CATTLE SHOWS AND FAIRS IN KENTUCKY. 
59 
CATTLE SHOWS AND FAIRS IN KENTUCKY. 
Agreeably to promise, I write you in relation 
to the fairs and stock of Kentucky. After at¬ 
tending your great fair at Albany, I felt more 
interested than ever in the cause of agriculture 
and fine stock. Never had I seen so great a 
collection of manufactured articles, nor so large 
a number, and so great a variety of stock 
brought together. On account of facilties for 
travel and transportation, your fairs are upon a 
much larger scale, and much more numerously 
attended than ours. Besides being encouraged 
to some extent by your state—a policy which 
every state in the Union should adopt—a much 
larger number of premiums are offered than by 
our societies. The two societies in Kentucky 
are sustained entirely by individual contribu¬ 
tions or annual memberships, confined to a few 
counties in the garden of Kentucky. It is an 
error too prevalent that only the wealthy farm¬ 
ers, or those who have fine stock, are interested 
in sustaining societies for the protection of 
agricultural and mechanical interests. A more 
correct and enlightened sentiment is gaining 
ground; and I hope that ere long, the great 
majority of all the industrial callings will see 
the importance of such societies. 
The Bourbon-county Agricultural Society 
held its annual fair near Paris, on the 24th, 25th, 
26th, and 27th of September. This is the only 
society in the state which was kept up during 
the great pressure in money matters—fine stock, 
and agricultural produce of every description, 
having fallen so low, that the other societies 
throughout the state were dissolved. I cannot 
speak in terms of too high praise of the spirit, 
enterprise, and liberality of the people of Bour¬ 
bon. They have been well repaid by the im¬ 
provement in their stock, &c. A few years 
since, they purchased a beautiful lot of ground, 
which they occupy for holding their fairs. 
The interest in their exhibitions had annually 
increased, and a great crowd of persons were 
in attendance. The first day was devoted to 
the exhibition of domestic manufactures, im¬ 
plements, &c., and is called the “ladies’ day,” 
from the fact of the ladies being more directly 
interested, and a larger number of the fair sex 
attending on that day. The ladies of Bourbon 
have become celebrated for their industry, 
skill, and taste; and this reputation acquired 
justly, by previous exhibitions of their handi¬ 
work was well sustained at this last. Their in¬ 
terest was not confined alone to this day; the 
ladies of Kentucky are great admirers of fine 
animals, a fact attested by the presence of sev¬ 
eral thousand during the days set apart for the 
exhibition of stock. An amateur band by their 
fine music added much to the occasion. 
The second day was set apart for the exhi¬ 
bition of cattle; the third for horses, and the 
fourth for Jack and mule stock. An ampithea- 
tre, formed by terracing around a hollow, and 
capable of seating several thousand, was well 
filled during the whole exhibition. The stock 
of the same classes were brought together in a 
circular ring, for comparison by the judges, 
while those seated around had a full view. The 
decision of the judges is publicly announced as 
soon as made. The exhibition of all kinds of 
stock was fine. The number of cattle was 
larger than usual, and as regards a combination 
of form, quality, and size, equaled any exhibi¬ 
tion I had ever seen. The ring of aged cows, 
twenty in number, would be hard to beat. The 
premium cow, owned by myself, weighed 1,824 
pounds, having suckled a fine hearty calf since 
the first of March. We are not in the habit of 
weighing our breeding stock, but I weighed 
this animal from curiosity. The exhibition of 
fat cattle, from an aged bullock, four years old 
and upwards, to a yearling, I do not think the 
Union could beat. But I will send you a list of 
the awards, from which you will learn the 
number of stock exhibited. 
The first fair of the Kentucky Agricultural 
and Mechanic Association was held upon their 
grounds near Lexington, on the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 
and 5th days of October. This society was or¬ 
ganised last spring, and purchased a lot of 
ground containing about 25 acres, at a cost of 
$5,000, erected buildings costing about $3,000, 
and offered premiums to the value of about 
$1,200. This amount was raised, entirely by 
individual contributions, without one dollar 
from the state. I mention this fact, as it might 
be inferred from the title of our association, 
that it was encouraged by the state. I wish 
that the able address of L. F. Allen, before the 
New-York State Society, could be placed in 
the hands of every farmer in Kentucky; then, 
perhaps, the attention of our legislature would 
be turned to the encouragement of agriculture 
by a pittance of the public revenue, and the 
establishment of a board of agriculture. I hope 
yet, Kentucky will imitate the enlightened ex¬ 
ample of New York and other states, her popu¬ 
lation being emphatically an agricultural one. 
But to the fair, which was similarly conducted 
to the one in Bourbon. 
The first day drew together the largest crowd 
I ever saw at a Kentucky fair. The extent, 
