1803.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
320 
A MODERN AGRICULTURAL FAIR. 
Sketched and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
Our humorous artist has fairly “taken off” 
not a few so-called Agricultural Fairs held dur¬ 
ing this and previous years. Any apparent 
exaggeration is only due to his reach of vision 
into the future, where the exact scene will soon 
be found, if things in this line go on as they 
have been progressing for a few years past. 
Time was when an Agricultural Exhibition 
meant a sampling of the farmer’s best produc¬ 
tions for the year, with an attendance of men 
and women who came to learn as well as to 
enjoy. Some such gatherings we have visited 
where instruction abounded. High bred cattle 
and sheep were eloquent in encouragement of 
enterprise and perseverance in improving farm 
stock; plethoric swine with melodious gruntings 
told of careful breeding and well filled troughs; 
shining samples of grain testified to the benefits 
of subsoiling and underdraining; and luscious 
fruits and gorgeous flowers discoursed poetry 
that all could appreciate. The influence of the 
scene opened eveiy heart, social feeling had full 
flow, and all rejoiced in the farmers’ festival. It 
was an evil hour that suggested the introduction 
of the race-track to increase the attractions of 
the Agricultural Exhibition. Of the additional 
numbers brought in, but few were of a class to 
render the gathering more attractive. The 
patronage of “ horse ” men and fast women but 
poorly repaid for the loss of the respect of the 
better classes, and there was a speedy falling 
off, both of attractiveness in the Exhibition, 
and of the numbers in attendance, and in many 
societies the annual gatherings have become 
disgraceful failures. In some cases the mana¬ 
gers perceived the drift of the current in time to 
stay it, and we believe that without exception, 
where the race-track has been excluded, and 
proper efforts have been made to promote the 
legitimate ends of the exhibition, there has been 
continually increasing prosperity. We may in¬ 
stance the Exhibitions of the New-York State 
Agricultural Society as compared with those of 
her sister State, New-Jersey ; the former with¬ 
out the races, was a matter of pride te the agri¬ 
cultural community and of gratification to the 
managers ; the latter in spite of the race-track 
(rather because of it) a failure, which we trust 
will never be repeated. But further comment 
is unnecessary: if the facts noted are insufficient 
to convince the managers of failing associations, 
of the necessity for a change of policy, we com¬ 
mend the above engraving to their careful study, 
particularly those in Connecticut who this year 
actually introduced an ox-race as one of the 
attractive features. 
The New-York State Fair. 
We condense the following from the copious 
notes of one of our editorial associates at this 
Fair, which opened just as the last number of 
the Agriculturist went to press:—“ The exhibition 
as a whole has been a success, the receipts above 
expenses, and larger than the previous year. 
Implements. —In some departments, the en¬ 
tries were below the average, though lack in 
quantity was made up in quality. In farm im¬ 
plements and general machinery, there was a 
creditable display. Plows, harrows, mowers, 
and reapers, hay spreaders, and elevators, sep- 
erators, patent bee-hives, pumps, Avell-curbs, and 
various machinery for raising water, churns 
and cheese-vats, abounded in numerous va¬ 
rieties, each better than the other! The 
steam plow was not on hand. The horse hay- 
spreader, resembling somervhat a mammoth 
grass-hopper, attracted much attention. It has 
six forks worked on crooked shafts, like the 
arms of a man, which paddle over and over, 
and catching up the hay, flirt it behind in a 
finely divided condition. This must prove a 
great saving of time and labor, and is a fit com¬ 
panion of the horse rake. A manufactory for 
turning out these implements, is soon to be es¬ 
tablished in central New-York. 
Daley and Household. —In butter, and par¬ 
ticularly cheese, the show was good. In hard¬ 
ware, including stoves and furnaces, the articles 
were chiefly from Utica and neighborhood. In 
the domestic hall, sewing machines, silver ware, 
needle work, specimens of penmanship, photo¬ 
graphy, pianos, saddlery, stuffed birds, coal oil, 
shell work, wax work, paints, ornamental iron 
work, Duryea’s maizena and starch, domestic 
wines, fans, boots and shoes were mixed up in 
delightful order. Here too, was a novel scene; 
three elderly ladies were seated on a side plat¬ 
form, spinning flax on ancient spinning wheels, 
after the manner of our grandmothers. These 
spinners belonged to some of the most respect¬ 
able families in Saratoga County. 
Animals. —The show of stock, though not 
large, was of superior merit, Ayrsliires, Dur- 
hams, Devons, Short-Horns, Herefords, and Al- 
derneys, were well represented. The Herefords 
of Hon. Erastus Corning, of Albany, struck us 
as remarkably fine. In sheep, we observed 
Spanish Merinos, full blooded Silesians and 
their - crosses, South Downs, Shropshires and 
Leicesters. A few Cashmere goats were exhibit¬ 
ed. In swine and poultry, Jefferson County 
alone outdid the rest of the State. The horse de¬ 
partment was never better filled, in matched 
and single, in trained saddle horses, stallions, 
and mules. One of Secretary Seward’s Arabi¬ 
ans attracted much curiosity. A noted horse- 
tamer, “ Professor ” Rockwell, drew a crowd 
to the track several times during the fair, by his 
feats of driving a team of high-spirited homes 
without bridle, reins, or breeching, controlling 
his horses solely by voice and whip. 
In Fruits and Flowers, the show was cred¬ 
itable, though not large. The pears, plums, nec¬ 
tarines, and grapes, from Ellwanger & Barry, 
Rochester, were a marked feature. Mr. Smith, 
of Syracuse, was only a little behind the form¬ 
er. Dr. Underhill of Croton Point, had a fine 
show of grapes, as did the Pleasant Valley Co. 
of Hammondsport, Mr. Sylvester of Lyons, 
Mr. Brehm of Waterloo, and others. Not to 
be forgotten, was the show of Adirondac grapes, 
