754 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



Planter, was believed to be by some of our sub- 

 scribers, only an increase of its advertising bu- 

 siness — the size being doubled by that means. — 

 We hope every one laboring under such misap- 

 prehension, will now understand the matter. 



The Fairs. 



The U. S. Agricultural Society held its an- 

 nual show in Richmond, in connection with 

 the Virginia Central Society, October 25th, 

 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th, and the Vir- 

 ginia State Agricultural Society united with 

 the Union Society in an exhibition at Peters- 

 burg, November 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. 

 Many of our Virginia readers, we take it for 

 granted, witnessed these exhibitions. If they 

 like, as well as we do, to look at fine stock, 

 and to scrutinize their " points," we are very 

 sure all had a look for themselves who could 

 get away from the cares of home. 



The show of Short-horns by Mr. Ludington, 

 of Greenbrier, was the best we ever saw. 

 Among them was a white heifer, a perfect 

 beauty, which was said by some experienced 

 breeders to be the most perfect animal of her 

 Class (fat Cattle) they had ever looked at. 

 Mr. Betts had some imported Short-horns at 

 the Petersburg Fair, which were fine, but were 

 not in our opinion equal to Mr. L.'s Kentucky 

 heifers, which goes to prove that all England 

 can't beat Kentucky "Blue-grass." Indeed, 

 without professing to be much of a judge in 

 these matters, we can't help believing that we 

 have now in the hands of the breeders of the 

 United States as fine stock of most kinds, as 

 any that can be imported from England or 

 elsewhere. The Devons were well represented 

 in the herds of Messrs. Strandburg, McIIenry, 

 Bowie & Davis. 



Mr. Aston, of Ohio, had some Herefords 

 which were very fine — these being the first 

 we believe ever exhibited in Virginia. 



The show of horses was good enough. Fine 

 specimens of every class being on the grounds. 



We have seen larger collections of stock 

 and machinery on the Richmond Grounds, 

 than was present at the Fair of the U. S. Ag'l 

 Society ; 'but the quality of the articles ex- 

 hibited was " hard to beat." 



The number of sheep and hogs and cattle 

 was greater at the Petersburg show than in 

 Richmond r SBd in (this respect was (we think) 



the best exhibition ever made by the State 

 Society. 



As to the speeches made, we can say noth- 

 ing of them, as we could not get on the 

 grounds time enough to hear any of them. 



We had the pleasure of making the acquain- 

 tance of some of our Editorial brethren from 

 different States who were visitors to our city, 

 and regret having missed seeing several others. 

 We hope, however, this pleasure is wt reversion 

 for us. 



We give insertion to the Premium List of 

 the Virginia State Society in our present No. 

 The Premiums awarded to particular animals 

 will call the attention of our readers to them, 

 and to the exhibitors' names also. 



We have not space for an extended notice 

 of the Fairs, but are glad to say that we have 

 assurance of success from all the exhibitions 

 held in the State this year. We are glad to 

 see it, and from the bottom of our heart we 

 say, let 



" Old Virginia never tire. 1 ' 



We have been promised engravings of some 

 of the sheep exhibited, which, when we get 

 them in possession, will be inserted in the 

 Planter. 



To Subscribers in Arrears. 



To every subscriber who shall send us before 

 the first day of February next, the amount now 

 due us, together with his subscription, we will 

 send along with the receipt a sufficient number 

 of P. 0. stamps to pay for the postage on the 

 volume for 1859. 



We hope they will all avail themselves of 

 this offer, as there are so many of them who 

 are in arrears, that we shall be greatly bene- 

 fitted by their compliance. 



We have the pleasure of adding to our ex- 

 change list " The Wisconsin Farmer and North- 

 western Cultivator," the acquaintance of whose 

 Editors we had the happiness to make at the 

 late Fairs here and in Petersburg. 



We hope they may long live to indulge 

 pleasant memories of their brief sojourn in 

 the " Old Dominion," and to reap the well- 

 earned reward of their Editorial labours, 

 which are so favourably represented by their 

 neat and richly stored pages. 



