiseworthy 

 endeavour to attract public attention, yet seemed scarcely in keep- 

 ing with the homely nature of their contents. Wc do not think 

 that tlic very useful yet common-place article, flour, requires to 

 be placed in a varnished bari'el, even in an Agricultural Hall. 

 We think that the objection which .so many urge against ijildcd 

 ploughs obtains with equal force in the case of varnished flour- 

 barrels. The succeeding I'omymrtment.s were filled willi tiiniips, 



khol-rabi, mangel-wurtzel, Indian corn, cattle carrots, field beets, 

 and bi'oom corn. Between the compartments on the east side, 

 large cattle squashes placed on dividing shelves, occupied a prom- 

 inent position. 



The centre of the Hall was occupied by a large table, abiiut 

 "fifty feet in length by six broad. In the middle of the table a 

 raised platform eighteen inches in breadth ser\'ed to exhibit va- 

 rious articles to which we shall afterwards allude. The supports 

 of the roof of the buiMing were very tastefully decorated with the 

 e\er-gi-een hemlock, which gave to the general appearance of the 

 whole, a rustic and even graceful finish. 



Reposing upon the table, the first object which attracted the 

 attention of the visitor, was an enormous cheese, weighing 658 lbs, 

 from the dairy of Mr. Ranney of Dereham, County of Oxford. 

 Other cheeses of smaller dimensions were exhibited by the same 

 gentleman. We were told that they were a portion of the pro- 

 duce of 12G cows, which constitute Mr. Ranney's dairy. The 

 monster cheese was backed l.iy two bee-hives, one merely a model, 

 the other filled with a rich store of honey and comb. Several 

 other hives of less pretending dimensions, but enlivened by hosts 

 of living occupants, were arrayed on one side of the larger hives. 

 AVe were glad to see these little industrious commimities so well 

 represented ; no Canadian farmer should consider his farm pix>- 

 perly stocked until lie has secured a good hive of bees. Speci- 

 mens of foreign oats, Canadian tobacco, and several varieties of 

 British wheat succeeded the bees, aud were themselves preceeded 

 by minierous bags containing turnip .seed, while beans, clover seed, 

 flax so >d,tiinnniy seed au^l licnip »^od followed, up to (he top of the 



