SEPT. 24 
THE RURAL NEW-YOR 
G* SI • 
should be sandwiched between a collection of 
vegetables on one side, and organs and bed- 
quilts on the other, while the remainder of the 
class to which they naturally belong, is quart¬ 
ered in an opposite direction. I cannot under¬ 
stand, moreover, why organs, pianos, spatter- 
work, bed-quilts, stoves, and ironing-boarde 
should have any reason for being in a purely 
agricultural display. In the English shows these 
wares are tabooed. 
The Booiety keeps well within its aims in or¬ 
ganizing mootings during the fair for the dis¬ 
cussion of topics interesting to farmers, but jeo¬ 
pardizes the success of such gatherings, by ap¬ 
pointing them to take place during the evening, 
when it is manifestly inconvenient for those 
most interested to be present. The bulk of the 
attendance comes in the cars, or by road in pri¬ 
vate conveyances, to remain one day, and eve¬ 
ning finds them on their way to, or arrived back 
at their homes. If these meetings were adver¬ 
tised to take place on the fair grounds, at some 
convenient hour in the afternoon, all could at¬ 
tend, and it would be a grateful relief, after see¬ 
ing the display, to listen to practical papers on 
farming, by speakers who could address them to 
the purpose. As at prosent arraoged, the even¬ 
ing meetings, usually hold in the Court House 
of the city, are very meagerly attended, and are 
a very pronounced failure. The papers read 
this week, wore, with two exceptions, mediocre, 
and those who came to learn, remained to scoff. 
The show of 
CATTLE, 
as a whole, was large, varied and excellent. 
The four hundred aud seven entries, which are 
printed in the catalogue, were more than enough 
to fill the permanent sheds, hence others were 
ereoted of a temporary character, and these 
were filled- The printed list calls for two in¬ 
teresting breeds of pollod, or hornless cattle, 
the Red Norfolks and the Galloways, which are 
black, but neither of these was present. 
The Shorthorns numbered sixty-seven entries, 
the Devons Bixty-one, and a noble show they 
made ; the Herefords only eight, but very fine. 
The AyrshireB came next on the list to the num¬ 
ber of ninety-nine; Holsteins, under which ab¬ 
surd name dear old Holland, the motherland of 
so many New Yorkers, is robbed of the credit of 
her superb breed of milch cows,—the “Hol¬ 
land" cattle numbered forty-eight, and were the 
conspicuous feature of the display. Of Jerseys 
aud Guruseys (Channel Island cattle), there 
were sixty-five entries. This comprises all the 
well-bred cattle entered as Buch, with the single 
exception of Mr. William Simpson’s Brahmins, 
which it may bo well to make a note of here. 
The Brahmin cattle of India were represented 
by a cow and yearling heifer of great beauty, 
being of a light silver-gray color, with black 
points, and most deer-like and perfeot limbs. 
They had, indeed, the awkwardiy-set horns, 
pendulous ears, and deep-hanging, thin dewlap, 
with the hump above the shoulders character¬ 
istic of the breed, but these are beauties, if we 
only view them so—certainly they have been thus 
bred for centuries to which the record of mau 
runneth not back. Deep-bodied, soft-liided, 
well-uddered, with well-shaped teats, the old 
oow giveB, small as she is. nine quarts of milk a 
day, aud when fresh, eight pouuds of her milk 
make a pouud of butter. This is as well as moat 
Jerseys will do, and certainly indicates possibili¬ 
ties for this breed as butter cows, which may be 
worth developing. Besides it should not be for¬ 
gotten that they are natural trotters and very 
pleasant saddle beasts. 
It was a disappointment not to Bee more Short¬ 
horns, forgetting for the moment, perhaps, 
that the glory of New York had departed in 
some measure in this particular breed. Many 
shown were, however, of great excellence. The 
notable exhibits in this division were those of 
F. C. Cornell, of Ithaca j Daniel B. Haight, of 
Down Plains; Carlos Prince & Son, of Cathar¬ 
ine; Benjamin Fellows, of Clifton, and A. B. 
Bonham, of Cortlandt. These all exhibited 
herds of one bnll and five females. Besides, 
Miss O. M. Dering, of Utica, showed Baron 
Bates, 2d, a fine old bull; E. F. Cabon, of 
O wasco, one of the best shaped balls on the 
ground; M. B. Ritter, of Waterloo, several, 
notably fine; and J. D. Chaffee, of GilbertBville, 
a number of well-shaped animals. 
Whenever the State Fair comes to Elmira, 
we fool as if the Devons, this most beautiful 
and useful breed, wore gaining in public favor, 
and likely to take the position they really merit 
as the leading breed of the Eastern States. 
These cattle have every thiug but size; and 
they are nearly twice as big as they look. They 
are beautifully formed, easily bred, are thor¬ 
oughbred of their own true inwardness; they 
make better beef than Shorthorns, and will 
thrive where the larger breeds would starve. 
The cows aro grand milkers, many of them (but 
the butter is pale), while as working cattle they 
are very docile, and as quick as horses. All 
this, while their rich, red color, without a fieok 
of white, and thoir superb slendor, waxy, yet 
white horna, Bot thorn off in striking contrast to 
other breeds. The principal exhibitors were 
Messrs. Walton Cole, of Batavia; B. F. Peck, of 
East Bethany ; Mrs. Win. E. Arnold, of Otego; 
Joseph Hilton, of New Bootlaud, ana D. & J. 
Banker, of Franklin Forks, Pa. 
That admirable beef breed, the Herefords, 
was shown only of Mr. John Merriman of 
Haysfields, near Cookeyville, Md. His herd 
consists of one noble bull three years old, two 
cows, two two-year old, and two yearling heifers, 
aud an excellent representation of the breed it 
was. Its characteristics are great length and 
depth of body, well-developed beef points 
throughout, red color with white head and ex¬ 
tremities, the white frequently running back 
from the head upon the back and usually along 
under the belly. The horna aro of medium 
hight and frequently curve downward. For 
quick fattening and ability to oarry immense 
quantities of flesh and fat it contests the palm 
with the Short-Horn. 
The Ayrshire breed has grown greatly in favor 
among the farmers of Central New York, keep¬ 
ing pace with the growth of the oheese interest. 
Thoir groat yield of milk has led to this, as well 
as the faot that its quality particularly adapts 
it to cheese making. The shows comprised 
some of the best animals I have ever seen both 
in tbo matter of form and comeliness, and in 
milkiug qualities. Messrs Jardine A Sons of 
Hamilton, Canada, showed moBt excellent ani¬ 
mals. As also did F. P. A A. M Cornell of 
Sylvania Pa., James Miller A Son of Penn Yan, 
and Charles Stii,lman of Alfred Centre, N. Y. 
The Holsteins, so-called, were the most inter¬ 
esting feature of the cattle exhibit. The princi¬ 
pal exhibitors were Col. H. C. Hoffman, of 
Horse-heads, W. H. Gifford, and Smith & Powell 
of Syracuse, and the Unadilla Yalley Breeder's 
Association of West Edmonston. Besides those 
who showed herds, W. H. Gifford of Syracuse, 
and James Black of Stanley, each exhibited a 
number of animals of marked excellence. The 
enormous quantities of milk produced by many 
of these oows, makes them great favorites 
wherever introduced. Those yielding more than 
30 quarts daily aro common, and there were sev¬ 
eral for whom a yield of over 40 quarts was 
claimed, we doubt not with entire fairness. They 
are pure black and white ; amount and disposi¬ 
tion of the color being entirely irregular, except, 
a preference is given for white switches, and, 
curiously enough, for black tips to the teats. 
There were four Jersey herds exhibited of 
the five entered. They were shown by Wm. 
Crozier of Northport, John D. Wing of Mill- 
brook, Wm. Simpson, jr., of New York (farm at 
New Hudson), and John P. Gulliver of Bing- 
hamptou, besides some excellent auimals were 
shown by Goo. Sidney Camp of Owego. The in¬ 
crease of batter factories (creameries) and a 
foreign demand for our butter, give an impetus 
to this pre-eminently butter breed, which is quite 
noticeable in the larger number of fine animals 
shown from the central part of the State. The 
cows shown by Messrs. Wing, Gulliver and 
Camp, are of remarkable excellence as butter 
producers, and bear the indications of it, in ex¬ 
cellent escutcheons, good udders, rich Bkin, the 
wedge-shaped form of the entire animal, and in 
other points of the good milch cows. 
The Guernseys were few in number and of 
only medium quality—Btill it is gratifying to Bee 
them at all. On the whole, an unprepossessing 
breed, and they certainly have great capacity for 
improvement in style, and long before thiB takes 
place their intrinsic excellencies will demand for 
them a place as high or higher than tbe Jerseys 
now occupy. They aro of above medium Bize— 
ofton largo ; real good cows yield 18 to 20 quarts 
of milk, make 10 to 15 pounds of butter a week, 
which is extraordinarily rich in color. They fat¬ 
ten easily, make good beef, and bear large, 
quickly-fattened calves; are hardy, and good 
feeders. We shall see them better represented 
in future years. They were shown by Messrs. 
Geo. Sidney Camp of Owego, Wm. Crozier of 
Long Island, and Wm. M. Holmes A Son of 
Greenwich. 
There was an unusually good display of 
sheep. 
The Leicester being in small numbers made 
little show. The only entries were made by 
Henry Hoffmann of Elba, and H. J. Kent of 
Palmyra. 
There were forty entries of CotBwolds, the 
flocks of Joseph Harris of Rochester, George 
Lngersoll of Charlton, and Wm. Potter of Johns¬ 
town, being conspicuous. Mr. Harris made an 
especially instructive show not only with his 
pure Bheep, but with his merino grades, show¬ 
ing the effects of the first, second and third 
crossings, which last might earily be palmed off 
upon a novice, and even upon some “ judges,’’ 
as full bloods. 
Lincolns were shown by T. Walter A Son of 
Westchester, Pa. 
There were thirty-eight entries of South- 
Downs. Those of John D. Wing of Millbrook 
being notably superior as a whole. Daniel B. 
Haight if Dover Plains Bhowed a superb ram 
aud excellent females and lambs; Wm. Simpson, 
Jr., Bhowed good sheep also. 
The Shropshiros made quite a figure, aud 
some even rivaled the long-wools in size. Be- 
rosus Cook of Otego, Mxb. L. C. Fish of the 
same place, Henry C. France of Wells, Pa., and 
G. L. Fletcher of Sidney Coutro are the exhibit¬ 
ors whose stock was particularly noticed. 
Five Hampshire Downs were showu by Henry 
Metcalf of Canandaigua. Merinos wore in good¬ 
ly number aud many of them seemed of great 
excellence. I have never seen the Silesians of 
Wm. Chamberlain of Red Hook, and of his 
herdsman, Carl Heyne, look better. 
There were some two hundred entrios of 
Swine, and the animals exhibited must have 
nearly doubled this number. Tbe prominent 
features of this class were the Durocs shown by 
Wm. M. Holmes A Son, the Bmall Yorkshires 
shown by W. H Cole of Clinton, N. J-, H. H. 
lngersoll of Owego, Henry Hoffman of Elba, 
and some others. The Chester Whites were 
shown in great numbers by T. Walter & Sons of 
Westchester. One of these pigs, a boar which 
had attained an enormous size, attracted great 
attention. There were, besides, other excellent 
exhibits of this breed. The Berkshires were 
numerous aud excellent. Harris’s Essex pigs 
were shown in fair numbers, and several others 
had good specimens. 
Clydesdales, Fercherons and their crosses, 
thoroughbreds, jaoks, mules, etc., were in force. 
Smith A Powell of Syracuse made a noteworthy 
showing of Clydesdales. 
POULTRY 
was manufactured to order and sold for ten 
cents a piece, done up in a nice little box. This 
pleasing result was possible through the efforts 
of Mr. A. M. Halstead of Rye, N. Y., and Mr. 
Frank Rosebrook of Elmira, who each had an 
incubator in active operation. Tbe births were 
numerous, the infants happy, aud although 
orphans in a peculiarly impressive sense, they 
swallowed their grief and appropriate food with 
as much sang froid as if they had the address 
of their parents. Mr. Halstead secured first 
premium on his incubator. Not half of the 
entries in this department were ropreseuted, 
but considering the season, which is not the 
best in the year for showing poultry in perfec¬ 
tion, the display was creditable. Geo. W. Chid- 
sey of Elmira secured the largest number of 
premiums and a certificate of merit for the best 
collection. He was the largest exhibitor. D. C. 
Waterhouse of New Haven, Conn., came next. 
E. A. Scott of Elmira, had several coops of 
finely marked Plymouth Rocks. The birds of 
this so-called breed were large, uniform in color, 
and greatly resembled Leghorns gone into half¬ 
mourning. The usual breeds were very gener¬ 
ally represented, and there were ducks turkeys, 
pigeons and rabbits galore. The points of 
greatest interest next to the incubators were 
coops of capons and Japauese pheasants. Ca¬ 
pons comprised a cockerel aud pullet. The 
male bird, oapouized in July when three mouths 
old, now weighs seven po unde. 
Caponizing is a very simple, easy operation 
and its result is to supply the table with a 
fowl whoso flesh is most delicious. There is 
always a good demand for capons in city markets, 
and I should recommend farmers to try their 
skill at it in their own barnyards. The Japan¬ 
ese pheasants shown by Wm. W. Aluro of El¬ 
mira were the other attraction. They are in¬ 
teresting fowls, beautifully ponoilled and with 
pleasing combination of colors. Their eyes are 
clear, mild and expressive—an unusual feature to 
compliment when Bpoakiug of poultry. There 
was a beggarly array of 
FARM PRODUCE. 
not a third of the entries filling. A number of 
barrels of stuff, for this department arrived on 
the last day of the fair hi time to be sent home 
as they came. The premium for the best bale 
of hops was triumphantly carried off by the 
solitary balo exhibited. The dairy interest 
was very feobly represented and the potatoes 
though numerous, were small. O. J. Lewis of 
Schodack Centre showed fifty-six early and 
ninety-seven late varieties, but nothing new. 
Brownell's Centennial was the handsomest po¬ 
tato. The Beauty of Hebron was not nearly 
as fine as those raised on our Experimental 
Farm. Tillinghast Bros., of Faotorville, Pa., 
had the most notable display of seed as 
regards variety, and the mammouth beets, etc 
seemed at great pains to support their lonely 
dignity. A stalk of white prolific corn grown 
by M. F. Wanamaker, Jackson, Pa., planted 
May 23rd, had attained a hight of 14 feet 3 
inches, and consequently over-topped every¬ 
thing in the building. 
FLORAL HALL 
was a tent, and on Thursday night its northeast 
side blew down and demoralized everything 
within. Here again the entries exceeded the 
display, and the latter was nothing to speak of. 
In the professional list EUwanger A Bxiry had a 
number of cut flowers that were not in the cata¬ 
logue, and their full effect was lessened by their 
arriving more or less crumpled aud damaged. 
The dahlias, phloxes, verbenas, bouquets aud 
ornamental floral designs were neither impress¬ 
ive nor original In a marked degree, but the 
fruit was quite fine. More method in its ar¬ 
rangement would have enabled one the better 
to judge of its merit. Ellwangor A Barry, the 
Ithaca Farmers’ Club, Mr. Van Dorn, and a 
nameless exhibitor, showed the best plates of 
apples. Mr. Ricketts has soma twenty plates of 
his seedlings, prominent among which was the 
Lady Washington grape, but uone of the 
bunches were hb fine as this gentleman could, no 
doubt display, under more favorable circum¬ 
stances. Next to the cattle, 
IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY 
were the strongest exhibit. Many of the well- 
known agricultural implement companies were 
finely represented, and there was an unusual 
number of new inventions of merit. The plows 
were out in great force, and the thrashers, run 
by steam and horse-power, went through the 
motions of threshing an immense volume of 
grain. 
The engines of civilization were represented 
by the Rural New-Yorker, the Rural Home, 
Elmira Gazette, and Advertiser and the Husband¬ 
man. The two latter papers were printed on the 
groundB during the Fair by the Advertiser's new 
Campbell press. 
There were mowiDg and reaping machines, 
horse-rakes, grain-drills and self-binders in be¬ 
wildering variety, and among churns a new 
model, tbe “Monitor," is sure to gain the 
suffrages of the lazy people (and they are the 
largest class), because of its facility in making 
good butter quickly. 
Tho fiue wagons and carriages were monopo¬ 
lized by the Cortland Wagon, and the Water- 
town Spring Wagon Companies, while a new 
iron farm wagon was the newest thing on wheels. 
The grange wagons—wagons fitted up in artis¬ 
tic (?) representations of fruits, farm scenes, 
etc., had a tent unto themselves, and were the 
admiration of the ladies. A detailed mention of 
farm implements will be found in another part of 
this issue, which will fitly close this report of the 
fair. The writer wishes to express his obliga¬ 
tions to the Advertiser and Gazette for courtesies 
rendered the Rural, and to Col. M. C. Weld, for 
kindly supplying the facts embodied in the 
cattle report. c. h. e. r. 
-- 
IMPLEMENTS AT N. Y, STATE FAIR. 
The display of plows on the grounds was very 
generally commented upon. The competing 
companies were liberal in the number of imple¬ 
ments, but the Syracuse Chilled Plow Co., of 
Syraouse, New York, was in advance of rivals in 
point of numbers, and in the taste evinced in 
the disposition of the exhibit. Visitors bad no 
difficulty in seeking the class of plows in which 
they were interested, and could soarcely fail to • 
note the good points of the implement, even 
when not attended by a salesman. The Syracuse 
Company are men who believe in the claims they 
make, and the officers of the corporation seem 
to think it a part of their business to represent 
their manufactures, hence, visitors are welcomed 
by tbe responsible heads of the concern, as well 
as by their energetic assistants. 
There can be no question of the popularity of 
the Syracuse Chilled plow, if we may judge by 
the fact that their entire exhibit comprising over 
two hundred plows, had been sold out on the 
fourth day of the fair. 
The Syracuse Chilled Plow has attained its 
great BUCceBS and large sales within a little 
over two years. It is not only the character and 
quality of the metal, but the excellence of its 
model, that have been its strong points. The 
process of chilling the metal in use by this com¬ 
pany is different from all others, and while they 
secure the wearing qualities of steel, they dis¬ 
count the prioes of such plows. They scour in 
any soil, and from repeated tests, have estab¬ 
lished their lightness of draft. Tho land-side 
has an adjustable play of a half-inch, to suit 
different conditions of plowing, and the minor 
details Buch as adjusting the handles, and the 
working of the clevis, are characterized by a fin¬ 
ish aud ingenuity that are admirable. Tbe plow 
is equipped with a perfect wheel, with four bear¬ 
ings that render it almost indestructible, while 
the mechanical ingenuity with which it is put to¬ 
gether is admirable. Altogether the plows, the 
exhibit, and the crowds attracted by both, were 
one of the Btiong features of the fair. 
The “Kino of the Lawn" Lawn-mower, 
Osborne's Sulky Plow, aud the “ Meadow King" 
mower were the chief features of the exhibit of 
Gbeog A Co., Trumansburg, N. Y. The lawn- 
mower is quite new, and posesses some very 
fine points that have secured for it a wide pop¬ 
ularity. The Osborne Sulky plow attachment 
is too well-known to need comment, and as to 
the Meadow King mower, it has been so long 
before the public, and has done such admira¬ 
ble work, that there are few who do not ap¬ 
preciate its merits 
E. M. Btbdsalt. A Go., Pen Yan, N. Y. made 
a line.display. Their large separator was in oper¬ 
ation, driven by steam power. Although no 
grain was fed to the thrasher, its smooth, steady 
motion enabled judges to form an opiuion of 
its merits. The engine attracted attention by 
reason of its compact, simple construction, and 
absence of unnecessary aud cumbersome attach¬ 
ments. The firm is behind orders thiB year, 
aud business is steadily increasing. 
Keystone Mfo. Co., Sterling, HI., showed 
through thoir general agents Wm. II. Chapman, 
of Utica, a full line of Cider Mill aud 8heller, 
and also Perry’s New Iron Frame New York 
Hay Tedder. These goods have only lately 
been introduced in the east and are already 
meeting with a large sale. 
Jones of Binghampton made his usual display 
of good and cheap scales.—Continued on page 
608, this number. 
