AMKRTCAK ACxRTCJ^T.TIJRIST. 
[September, 
374 
ends and face sides are laid in front. But, when 
stoning a well, the large ends are placed in the 
opposite direction, so that every course of stone 
on the face or inside, will form an arch. The 
back side is leveled up with small stone, and 
much care should he exercised to place many 
Fig. 3.—STONE AND BKICK WALLS TO WELLS. 
small ones against the earth, instead of packing 
in large ones, to keep the dirt from washing 
down to the bottom of the well. If gravel can 
be obtained conveniently, it is a good practice 
to fill all the interstices between the stones with 
it. Place a wide board across the wall to stand 
on, when laying the brick or stone. Marks on 
each edge of it, will serve as guides for carrying 
up the face of the wall true. Brick and stone 
may be lowered by the horse and bucket, in the 
same way as hauling up the dirt. There is no 
quicker way to draw the water from a well, 
when cleaning it out, than to make a valve over 
a large hole in the bottom of a barrel, and draw 
up a barrelful at once with a horse. If there is 
room for a barrel to dip, a valve is not neces¬ 
sary. The stone or brick should be laid in ce¬ 
ment, for at least three feet down from the sur¬ 
face, to exclude worms, reptiles and mice. 
Hints about County Fairs. 
We hope the managers of county and other 
fairs, are awake to the fact that their meetings 
are to be unusually interesting this year. Our 
farmer soldiers are home again. Tliey are tak¬ 
ing hold, many of them, of the accustomed work 
of the farm with new zest, and their interest 
to see their companions in arms—and those 
from whom they have been separated in different 
army corps and divisions, fighting for the same 
flag, will lead them to seek all such gatherings. 
Every body who loves the soldiers will re¬ 
joice to be present at these reunions, where the 
old campaigns will be fought over again, and 
anecdotes of those that have fallen will keep 
them alive in our grateful memories. Doubt¬ 
less also there will be a division of the exhib¬ 
ition halls set apart for relics from the South, 
and from the battle fields. This is one feature, 
which will “ draw.” Besides, we all want to see 
those southern horses brought home by the offi¬ 
cers—those thin necked, smooth limbed, light, 
lithe creatures, that will jump a five rail fence, 
or a 12-foot ditcli as easily apparently as thej' 
will walk iicross the meadow. Then, too, this has 
been a very prosperous season. Vegetables and 
fruits, not cut off early by insects, have done 
their best to help to make a good show, and the 
moist season has favored a rapid growth and 
large size. The great interest in fine wool 
sheep has chiefly arisen since the last show, 
and this is another subject of especial attractive¬ 
ness. The great advance in wages of farm 
help awakens farmers more than ever to the 
necessity of knowing how machinery may do 
the work for less, and how impi’oved implements 
will lighten labor, save time, and add to comfort. 
Many societies are preparing to hold fairs this 
season, which have not done so for several 
years, and it is no less true that a great many 
people will this year go to the fairs, who have 
not seen an agricultural and industrial exhibition 
for a long time. The managers have duties to 
their exhibitors and visitors, and those who at¬ 
tend the show to see what tbej' can, have duties 
to themselves and their families. 
HOW A CATTLE SHOW AND FAIR SHOULD BB 
CONDUCTED. 
The list of premiums and order of exercises 
should be published and distributed free, or in 
some form easily accessible to all. The com¬ 
mittees and judges should be instructed to act 
promptly, and if they do not, a new committee 
should be at once appointed who will act. Some 
indication of awards should be placed upon prize 
animals and articles as soon as possible, after 
they are made, to give additional interest and in¬ 
struction to visitor’s. It is most important that: 
No unworthy article should receive any prize. 
No prize should ever he given to ‘■'■encourage" 
a worthy exhibitor, who has taken pains to bring 
an inferior article, and will be disappointed if 
he does not get a prize. 
No prize should ever be given to ‘■'•propitiate" 
an influential patron, who will be offended if 
his articles are not noticed. 
No prize should ever he withheld f rom an ex¬ 
hibitor, because he is taking too many prizes. 
No matter if one man sweeps every prize offered 
by the society (unless there is some rule to the 
contrary). lu every respect the good faith of 
the society should be considered sacred, and in 
the keeping of every committee man. 
The executive committee of a society should 
be constantly on the lookout, to secure honest 
reports; and should a judge be known to 
violate rules, in passing judgement on his own 
article, and warping the judgement of his asso¬ 
ciates, or allowing himself to be biased, his 
place should be at once supplied by another 
person. This committee should spend part of 
each day in listening to complaints, and in 
doing what they can to right wrongs. 
The animals and articles exhibited, should 
not be crowded, but well exposed to view and 
careful inspection. And exhibitors should have 
the fullest opportunity consistent with the rights 
of others to explain and show off their articles. 
If an exhibitor can not be present in person, or 
by an agent, it is most important, not only for 
himself, but for the gratification of visitors, for 
him to have cards, or circulars, to be taken by 
every one. In cases where the show lasts for 
several days, convocations in the evenings of 
all interested in participating in an agricultural, 
or pomological talk, will be found quite well 
attended. These meetings are usually very in¬ 
teresting, if they are only made free and con¬ 
versational, and some common sense man has 
charge of them. Tliey must be seen to, and seen 
through, by some officer of the society. The 
mutual admiration often run into, may be 
healthfully varied by introducing subjects which 
will call uj) active, but not acrimonious argu¬ 
ment; and nobody should speak muoh, or more 
than five minutes at a time, and to the point, 
Visitors’ Privileges. —We consider it our 
right, when we visit an agricultural fair, to ask 
questions, and to see every thing. If the people 
are not there to show off their machines, we are 
very apt to set a bad example and work them 
ourselves. Why not ? It is exactly what we 
pay the entrance fee for; and no board of 
managers ought to consent to have a show of 
the mere boxed outsides of things, which can 
only be appreciated when in operation. Ex¬ 
hibitors often refrain from showing their articles 
at wmrk, because they will not thus compare 
favorably with others. The visitor ought to 
know what he w’auts to see most, before he 
enters; then when he first goes in, he should 
make a business of finding out -n here the things 
are without stopping to look at them much; 
then selecting the most important, take each of 
them in rotation, and study each subject 
thoroughly. The way to do this and come to 
quick and correct conclusions, is a real gift. 
One man will see every good point in a bull, or 
take the fine lines of a plow into his eye at a 
glance almost; or with one or tivo pointed 
questions, test both the weakness, or strength 
of the exhibitor and of his machine at the same 
time. Such a man is a most desirable companion 
to one going through a show in the way Mm 
speak of, but the best company one can have, is 
an intelligent boy, and if one has none of his 
own, he can generally borroM’ one. A man Mill 
meet many acquaintances, and his ivhole day 
will be Mmsted, or rather the object he has es¬ 
pecially in view M'ill be lost, unless he is ready 
to excuse himself and make appointments for 
some future time. The club meeting, if there 
is to be one in the evening, is an excellent 
rendezvous, and a man may make a dozen 
social appointments for the hour before it begins. 
When one has seen what is most important, 
and his wife and young children have made a 
survey of the knitting M'ork, and have seen the 
outsides of things by themselves, (they •will al- 
M'ays prefer to be left alone for an hour or turn,) 
then let the good husband and father take them, 
and see that they see all that is worth seeing. 
Above all keep aM'ay from the noisy hubbub of 
rough-scuff, pick-pockets and profaniw, that 
crowd about the trotting course. It is very 
pleasant before the set trots and matches come 
off, to go to the seats, or from any good position, 
watch the promiscuous driving upon a trotting 
course. There will always be some very beauti¬ 
ful “turn-outs”—fine horses, shoiving elegant 
style and brilliant action, Mdiich it is very well 
to see. And if it can be done without wasting 
half a day, it is quite M'orth while to see a 
well contested trotting matcli; but on the M'hole 
the exercises of the trotting course, however valu¬ 
able their results in improving horses (which 
we do not believe in), are the least instructive 
and most time-M'astful part of the whole shoM'. 
Keclaiming Waste Ground. 
There are scores of acres of as valuable land 
as can be found in our country, overgroM’u 
■with weeds and worthless bushes. We ofteu 
see land M’hich could not be purchased for one 
thousand dollars per acre, strips of uncultivated 
land along the higlnvay and between fiirms, and 
even in the midst of a farm close to tlie fences 
where elder bushes, blackberry bushes, milk¬ 
weeds and other pernicious plants have rooted 
out almost the last spear of grass, and are Ix^ar- 
ing undisputed swa}'. Such things are disfigur¬ 
ing blotches on the face of a nice farm, as M'ell 
as a reproach to any farmer. The land where 
