NOV 48 
787 
%0CUtU5. 
VIRGINIA STATE FAIR. 
{Rural Special Report.) 
The Twenty-second Annual Exhibition of 
the Virginia State Agricultural Society was 
held upon the fair ground at Richmond, Va., 
Nov. 1-4. With the exception of a slight rain 
on Thursday forenoon, the weather was all 
that could have been desired. The attendance 
throughout the fair was good, and the exhi¬ 
bition as a whole, the best the soci >tv has had 
for years. When Gen. W. C. Wickham 
accepted the office of President, the Rural 
predicted that this society would be more 
successful than it had been for the past few 
years, a prediction which has been fully ver¬ 
ified. Confidence is expressed on all sides that 
the; future of the society will be a successful 
one, and that its influence for good among 
the farmers of the grand old State of Vir¬ 
ginia, will be felt throughout the entire com¬ 
monwealth, and be the means of improving 
and increasing her agricultural resources. 
The fruit, cereal and vegetable displays 
prove conclusively that the soil of Virginia 
has fertility second to that of no other State, 
and while portions of the State are in an un¬ 
fruitful and almost barren condition, these 
can, by proper management and the use of 
commercial or barn-vard manures, be made as 
productive as the other portions now are. But 
not only does thrift among the farmers man 
ifest itself in the productions of the soil, but 
also by the fine stock raised. A better class 
of horses and cattle, sheep and swine can 
hardly be found elsewhere. Pereheron and 
other draft breeds of horses are gaining in 
number and fast taking the place of the 
mules and oxen. 
The cattle department was unusually full, 
Jerseys outnumbering all the others. There 
were 80 head of Jerseys from Rowe’s Co-oper¬ 
ative Stock Farm at Fredericksburg. Va.; 
12 head were exhibited by G. Julian Pratt, 
Waynesboro, Va., six head by Dr. Beattie, 
of Richmond, Va., six head by Thomas 
Branch, Richmond,and several head by Palmer 
& Bowman, Saltsville, Va. Mr. Rowe’s ex¬ 
hibits were all registered Jerseys, some of 
them imported stock. The Imported Cete- 
wayo’s Jolie, the first prize heifer in her class, 
was purchased by Mr. Rowe at a recent sale 
at the American Horse Exchange in New 
York, and is a very beautiful and promising 
heifer. Dorlne, No. 7,456, J. H. B , received 
first prize over all competitors in the aged 
class. Laura of F., No. 10,571, J H B., a 
very excellent cow, with rich skin and a deep 
milker, won the sweepstakes priz« over all 
classes. Martha of Roxbury, No. 5,016, J. H. 
B., no longer eligible in her class, won the 
first dairy premium. Fifteen fine head of 
Devons were shown by B. F. Graves, W. IT. 
Kenon and Graves & Dillon. In tho Ayrshire 
class six head were shown, mostly all fine 
specimens. Short-horns, 18 in number, were 
exhibited by Palmer & Bowman, of Salts^ 
ville, Va., Dr. Reed of Orange County and the 
State Agricultural and Mechauical College. 
The visitors at the fair were much attracted 
by the cattle exhibit, and were loud in their 
praises of the large display and flue appear¬ 
ance of the animals shown. 
The swine exhibit consisted of Yorkshires, 
Jersey Reds, Poland-Chinas, Berkshires and 
E-sex. The E*sex and Berkshires shown by 
the Messrs, Rowe, were fine and attractive 
specimens. 
The sheep department consisted of fine 
specimens of Cotswdd, Shropshire Downs, 
South Downs and Merinos. Mr. J. J. Maxon, 
of Ohio, was the largest exhibitor in this and 
also the swine department. 
The largest exhibit of poultry ever made 
upon these grounds was that of this year. The 
Messrs. Rowe alone exhibiting 60 coops. The 
show consisted of Light Brahmas, Plymouth 
Rocks, Brown and White Leghorns, Polish, 
Bronze Turkeys, Pekin and Rouen Ducks, 
Brown China, Embden and Toulouse Geese, 
Game Bantams, and Golden and Silver 8e 
brights. The birds were all fine, and pre¬ 
sented an excellent appearance for this season 
of the year. Mr. Rowe received the largest 
number of premiums in this department. 
The agricultural implement display was the 
largest made iu years, and the implements 
were of the most modern and improved kinds. 
The Eclipse Traction Engine, manufactured 
by Frick & Co., the Peerless, manufactured 
by Geiser & Co., and the Monarch, manufac¬ 
tured at Springfield, Ohio, were all shown in 
operation, upon the grounds, during the fair, 
and each was a center of interest for visitors. 
Messrs. Frick & Co., and the Geiser Manufac¬ 
turing Co. also showed portable engines and 
thrashers. Thrashers were also exhibited by 
the New Jersey Agricultural Works, A. W. 
Gray’s Sons, the Empire Steam Engine Co., 
H. M. Smith & Co., M. Williams & Co., 
Smith & Cardwell, and others. Portable en¬ 
gines were shown by the Harrisburg Car Co., 
the Oneida Iron Works, Wm. E. Tanner & 
Co., and the West Point Engine & Machine 
Co. The Taylor Manufacturing Co. showed 
stationary and portable engines, and a 20- 
horse adjustable cut off engine. The Mudgett 
and Burdick Hay tedders were exhibited. 
Grain drills were shown by the Empire Grain 
Drill Co., Bickford & Huffman, Newark Ma¬ 
chine Co., Hart, Hitchcock & Co., P. P. Mast 
& Co., A. B Farquhar & Co , Johnson Gere 
& Truman, and Thomas, Ludlow & Rogers. 
The Walter A. Wood, John P. Manny, 
Champion, McCormick, Buckeye and the 
Rawson mowers and reapers were on exhi¬ 
bition, mostly represented by local dealers. 
E. Whitman Sons & Co. exhibited Fodder 
cutters, corn and-cob mills, corn shellers and 
fanning mills. The Baltimore Plow Co. ex¬ 
hibited a full line of plows and the Whipple 
harrow. S. R Sankey & Co. showed their 
Keystone cultivator, which attracted much 
attention. 
The Syracuse and the Oliver chilled plows 
were shown by local dealers Several culti¬ 
vators, among which was the Acme, manu¬ 
factured by Nash & Bro., were shown. 
The Osborn Sulky Plow, and the John 
Deere, attracted attention. 
J. M. Burdick, ilion, N. Y., exhibited the 
Burdiek hay tedder, manufactured by the 
Remington Ag’l. Co. This tedder was put 
upon the market in 1880, and during the past 
season not a single complaint has reached the 
manufactory from any source. The forks are 
so constructed that they pass easily over any 
obstruction, and the tedder is warranted to 
do good work in any place where a horse rake 
can be used. At this fair Mr. Burdick re¬ 
ceived the first award, and a gold medal for 
14 superior merit.” 
W. H. Butterworth, Trenton, N. J., showed 
the Butterworth Thrasher in operation. The 
noiseless and easy running of this thrasher, 
and the good work accomplished by it, were 
especial features of this exhibit. For three 
successive years Mr. Butterworth has carried 
off the first premium at the North Carolina 
Fair, and he also received the first award at 
this fair. The large sales, backed by such 
numerous premiums, together with the testi¬ 
monials of those who are using the machines, 
prove conclusively that this separator has 
distinguished merits. 
The American Fruit.Evaporator, exhibited 
by the American Manuf’g Co., Waynesboro, 
Pa., was shown in operation. This was the 
first time this celebrated evaporator was ever 
shown at the fairs of this Association, and its 
working attracted much attention, and, as 
usual, it carried off the first award. This 
company also exhibited evaporated fruits of 
all kinds, which did credit to the workings of 
their evaporator. 
The Eclipse Traction Engine, exhibited by 
Frick & Co., Waynesboro, Pa., was kept in 
operation during the fair and was the center 
of attraction. The ease with which the ope¬ 
rator mauaged this monster engine was, to 
those not acquainted with this class of engines, 
a source of wonderment. The manufacturers 
of this engine have gained a wide reputation 
as manufacturers of engines, saw-mills and 
thrashers, and their traction or road engine, 
it would seem, was the culmination of all their 
desires. At the great St, Louis Fair, held at 
St. Louis, Mo., Oct., 1882, the Eclipse received 
the first premium of one hundred dollars over 
14 competitors. Among the many points 
of excellence claimed by the manufacturers 
of this engine, a few may be mentioned as 
follows: The entire weight of engine and 
boiler is carried on steel springs, avoiding 
shocks or iujury to machinery moving over 
rough roads. The engine bed and all machin¬ 
ery are mounted upon wrought-iron frame 
and side plates, independent of the boiler, 
leaving it free to expand and contract. The 
power is transmitted from the engine to the 
traction wheels by elastic connections. There 
are locking devices for operating both 
tract ion wheels at the same time on slippery 
roads. All parts are interchangeable, and 
can be duplicated. It is adapted to go up or 
down hill, with crown sheet of boiler inclined 
and always under water. The manufacturers 
guarantee all they claim for their goods, and 
their reliability is unquestioned. g. b. b. 
- - -»»- 
Fair Notes. 
The Messrs. Rowe, of Fredericksburg, Va., 
sold to R. B. Chaffin the registered J ersey bull 
Rowe’s Hampton, No. 2270 J. H. B., and three 
thoroughbred Jersey cows. 
Cloud Ka.pt, a fine Jersey bull, recently 
illustrated in the Rural, was much admired 
by cattle breeders. 
The imported heifers Cetewayo’s Jolie, Do- 
rine No. 7456, Laura of F. No. 10571, will 
each be illustrated in the Rural at an 
early date. 
The Taylor Manufacturing Co., Westmins¬ 
ter, Md., move this month to Chambersburg, 
Pa., where they have erected extensive works 
for the manufacture of their engines, sawj 
mills and corn-mills. G. B. B. 
ARKANSAS STATE FAIR. 
(Special Report to the Rural New-Yorker.) 
The Second State Fair of Arkansas opened 
at Little Rock on Oct. 16, with a very poor 
show of success, as the first three days were 
rainy, cold and disagreeable. The grounds 
are large, and in dry weather would be 
very good, bud with wet werther and no 
walks, getting around was very disagreeable. 
The managers can, and probably will, im¬ 
prove upon this year’s fair; indeed they must 
do so if they wish to make it a success; but, 
as at some other fairs, everything here played 
second fiddle to the horse-racing. The at¬ 
tendance was rather slim for a State fair, not 
over 8,000 being present on Thursday, the 
44 big ” day. 
The display of stock was small. A. K. 
Harris, of Missouri, who was the largest ex¬ 
hibitor in the cattle department, exhibited 10 
head of Short-horns, which were very good. 
Some half-dozen others each exhibited one or 
two Jerseys, Devons and “natives.” In the 
sheep department also he show ed a fine lot of 
Cotswolds, and two or three other pens were 
exhibited by others. In swine, three pens of 
Poland-Chinas and two of Berkshires com¬ 
prised nearly all that was shown. In the 
poultry department some 30 coops were ex¬ 
hibited, including most of the leading varie¬ 
ties—many of them very fine In the fruit and 
vegetable department the display, though not 
large, was very creditable. Sebastian County 
displayed 40 varieties of apples, all very fine. 
It also exhibited three varieties of improved 
corn, known as the Sebastian County Corn. 
It likewise made a good display of wheat, 
oats, rye, and beans. Benton County ex¬ 
hibited 10 varieties of apples, three of grapes, 
and one of pears. Mr. Wild, of Crawford 
County, exhibited 17 varieties of apples. 
Seventy three entries were made for the 
best bale of cotton. The awards were for 
Arkansas raised, bottom cotton: best bale, 
$200, Mr. Butts, of Marianna, Lee County; 
second best, $100, H. Hally, Trippe, Desha 
County; third best, $50, 8. M. F. (unknown). 
Upland cotton: best bale, $200, and second 
best $100 both to M. B. Garrison, of Bradley, 
Warren County; third best, W. A. Stone,Bates- 
ville. Independence County. As to the $1,000 
sweepstakes, open to the world, for best bale of 
bottom or upland (Sea Island excluded) 19 bales 
outside of Arkansas were entered; the judges 
were unable to agree, standing three on each 
side, and the premium was divided, $500 going 
to F. Alex. Turner, of Mississippi, and $500 to 
D. A. McMurray, also of Mississippi. Finer 
cotton was never raised in the South. 
Machinery Hall was by far the most attrac¬ 
tive part of the fair, quite two-thirds of the 
exhibitors being from the North, bringing 
the most improved implements for the culti¬ 
vation of cotton and corn. There seems to be 
a general wakeniDg up of the cotton planters 
to get better implements of all binds, that 
will do more and better work. The inventive 
genius of the South Is at work inventing 
machines which are peculiarly adapted to the 
soil. Four men from Arkansas exhibited cot¬ 
ton planters of their own invention, and 
another showed a sod-crusber. They looked a 
little rough when compared with Northern 
machines, but their production shows that 
the Southern people are beginning to .think 
in the right direction, and are not content 
with the farming tools which they have been 
obliged to use. 
The cotton gin, the cotton-seed huller and 
the mill for grinding the seed seem to be 
nearly perfect, and it only remains for some 
one to invent a machine to thrash the cotton 
instead of picking it, to make cotton farming 
easy, even if it does not pay. 
If the cotton farmer would pay a little 
more attention to grass and stock so that 
when his cotton was short, he would have 
something to fall back on, the President of 
the State Agricultural Association would 
have had no cause for the statements he made 
this year in his annual oddrefss. He says: 
“ One of the heaviest burdens under which 
the Southern producer labors is the high rate 
of interest which prevails here, ranging from 
10 to 60 per cent, per annum, while in the 
great commercial centers the rate is from 
three to six per cent. The Commissioner of 
Agriculture of one of the Southeastern cot- 
ton-growing States estimates the average rate 
of interest paid by the cotton growers of that 
State at 54 per cent, per annum for the sup¬ 
plies furnished on credit by the merchants, 
who take mortgagee on crops for their security; 
and then these overburdened farmers are most 
persistently warned by the newspapers not 
to mortgage their crops, notwithstanding 
many of these same newspapers are printed 
on type and presses mortgaged for every dol¬ 
lar they are worth. If these newspapers 
would publish reports of experiments of suc¬ 
cessful cultivation, which would demonstrate 
to farmers how to obtain good profits from 
their capital and labor, they would do them 
and themselves a greater benefit, and thereby 
enable the farmers, by improved systems of 
management, to pay off their mortgages, like 
the owners of the railroads, city buildings, 
newspapers and other money making prop¬ 
erty.” D. w. c. 
THE ST0EY OF STONY BE00K FAEM. 
HENRY STEWART. 
CHAPTER XVII. 
(Continued from page 772.) 
The Winter had passed and once more the 
roses bloomed over the stone house. But the 
few weeks previous had been of the most 
eventful character to the persons whose his¬ 
tory we have been following. 
The Stony Brook farm had passed into the 
hands of Defiance Bartlett under the arrange¬ 
ment with Jonas Pratt, and Bartlett had as¬ 
sumed control of it. The intervale or brook 
meadow had been plowed up ; all the manure 
from the two farms had been spread over it, 
and the pastures and meadows had been 
robbed to enrich the 44 terbacker” land. The 
plant beds had been 30wn and the smooth soil 
finished like a garden bed was now being 
checkered with the young plantsc 
Jonas Pratt had raised a loan of $3,000 from 
Mr. Bates on mortgage of his farm and had 
begun to explore the iron-ore bed on the hiLL 
It was a settled thing that the marriage of Pa¬ 
tience with Jonas Pratt should take place soon. 
It had been postponed more than once on ac¬ 
count of the delicate health of Patience; but, 
as the genial Spring overcame the blustering 
Winter, her strength was returning and her 
father declared that it should be put off no 
longer. Patience made no remonstrance. She 
had given up resistance, and when thoughts 
of the distasteful alliance were forced upon 
her mind she pushed them back, and refused 
to distress herself on account of a fate which, 
however intolerable it might be to her, she 
considered as inevitable. 
Mr. Bates and Dr. Noble had left some time 
previously for Michigan, and the latter had 
carried with him the instruments needed for 
the operation he designed to make. His de- 
partuie had been duly announced, with the 
time of his expected arrival, to Josiah Jon- 
kins by his brother; and Joslab had cleared 
out a practicable bridle-path in readiness for 
the doctor’s journey to his camp. 
The travelers were met on their arrival by 
Josiah, and arranged to depart the next day 
under his guidance, and also secured his help 
to make some explorations in the woods in 
search of ore. They appeared in the guise of 
an exploring party to Barley Merritt at the 
cabin, who was narrowly watched and closely 
questioned by the doctor and who submitted 
his head for examination. The depression in 
the skull was very apparent and there had 
been, as yet, no union of the edges of the bone 
which might have rendered the operation dif¬ 
ficult. Dr. Noble expressed confidence in 
making a successful operation if Barley could 
be induced to undergo it. For safety it was 
necessary to administer chloroform, and this 
was readily done by Josiah, in whose hands 
the young man was as docile as an infant. 
The operation was performed; the bone 
raised, a small clot of blood which had been 
unabsorbed was removed; the necessary 
sutures were applied; also cold wet cloths 
to the head and the party awaited with the 
greatest eagerness the restoration of the 
patient to consciousness. Not a whisper was 
uttered, the Doctor watched the pallor disap¬ 
pear gradually and the faint blush returning 
as the effects of the chloroform disappeared. 
In a few moments, the eyes were opened and 
rested in a dazed and bewildered manner upon 
the old man; “Halloa old man, what’s the 
matter. Is the storm over?” 
“He’s all right said the Doctor, if you keep 
him quiet for a time.” 
“Yes, my boy the storm’s over, but you’ve 
bad a narrow escape and you are hurt; but 
you will soon get over it, if you rest a 
little bit.” 
“Give him this,” said the Doctor, “it will 
help him to sleep, and after 24 hours any 
danger will have passed. You stay with him 
Mr. Jonkins; you will know what to do for 
him; the only danger is from possible in¬ 
flammation, and we will go a-fishing with 
your boat.” 
“This is such a lovely spot,” said Mr. Bates 
“that I think we will rest here a few days and 
put up our camp on the lake shore instead of 
returning to the village.” “By that time,” 
said Doctor Noble, “the patient will be out of 
danger and may be left.” 
So these rather green woodsmen enjoyed 
their fishing and made a camp in which to 
rest for the night. But alas their too great 
self-confidence proved that the most refined 
and civilized man in a state of nature is far 
behind the most ignorant savage; who knows 
