THE ANNUAL SHOW AND FAIR OF THE NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR 1843 . 199 
houses for the lower orders, and enters both into 
the construction and furniture of those of the high¬ 
er class. Bridges, boats, masts, rigging, agricul¬ 
tural and other implements, and machinery ; carts, 
baskets, ropes, nets, sail-cloth, cups, pitchers, 
troughs, pipes for conveying water, pumps, fences 
for gardens and fields, &c., are made of it. Macer¬ 
ated in water, it forms paper; the leaves are gen¬ 
erally put round the tea sent to Europe ; the thick 
inspissated juice is a favorite medicine. 
THE ANNUAL SHOW AND FAIR OF THE NEW 
YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 
FOR 1S43. 
As we have long been familiar with most of the 
stock, agricultural implements, &c., &c., of New 
York, and as we had pressing engagements in an¬ 
other quarter, we did not attend the recent show 
at Rochester. Our late editorial associate, Mr. 
R. L. Allen, was present^ and has given us in the 
brief report below, all that was essential at this 
third great annual Show and Fair of the State So¬ 
ciety. It will be seen that there is a greatly in¬ 
creased attention to the subject of agriculture, and 
that even the highest dignitaries of the land, 
though formerly shy enough of such things, esteem 
it a privilege to attend the farmer’s festivals now, 
and give an account of their agricultural operations. 
We have not space for the speeches delivered on 
this occasion; and we think in a national agricul¬ 
tural periodical like ours, they would be rather 
out of place. Nor is there any particular necessi¬ 
ty that we should publish them ; for by the enter¬ 
prise of the Rochester Democrat, and New York 
Tribune, they have already been fully reported 
and spread over the land, and would in consequence 
of this be stale news to most of our readers. 
The annual Show and Fair of the State Society 
was held at Rochester on the 20th and 21st Sep¬ 
tember, about a mile north of the city, in an en¬ 
closed field of some fifteen acres. At 8 A. M. the 
throng of citizens and strangers began to pour into 
the large area, and by 10 o’clock, with the articles 
and stock entered for exhibition, they had nearly 
filled every part of the show ground. So far from 
any falling off in the interests hitherto manifested 
in the great cause of American agriculture, the 
vast multitude, congregated from every part of our 
state, and from abroad, showed rather an increased 
attention to the subject. There were many de¬ 
ficiencies in the arrangements for the convenience 
of the spectators, and more in the display of ani¬ 
mals, implements, fee.; but as a whole it fully 
equalled, if it did not surpass, those of preceding- 
years. 
The show of Short-Horns was much less than 
at Albany last year, as was that of implements. 
vegetables, fruits, and manufactured articles; but 
many of those shown possessed great merits and 
excellence, while the exhibition of grade and na¬ 
tive cattle, and especially oxen and horses, was 
decidedly superior, and the beautiful Downs and 
pure-bred Merinos, in considerable numbers, had 
no competitors in the last year’s exhibition. No 
Herefords or Ayrshires were on the ground. The 
show of horses, both in number and excellence, it 
is believed, has never before been equalled in the 
United States. Several thorough-breds, from our 
best stocks, of great substance and merit, and 
every way fitted to improve our roadsters and 
farm-horses; two imported Cleveland bays and 
their colts, possessing decided excellence ; a beau¬ 
tiful horse, one of the choicest specimens of the 
far, and justly-famed Morgan breed; two good 
representatives of the Canadian horse, and two 
heavy-framed, big-legged, clod-hoppers; with a 
great number of choice mares and colts, confirmed 
the opinion long entertained, that we need no 
further importations to make our horses equal to 
anything required by a just taste, and a strict re¬ 
gard to our own interests. None of our best trot¬ 
ters, of which our state can justly boast the pos¬ 
session of many, were exhibited. No asses or 
mules were on the ground, neither of which are 
used to any extent in middle or western New 
York. 
Excepting a pair of beautiful China geese, no 
representatives appeared from the various feather¬ 
ed tenants of the farmer’s yard. This was a seri¬ 
ous deficiency, when we consider the ornament, 
variety, and decided utility they are to the country 
mansion ; possessing as they do far more of each 
than either one of the varieties of garden vege¬ 
tables, fruits, or flowers, which are made the 
special objects of premiums by the executive com¬ 
mittee. This is an oversight, a minor one though 
it be, which, it is hoped, may not be again over¬ 
looked. 
At 7 P. M. of the 20th, four long tables, run¬ 
ning the entire length of the car-house, were 
spread for the accommodation of a thousand guests, 
where, though viands were scarce, and the only 
beverage was cold water, much gratification was 
anticipated from “ the feast of reason, and flow of 
soul.” But nothing could be more unfortunate for 
the realization of the anticipated enjoyment, than 
the arrangements which had been made. The 
large concourse had punctually assembled at the 
door, but were detained in a dense and suffocating 
crowd outside for half an hour; when their impa¬ 
tience had reached its height, and when one small 
door was opened, the rush for entrance was suffo¬ 
cating and unendurable to the last degree ; and an 
indiscriminating admittance at last became neces¬ 
sary, with or without tickets. The table was 
spread out, with occasional viands and their ao 
companiments, like angels’ visits, few and far be¬ 
tween ; and as for water, with the Genesee pour¬ 
ing along its whole tide within a rod of us, it was 
almost as impossible to procure a glass as if we 
had been in the desert of Zahara. But this was a 
small privation in comparison with the disappoint¬ 
ment experienced by most of the audience in not 
