OCT. 45 
9 
707 
tion of homed stock, though very good in 
quality, was not nearly as large as at some 
former fail's; and, judging by the last three, 
there is a steady lessening in interest in this 
department. Geo. L. Roynotiis of Burlington, 
made the largest exhibit of Short-horns—13 
from his herd of 63, headed by Kirkleaviugton 
Le Grand 3d, bred by L. B. Cannon, of the 
same locality, who has lately sold his herd of 
Bates cattle, mostly to the West. Kirkleaving 
ton is said to lie the only pure Bates bull in 
New England at this time. The only other 
herd exhibited was by C. K. Gray, of East 
Montpelier, though a dozen or so of individual 
specimens were brought in. The interest in 
Short-horns is decidedly on the wane in Ver¬ 
mont. The same may lie said of Devons, 
though the number of these shown was in ex¬ 
cess of that of the Durhams. Hungerford & 
Dyke, of Shelburne, showed a due herd of 17, 
eight of which were a recent purchase from 
Mr. Sessions, editor of the Devon Herd Book. 
Geo. Davas, of East Montpelier, had a good 
herd of seven, and there were some minor ex¬ 
hibits. There was a still greater falling-off 
in Ayrshires, which seem to have retired, thor¬ 
oughly beaten i i public opinion by the Jer¬ 
seys. Even of this popular breed the exhibit 
was small compared with those of former 
years, o ily two parties contributing, tho chief 
of whom, in numbers at least, was H. W. 
Keyes, of Newberry, who had an excellent 
herd of 13. A few Holsteins and Guernseys, 
with a meager show of grades, working oxen 
and fat cattle, seemed to make it plain that 
the close devotion of Vermont farmers to but¬ 
ter dairying is excluding from our farms 
nearly every sort of cattle but Jerseys and 
Jersey grades. 
In the sheep show the Merino took the lead 
as usual, yet only four flocks were in compe¬ 
tition, Dean and Jennings, of West Cornwall, 
getting the gold, and L. P. Clark, of Addison, 
the silver medal for Hocks. The other prizes 
were divided between all the competitors 
pretty evenly. Down sheep, Shropshire aud 
South, were represented by two flocks and a 
few smaller entries, all very good. Cotswolds, 
hitherto u distinguishing feature of this fair, 
hardly second to Merinos, showed an equal 
or greater falling-off, our Canadian friends 
being conspicuous by their absence, and the 
State breeders represented only by a single 
flock and a few single specimens. I am un¬ 
able to say what is the cause of this general 
falling-olf, but certain it is that many count}' 
fairs have had better and larger exhibits of live 
stock than were to be seen at our State Fair 
this year. 
As for swine, they are never many, and 
were less than usual here; while of poultry, 
which last year were brought out in by far 
the largest and best collection ever seen in the 
State, some 30 exhibitors, more than half local, 
comprised the entire exhibition tbis year. 
The exhibit of farm machinery and imple¬ 
ments of all sorts was as large and varied as 
usual, and is really of more general interest 
and importance than any other part of our 
fairs, judging by the attention bestowed upon 
it by visitox-s. Space does not admit of partic¬ 
ularization, but about all that was of note or 
value find a place in the Rural from time to 
time. Dairy implements and mowers have 
hitherto drawn the bulk of the attention, but I 
am glad to report a rapidly increasing interest 
in instruments of tillage, indicative of a prof¬ 
itable drift in the agricultural mind. Grass 
and butter are the main things for Vermont, 
but our excellent soil is capable of yielding 
profitable crops for shipment in much greater 
profusion than hitherto, and the indications 
are that we are increasing the area of tillage 
throughout the State, without any decrease of 
our grass products. 
The only thing in which a great and decided 
increase was shown at this fair was in the de¬ 
partment of fruit. Fruit in ull the ripening col¬ 
ore of Autumn blazed in every nook and comer 
of Mechanics’ Hall. It usurped the tables ex¬ 
tending through its center and overflowed upon 
the tables extending along the sides. There 
was never so large an exhibition in Ver¬ 
mont. There were some 30 exhibitors and 700 
plates of specimens. This tine and instructive 
show was simply the result of a little energy 
aud work on the part of the venerable Judge 
Miller, superintendent of this department, 
who, though past his three score and ten, has 
set an example, which, if followed by his co¬ 
adjutors in other departments, will enable me 
to give the Rural a more encouraging account 
of succeeding fairs by our State Sociely. Very 
little money (not nearly enough) was appro¬ 
priated for this department, but. work did it. 
The show of dairy products, maple sugar 
and other Vermont staples is always, for some 
reason, very meager, aiul this year it. was 
even less considerable than in yeare past. A 
little zeal expended here would yield propor¬ 
tionately as remarkable results as in the fruit 
department. The floral show, limited chiefly 
to amateurs, was yet very tine, tho vicinity of 
Montpelier being noted for the taste and hor¬ 
ticultural skill of its lady gardeners, and the 
liberality with which they bring out their treas- 
uree for exhibr. ion on occasions like this. 
Our State Society (unlike that of New York) 
is in close alliance with the trotting horse (or 
rather the horse-trotting) interest, and spends 
the bulk of its money on this department. 
Here, too, the results of energy and money 
are seen in many entries and very good sport 
for those that like it. Horses are class “ first” 
on the premium list, and this is right enough. 
There was a fail- count of entries for legiti¬ 
mate premiums, and superior animals took the 
gold and silver medals and other prizes in this 
class. But the largest appropriation went to 
the trotting purses, aud here concentrated the 
rowdy, gambling crowd which this use of 
money tends to encourage and increise, aud 
which exercises so vile and demoralizing an 
influence upon tho young men of the farm who 
assemble on such occasions. It is an munis - 
talAble curse which almost, if not quite, offsets 
the benefits of these exhibitions. But the far¬ 
thers, the religious farmers of the State, are 
alone to blame. By becoming members of the 
State Society and attending its business meet¬ 
ings they may easily make it. all that they de¬ 
sire. Leaving it, as they do, to a small num¬ 
ber—practically almost a close corporation— 
iu which the horsemen are a majority, they 
must take the responsibility which belongs to 
them for whatever is amiss iu our chief agri¬ 
cultural holiday season. t. h. h. 
THE RHODE ISLAND STATE FAIR. 
[Rural Special Report;.) 
Tub Gist annual meeting of the Rhode Is¬ 
land Society for the Encouragement of Domes¬ 
tic Industry, was held at Narragansett Park, 
near Providence, commencing Sept. 37, and 
continuing four days, The weather was 
particularly fine, the attendance good, and 
the exhibition throughout a complete success. 
It has not been my good fortune to visit this 
place in foimer years; but I am credibly in¬ 
formed that in many respects this meeting 
has been more successful than any held for 
many years. 
The pomolbgieal display was, however, de¬ 
ficient iu quality and quantity hero as at other 
fairs I have attended during the year, the 
drought having materially affected this part 
of the exhibition. 
In the stove department I noticed a fine dis¬ 
play made by the Rumford Chemical Works 
of Providence; and as a convieing proof of 
the excellence of their baking powder, they 
dispensed thousands of biscuits made by their 
preparation much to the satisfaction of the hun¬ 
gry crowd of visitors congregated in front of 
their booth. 
The cattle department was unusually fine, 
and contained some of tho finest animals ever 
shown on the grounds. The Hon. Joseph F. 
Brown, president of tho Association, had, for 
exhibition only, a fine collection of Ayrshires, 
including a fine bull three years old, aud 
several of his progeny. Fine Ayrshires were 
also shown by Obadiah Brown, Henry E. 
Smith, John Diiuon, Isaac Hazard, Seth R. Da¬ 
vis, the Dexter .Asylum and the State Farm. 
Some very fine Swiss cattle were exhibited by 
D. G. Aldrich and John H, Bancroft, of Wor¬ 
cester, Maas., the latter carrying off the first 
herd premium for his excellent herd of this 
breed, as well as the second premium for his 
three-year-old bull. George J. Martin showed 
seven head of fine Devons, and Harvey Dodge, 
12 head of the same breed. The Guernsey breed 
was well represented by Joseph F. Brown’s ex¬ 
hibit. At the head of A. Warner’s herd of the 
same breed was Gypsy Boy, dropped Septem¬ 
ber, 1877, one of the finest specimens of this 
breed in tho country. William H. Hopkins 
showed 1<5 head of Ayrshires, 18 Jerseys, anil 
one grade from his famous stock farm, which 
did credit to his care aud success in breeding. 
Jerseys were also shown by Judge C. S. Brad¬ 
ley who received several premiums. Twenty- 
four head of grade Aysbires were shown by 
W. P. Larkin. Among bulls entered for the 
special premium offered by Hon. E. D. Pearce, 
president of the Ayrshire Breeders* Associa¬ 
tion, was one owned by Bela J. Stone, West- 
boro’, Mass., which the Rural will probably 
soon Ullustrate. The tent for the display of 
agricultural implements is filled nearly full 
with the displays of local hardware dcaleis, 
and but little room is left for manufacturers. 
Iu fact, the tent is too small by one-half for 
the purpose intended and in this particular the 
officers might make a decided impovement, by 
allotting more space for this department. 
Plows made by the Wi nd Plow Company, 
Smith, Whitcomb & Company, Ames Plow 
Company, Remington and Syracuse Plow Com¬ 
pany, were among the exhibits. The Monitor, 
Yankee, Bay State and J. H. Thomas & Sons’ 
hay rakes attracted a considerable attention. 
The Acme harrow, the La Dow disc harrow, 
aud others were noticeal le, and so were the 
Warrior aud Buckeye mowers. Road mach¬ 
ines made by S. Pennock Sons & Co., and the 
Eureka, were seen in operation, doing their 
work well and to the satisfaction of all. Dairy 
implements were well represented. 
The Vermont Farm Machine Company, of 
Bellows Falls, Vt., exhibited a full line of 
their Cooley Creamers, the Davis Swing 
Chum, Nesbit Butter Press, and the Eureka 
Butter-Worker. These implements attracted 
much attention, the principles of submerg¬ 
ing milk for raising cream being so useful and 
practical that all visitors were interested and 
satisfied that the Cooley creamer possesses 
merits which make it a leading creamerof this 
country. The committee awarded it and the 
Davis Swing Churn each a first premium. The 
Cooley also received first premiums at the 
New Jersey State Fair, the Connecticut State 
Fair, the Pennsylvania State Fair, the Ohio 
State Fair, and the tri-State Fair at Toledo, 
Ohio. As a further ovideuce of the merits of 
the Cooley, butter made by this creamer re¬ 
ceived the first, second and third premiums at 
the New England fair at Worcester, Mass., the 
first premium, a $50 silk dress pattern, at the 
St. Lawrence County fair, a $60 silk dress 
pattern at the Broome County fair, and 
many other premiums at other fates where 
premiums were offered. The sales have in¬ 
creased largely every year, and in all cases 
the workings of the creamer have been satis¬ 
factory and the results far exceeded the pur- 
chasei-s’ expectations. The Stoddard and 
Blanchard Churns, and Moseley’s Creamery 
were also shown. g. b. b. 
Domestic Qrconomij 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
HINTS. 
A little lard or butter improves bread or 
cake made of Graham or Indian meal—it 
makes them more light and tender. 
Soda or baking-powder biscuits must be 
handled as little and made as rapidly as pos¬ 
sible. 
Fresh lard is better than butter to grease 
cake-pans. 
Ink stains on mahogany or black-walnut 
furniture may be removed by touching the 
stains with a feather wet iu a solution of niter 
and water— eight drops to a spoonf ul of water. 
As soon as the spots disappear rub the place at 
once with a cloth wet in cold water. If the 
ink stains then remain, repeat, making the 
solution stronger. 
Silver that is not in use may be kept from 
tarnishing by burying it in a box or barrel of 
oat-meal. 
Pencil marks can easily be removed from 
walls, wood-work and marble by rubbing with 
a damp woolen cloth aud a little sapolio. 
Fine wire milk-pail strainers that become 
stopped up may be readily cleaned by rubbing 
with a damp cloth dipped into baking soda. 
To tell Good Flour. 
It should he white with a yellowish tint. 
Squeeze some in your hand, it will retain the 
shape given by the pressure. Throw a little 
against a perpendicular surface it will adhere 
or fall in a mass. 
Shammy Skins 
Although these skins were originally from 
the chamois, the most now in use are taken 
from tho flesh side of sheep-skins which have 
been split. The skin, after passing through 
the ordinary processes of washing, etc., are 
soaked first in lime-water and then in a mix¬ 
ture of bran and water or in a weak solution 
of sulphuric acid, after which they are beaten 
in a mill until no moisture remains in them. 
They are then saturated with fish-oil, again 
beaten and more oil applied. When thoroughly 
impregnated with oil they are hung for a short 
time in a room heated to a given temperature 
after which they are carefully washed in a 
solution of potash. 
To Detect Adulteration in Ground Coffee. 
Place a few grains in a saucer and moisten 
them with a little cold water. Chicory will 
very soon become soft, while coffee will take a 
long time to soften. Again, fill a tumbler 
full of water and gently drop a pinch of the 
coffee oaths surface. Pure coffee will float 
some time while chi eery or other soft roots 
will soon sink, changing the water to a brown¬ 
ish or yellowish color. 
- . . - ■ ■ -- 
Rhubarb for Summer Complaints. 
Rhubarb I find to be the best medicine in 
derangements of the stomach and bowels, as 
Summer complaint, cholera inl'nntiun, cholera 
morbus and such like. Every family ought to 
keep this harmless and yet effective drug on 
hand, particularly where there are children. 
Put in a teacup one teaspoonful of the pow¬ 
dered rhubarb, a little bicarbonate of soda 
(saleratus), a few drops of essence of pepper¬ 
mint and sugar enough to sweeten. Pour the 
cup nearly full of boiliug water. Let it settle 
and get cool, then give a teaspoonl'ul of the cleffr 
liquid every hour or ofteuer, aud more if ne¬ 
cessary. Rhubarb is a purge,yet gi veil iu often- 
repeated, small doses it checks looseness of the 
bowels effectually and leaves them iu a better 
and healthier state than any other remedy I 
am acquainted with. T. GR. 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Fried Egg-Plant. 
Make a thin batter of two beaten eggs, one- 
half cup of milk, a little salt and flour to 
thicken. Slice and pare an egg-plant and 
place in salt and water for an hour. Dry the 
slices between a towel, dip each piece into the 
batter and fry in hot fat to a good brown. 
To Wash Bed Flannel. 
Mix a handful of flour with a quart of cold 
water, put over the fire and boil ten minutes. 
Add this to some warm suds and wash the 
giods very gently. Rinse in three or four 
warn waters. a. e, m. 
Baked Pears. 
Peel ripe pears, cut in halves and pack in 
layers in a stone-ware jar Strew a little 
sugar over each layer. Pour a small cupful 
of water, to prevent burning. Cover tightly 
and bake three or four hours in a well-heated 
oven. Let them get very cold before serving. 
Eat with sweet cream, 
To Prepare Ox-Gall for 'Washing Colored 
Clothing. 
Empty the gall into a bottle, put in a hand¬ 
ful of salt and keep closely covered. A tea¬ 
cupful to five gallons of water will prevent 
colored articles from fading. j. v, d. 
gRisceUaneous. 
The Philadelphia Easy Hour mentions Mr. J. 
A. Walton, of 1345 N. Twelfth street, thatcity, 
as an enthusiastic endorser of St. Jacobs Oil for 
the relief and cure of diseases of horses. 
THE 
GREAT GERMAN 
REMEDY 
FOR 
NEURALGIA, 
SCIATICA, 
LUMBAGO, 
BACKACHE, 
GOUT, 
SORENESS 
OF TOE 
CHEST, 
SORE THROAT, 
QUINSY, 
SWELLINGS 
AND 
SPRAINS, 
FROSTED FEET 
AND 
EARS, 
BURNS 
AND 
scalds, 
Seneral Bodily Fains, 
TOOTH, EAR 
AND 
HEADACHE, 
AND 
ALL 0TEE3 PAINS 
A>n> 
ACHES. 
No Preparation on earth equal* St. Jacobs Oil as a satz, 
subs. Simple ami cm ka r External Remedy. Atrial entails 
but the comparatively trifling outlay of 80 Ousts, and every 
one suffering with pain can nave cheap and positive proof of 
its claims, directions is ELEVEN LANGUAGES. 
SOLO BY ALL DRUQQISTS AND SEALERS IN MEDICINE. 
A. VOGELER & CO. 
Baltimore, MV/., V. 8. A., 
RHEUMATISM, 
PROFESSOR 
POWDER 
Made from Professor Horsford’a Acid 
Phosphate. 
Recommended by kadliff physicians. 
Makes lighter biscuit, eaki *, etc., and 
is healthier than oruinary b.Jdap ' > ow« 
der. 
1 n cans. Sold at a reasonable price, 
Tho Horsford Almanac and Cook Book 
sent free, 
Itumford Chernies! Works, Providence, R. I. 
