14 BREEDING AND REARING OF 



state, we were more impressed with the importance 

 of changing our mode of farming in our own state, 

 especially in Middle Tennessee. So after consulting 

 quite a number of the most enterprising farmers, we 

 agreed that the best plan to bring about a change in 

 our mode of farming would be to get up an agri- 

 cultural fair in our own county (Rutherford). The 

 day was appointed to have a mass meeting and or- 

 ganize for the purpose of establishing a permanent 

 county fair. 



The citizens of my old county did me the honor of 

 electing me president by acclamation. All the other 

 officers were elected. The secretary, Capt. Darragh, 

 who was originally from Kentucky, and I were ap- 

 pointed by the Board of Directors to visit the north- 

 ern part of Tennessee and Kentucky and select the 

 most approved, modern models for an amphitheater 

 and pagoda. In our travels we procured a gentleman 

 who had built five or six amphitheaters in his own state 

 (Kentucky), who came over and built ours, which is 

 now standing on the Murfreesboro and Shelbyville 

 turnpike about one and one-half miles from the public 

 square of Murfreesboro, and one hundred and fifty 

 yards from the station on the Nashville and Chatta- 

 nooga Railroad. We have had a number of successful 

 fairs at this place, and believe it has been the means 

 of encouraging the farmers of our county and the 

 adjoining ones to improve their stock of different 

 kinds, as well as improving their lands. Thus the 

 great object of our fairs is to improve our domestic 

 animals, as well as the products of the field and 

 garden; also the handiwork of the ladies in the fine 

 arts and their culinary department, as well as the 



