farm (ionics, 
TROTTING AT AGRICULTURAL FAIRS. 
The first public trotting of which there is 
any account in the United States was in 1818, 
when the gelding Boston Blue was matched 
to trot a mile in three minutes, a fea t then 
deemed impossible; but he won, although the 
time of the performance has not boon pre¬ 
served. From that date interest in the trot¬ 
ting gait began to increase; breeders of trot¬ 
ters in a small way sprang up, and horses 
were trained for trotting contests. Ever since 
the early days of trotting the advance has 
been rapid. For a long time after the victory 
of Boston Blue, races were generally under 
trotting turf, and it inaugurated its efforts by 
offering the then unprecedented sum of §10,- 
500 for a trotting meeting of four days’ dura¬ 
tion. Other cities soon followed this example, 
and larger purses were given, so that as long 
ago as 1872 the prizes at Buffalo amounted to 
§70,000, and the amount offered in this country 
and Canada in a single year has exceeded 
§1,500,000. In 1800 the organization known 
as the National Trotting Association was 
formed, and it embraces in its membei-ship all 
the principal trotting tracks of the continent. 
All the members of the association respect the 
penalties imposed by any other member, and 
exclusion from the privileges of one, is exclu¬ 
sion from the privileges of all. It is estimated 
tbatprob*ably 10,000 trotters are in training in 
this country for track purposes, while consid¬ 
erably more than that number are used by 
no other part of the world to any extent ex¬ 
cept, perhaps, in Russia. 
Speed and endurance in a roadster are 
desirable qualities, enhancing the pleasure of 
the owner and the value of the animal, and 
every legitimate means of improving these 
qualities will always meet our hearty approval; 
but among these legitimate means we do not 
reckon the efforts put forth to achieve success 
in "boss trots” at agricultural fairs. The old- 
time fair was a holiday gathering for the pur¬ 
chase and sale of goods, or the hiring of ser¬ 
vants, occasionally associated with religious 
festivities and popular entertainments. The 
main object of the American agricultural 
fair, however, is to afford opportunities for 
comparing different qualities of home manu¬ 
facture and produce, and thus they are valu¬ 
able means of instruction. 
cused on the pretext that horse trots attract a 
large number of visitors who would not other¬ 
wise attend, and that the gate-money will 
therefore be largely increased. Indeed many 
allege that without a horse trot an agricultural 
fail- would be a failure. In some cases this 
would doubtless be the case, especially when 
the exhibitions are held near large towns where 
many people who are not particularly interest¬ 
ed in agricultural matters, are likely to be 
attracted by theexcitement of a trotting turf; 
but why call such exhibitions agricultural 
fail's.- The show should certainly take its 
name from its principal feature. 
In many parts of the country agriculture 1 
fairs would be more prosperous without than 
with the trotting track and its demoralizing as¬ 
sociations. Steady-going fanners justly object 
to the evil associations—the gambling, swind- 
Vol. XLII. No. 1751. 
NEW YORK, AUGUST 18 , 1883 . 
PRICE FIVE CENT 
$2.00 PER YEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1883, by the Rural New-Yorker In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.! 
\6PJCUL' 
SWINE 
F0W1S 
The Modern Agricultural Horse Trot, 
the saddle and at long distances, three 
miles being tho favorite course. Since 1S50, 
however, the style called “mile heats, bbst 
three out of five, in harness” tins been the fa¬ 
vorite and nine out of ten contests have been of 
this kind. Prior to 1806 the purses for trotters 
weres nail; match races were greatly in vogue, 
aud tho trotting turf was justly in bad odor. 
Iu that j r oar an Association was formed at 
Buffalo, New\ ark, with tho object of remedy¬ 
ing the gross abuses and dishonesty of the 
gentlemen for road purposes, and there is a 
great rivalry among our millionaires with a 
taste for fast driving, to secure the best stable 
and especially the fastest double team. Quite 
a considerable number of fast trotters have 
been exported from this country to England, 
Russia and Australia, and the trade is likely 
to increase, as the development of great speed 
iu the trottin*,-horse through systematic breed¬ 
ing and training is an industry peculiar to the 
United States aud Canada, being pursued in 
Whatever premiums are offered at them, 
should be maiuly given to encourage extra 
care iu the production and exhibition of strict¬ 
ly agricultural products; whereas when horse 
trots are made a prominent feature of such 
exhibitions, the bulk of the money devoted to 
awards, goes as prizes to the trotters. In mauy 
cases such prizes aggregate more than the eu- 
tire amount of premiums offered for all soj ts 
of agricultural exhibits. This ludicrous dis¬ 
crimination at agricultural fairs is usually ex 
lings and knavery, that appear to be insepar¬ 
able from the trotting track even more than 
from the race-course. What a scene is that 
only slightly caricatured iu the accompanied 
engraving—the whole crowd of visitors con¬ 
gregated around the track, on which is contest¬ 
ed a match that was probably sold before it 
was run. No uoed to point out the deserted 
agricultural exhibits or the monstrous differ 
euee in the value of the premiums; the picture 
speaks for itself, needing no explanation. 
