EXHIBITION OF 1866. 
277 
The show of fruits and flowers was highly creditable, as a whole, and would 
have done honor to any State in the Union. Apples, in great variety and of 
unsurpassed quality, pears also, and _ grapes of rare beauty and excellence, 
and all other fruits that belong to this lattitude were there to chailenge the 
admiration of the multitude who thronged Floral Tent during the three days 
of the Exhibition. 
The show made by the Madison Horticultural Society, embracing fruits of 
every kind, flowers, wines and delicacies, was, of itself, really splendid, and 
received the highest commendation of the public, as well as a handsome dis¬ 
cretionary award from the State Agricultural Society. This Society has done 
a noble work in Madison in the way of beautifying the city and cultivating 
a taste for horticultural improvement among its citizens, and its example is 
eminently worthy of imitation by all the villages and cities of the State. 
Who believes, after witnessing our magnificent displays in successive years, 
that Wisconsin may not yet come to take acknowledged rank among the 
fruit-growing States ? 
« 
Of the Department of Field, Garden and Dairy Products, we have already 
spoken. There was nothing of it. The reproach rests chiefly upon the farm¬ 
ers of Rock, but there is no single county in the State that could not and 
should not have saved this important department from absolnte disgrace. 
Horses, Jacks and Mules were not as numerous as in 1860, but made a 
creditable display. Individual animals of superior blood and reputation were 
there, and attracted much attention. The award of prizes following this 
sketch will show the names and performances of such as won the most favor. 
The trials of speed in the several classes of Pacing, Trotting and Running 
Horses were, nevertheless, quite satisfactory to the public at large, though 
not entirely so to the oflScers of the Society. If immoral practices are inevi¬ 
table concomitants of matched trials of speed of horses, then onr voice shall 
be emphatically and forever against such trials at our industrial exhibitions 
and everywhere else. 
The show of Cattle was not so large and varied as it ought to have been; 
but thanks to the fine herds of John P. Roe, of Durham Hill; Richard Rich¬ 
ards, Racine ; A. Richmond, Whitewater ; Luther Rawson, Oak Creek; Simon 
Ruble, Beloit, and others, who likewise contributed valuable animals in the 
different classes, the exhibition in this department was made respectable. 
The Sheep Department would have been an honor to any State in the 
Union. It embraced over 100 pens of as fine sheep as can be found in the 
world, and would have been worth, to some of our old fogy farmers who 
never attend fairs and never make any progress in farming, a journey of 600 
miles. 
The Swine and Poultry of the State were better represented than usual. 
There were 33 pens of the former—including some very superior animals— 
and 22 coops of romarkably fine fowls of various species and breeds. 
All the departments in Division C—Machinery, Manufactures and Works 
of Art—were respectably filled ; the department of heavy machinery, in- 
