Hew York State Agricultural Fair, 1842. 
kind in season, and one’s palate must be hard 
to please that could not find ample satisfac¬ 
tion in what was there displayed. The 
vegetables were of great variety and excel¬ 
lence, and would do credit to any kitchen 
garden ; while the flowers, in all their bril¬ 
liancy of hues and tasteful variety of forms, 
constituted a tangible rainbow, that breathed 
their promises of succeeding and abundant 
seasons to the confiding husbandman. 
The articles of domestic manufacture were 
fewer than we hoped to see, for it is only 
where the efforts of the good man without, 
are sustained by the industry, skill, and good 
management of the wife within, that he can 
hope for that share of success he has a right 
to look for as the reward of his labors. The 
articles exhibited were, however, good of 
their kind, and show that American females 
have but to devote their attention to this 
subject, to achieve the highest performances. 
The plowing match was well sustained, 
and did great credit to the various competi¬ 
tors, most of whom were fully entitled to 
some substantial token of approbation from 
the society. Believing as we do, this is one 
of the most important parts of our annual 
exhibitions, we would unhesitatingly advise 
a silver cup be awarded to every meritorious 
effort. 
The 30th was devoted to the sale of 
animals, and we cannot hut feel a mortifica¬ 
tion that so many valuable animals were suf¬ 
fered to pass under the hammer, at prices 
that cannot but check the spirit of enterprise 
on the part of breeders. It is true the times 
afford some excuse for the low prices offered; 
but there are those who have the means , and 
who have not the stock, that can be purchased 
with so much advantage to themselves, and 
with such meagre compensation to the 
breeder. We consider an annual sale at the 
close of the fair a highly important feature 
to engraft upon the exhibition, where such 
animals as are desired can be seen and ex¬ 
amined at leisure, and their merits compared 
with numerous others of acknowledged ex¬ 
cellence ; and we trust the little success 
with wnich this plan has hitherto been at¬ 
tended, will not prevent our breeders from 
pursuing it, till it is fully and successfully 
established. 
A meeting of the Society was held at the 
Capitol on the evening of the 28th, when 
some excellent speeches were made, as we 
were informed, other matters having required 
our attendance elsewhere. Some resolutions 
were introduced by Mr. Johnson of Oneida, 
expressing a strong desire to make agricul - 
197 
ture a branch of our common school educa¬ 
tion, and incorporating it into a thorough 
course of literary acquirement. 
America is getting strength on the subject 
of agriculture, and if the spirit that has 
brought it into such conspicuous notice for 
the last ten years, goes on with the accele¬ 
rated force we have a right to expect from 
its advocates, we may look for nobler and 
more commanding developments on this 
great and leading interest, than has hitherto 
characterised the advancement of any 
science, art, or occupation, in ancient or 
modern times, in this country or any part of 
the world. A committee for the purpose of 
memorialising the legislature on this subject 
was appointed, consisting of the following- 
gentlemen : 
Rev. J. O. Choules, I. J. Brooks, Dr. J. P„ 
Beekman, Hon. Jno. Savage, B. P. Johnson, 
G. I. Pompelly, Harvey Baldwin, and Jas S. 
Wadsworth. 
The fair was terminated by an address 
from Gov. Seward, replete with just and 
patriotic views; and the society was ad¬ 
journed till January 1843, when the pre¬ 
miums on field crops, and essays, and to 
artists and breeders, will be awarded. 
Some of the arrangements for the exhibition 
gave considerable dissatisfaction, and if not 
obviated hereafter, may interpose serious 
obstacles to success. Among these, we 
particularly noticed the want of food and 
shelter for the animals, the last of which was 
in a great measure obviated from the genera! 
fineness of the weather. The position of 
many of the animals too, was peculiarly ob¬ 
jectionable, they being scattered over an 
extensive range of uneven ground, and in 
several places with a ditch intervening 
between the fore and hind feet, which in 
their change of posture, frequently gave 
them an appearance of going up stairs or 
down, while no opportunity of seeing them 
in front was afforded, unless by climbing 
over a fence, where the committee was 
brought cheek by jowl with the animal ; 
the only alternative being a retreat down a 
declivity of some feet, where, of course, any 
proper or adequate view of the animal was 
out of the question. The pedigrees and 
performances of many animals claimed to be 
pure bred, were not furnished in a manner 
satisfactory to committees. But as this is 
among the first attempts of a State fair, it 
seems uncharitable to censure where there is 
so much to commend, and we suspend our 
suggestions for the future executive com¬ 
mittees that may hereafter be appointed. 
