14S 
Suggestions for Agricultural Fairs—Summer Drinks and Food. 
out before the public, and then the explana¬ 
tions for their decisions be set forth at large. 
We are free to assert, that there can never 
be any general fixed scientific improvements 
made till such a course is adopted ; and if 
a member of any committee has not suffi¬ 
cient confidence in his knowledge and judg¬ 
ment, and the moral courage to proclaim 
the same publicly and his reasons therefor, 
he is undeserving a place on that committee. 
What a school would this be to the rising, 
and aye to much of the risen generation. 
A person might learn more by attending one 
such day’s exhibition and explanation, than 
from studying books, and plates, and animals, 
unaided by the opinions of others, for a 
month. 
As awards are now managed, they become 
as variable as the wind. What was declared to 
be best yesterday, is denied to-day, and both 
subverted to-morrow; while, perhaps, on a 
fourth exhibition, the first may again come 
uppermost; and all this without the slightest 
enlightenment and explanation to the public. 
All, therefore, but the few who stand aloof 
with superior knowledge are at a loss, and 
left to grope in the dark, without chart or 
compass to steer by. 
Sum bier Drinks. —A short chapter on Eating 
and Drinking in hot weather. —We can well 
recollect the time, as the haying and harvest¬ 
ing season approached, it was deemed neces¬ 
sary, in every well-supplied farmhouse, to 
send “ to town,” or the village store, and lay 
in a demijohn or keg of old Jamaica, Santa 
Cruz, New England, cider brandy, or rye 
whisky, to help through these severer labours 
of the farm. Alcohol, in some shape, was 
deemed indispensable by the greater part of 
the farmers. Occasionally a man was found 
far in advance of the age, who avoided it al¬ 
together, regarding it with no more favor 
than the most inveterate reformer of the pre¬ 
sent day. One of these we well remember, 
whose ready wit, and fund of anecdote, and 
always social and humorous spirit, afforded 
amusement and instruction to many a child¬ 
hood hour, who lived till he was 96; and 
another, our always active and indefatigable 
parson, still in vigorous health and the per¬ 
formance of his clerical duties, is close verg¬ 
ing upon 90. These were strictly temperance 
men, never touching ardent spirits on any 
pretence. But there is no necessity for us to 
urge the injurious effects of resorting to al¬ 
cohol. The spirit of reform has preceded us, 
and every intelligent man would as soon think 
of supplying himself or workmen with foot 
stoves or pea-jackets for haying, as any liquid 
of which alcohol formed a part; yet a suitable 
provision must be made for the excessive 
labors that are required during the hottest 
portion of the year. 
As a preliminary to what is required for 
drinks, we would suggest some remarks as to 
what is required for food; as by properly 
adapting this to the season, we may very 
much lessen the quantity of drink required, 
even during the greatest exposure to heat and 
labor. And the first thing we would suggest, 
is to lessen the quantity of meat generally 
used during hot weather. The appetite does 
not crave or relish much meat in summer, 
and it is a great provocative of thirst; and 
whatever is used should be plainly cooked, 
not too highly salted or spiced. A larger 
share of light food should be substituted for 
meat, than is generally used in summer; and, 
for this purpose, a well-stocked vegetable 
garden will afford a great variety of whole¬ 
some, palatable, and nutritious dishes, when 
skilfully prepared. There are numberless 
forms, also, in which milk, and fruit, and 
berries may be used, in the various combina¬ 
tions a skilful housewife so well knows how 
to prepare, which are far more tempting to 
the weary man than the solid and constantly 
repeated dishes of meat, meat, meat. The 
excessive use of hearty and solid food was 
not common among many of the hardiest na¬ 
tions of antiquity—as the Greek and Roman ; 
nor even among our English ancestors of the 
middle and later centuries. Tusser, who 
wrote nearly 300 years ago, in alluding to 
the ordinary food of farmers, says, “ No spoon 
meat, no bellyful laborers think j” and it was 
not till the cold vreather of the approaching 
Christmas they could indulge with impunity 
in the medley of the gourmand. 
Good bread and good drink, a good fire in the hall, 
Brown pudding and souse, and good mustard withal, 
Beef, mutton, and pork, shred pies of the best, 
Pig, veal, goose , and capon, and turkey well drest. 
It is a mistaken notion that there is not strength 
enough in any other food to work by. We 
once knew a man win a wager in a three days’ 
job at mowing, and his only food was Indian 
pudding and milk; though of this he had a 
full supply, and took it as often as he chose. 
The example of Franklin is familiar, who, 
living on his plain biscuit or bread and a 
handful of raisins, and drinking only water, 
could yet do more presswork than the strong¬ 
est of his beef-eating, beer-drinking com¬ 
panions. An Indian will take his pouch of 
parched corn, and, with this and water only, 
he will perform a journey that would tire out 
