The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1827-09-20
CATTLE SHOW g. FAIR,

CATTLE SHOW & FAIR.
We would remind our Agricultural friends and 9TH
ers that the annual "Catte Show and FAIR of the
Ltchfeld County Agricultural Society, will take place
the 10th Of Oct. next; and if they wish to make
the day both pleasant and profitable they must be
app and doing. To wait until the morning of that day.
and then crowd in pairs to Litcheld will make sho,C
although not exactly cattle show; and to fill the
court room with pretty faces, and persons, adorned
with imported Leghorns, Silks and Cambricks, will
make very agreeable exhibition of the Fair, although
not such an one proves either the skill or the dill
gence of the better half of creation"
In some Places the annual exhibitions of agrcultu
raj Societies made in the highest degree neres-
ting and profitable. The NUMBER and superior excel
ience of the horses and of neat cattle, the trials of
skill in pOughing Matches the exhibitions of rare and
valuable species Of grain; agricultural productions Of
uncommon growth; elegant specimens of domestic
manufacture; evidences of mechanical skill and inge-
unity; together with the manifest pleasure taken both
III exhibiting and in viewing these things, renders the
day ofnncommon interest to all classes in society,"
But exhibition of this nature cannot be got up
short notice, even by few individuals, however
zeatousy they may engage in the business. Every
man in the county who feels sufficient interest in such
exhibitions induce him to spend the day in seeing
Ind being seen, and also to suffer his family do the
same, is under strong obligation to contribute all
within his power to render them interesting as pos
sible. Every such public day which calls thousands
from their common occupations, which induces par
ents and masters to give up not only their time
huttn ofo f d.
mescs, operates as an indirect and heavy tax upon
community; and there Can be possible apology for
this sacrifice, unless equivalent be received in wit
Messing the exhibitions of the day. But this equiyo-
lent cannot in its full extent be receveduness far
ness manufacturers, and mechanics, contribute aceor-
ding TO their several Abilities towards rendering these
exhibitions interesting and profitable.
We have but few holydays in this country, and it is
well Tor the morals of the people that it They
generally the fosterfahers of vice-he patrons Of
idleness and intemperance. And simply large COL
lection of both sexes Of men, upon the day of
our annual Cattle Show, will be productive of more
evil than good f the distinctive feature of the day is
lost by the absence Of that which ought to have dis
tinguished it from other days of promscuous assem-
bling together. The ostensibe object of the assem-
bngis to witness the specimens of skill and industry
which may be exhibited, and also to learn the benef-
cence of Providence in giving us large crops, and
browning the labour of our hands with success. But
ifthe great majority Of those who thus assemble, feel
no other interest in the day than simply see, is
ident that the benefits which might otherwise have
suited from such like exhibitions will be comparative
iy trifing, the zeal which the active friends of the
cety have heretofore manifested will materially de-
cline, and the appropriate services Of the day be
dispensed with, only kept up as sham exhibition
Of what might have been done BY the friends of domes-
tic industry in the county.
Our opinion of the propricty of these remarks is
formed from remembrance of the exhibition which
we witnessed on the last anniversary of our agrcutu
raj Society," A andable degree Of zeal for the sue
cess of the Society manifested by comparatively
few individuals; and it was this zeal alone which
rendered the day any thing else than promiscuous
assembling together of thousands for the ostensble
purpose of making one in a crowd and for eating and
drinking, and joining in the hustle and consequent
noise of the day. There were but few good speci-
mems Of stock-nothng to what ought to have been
collected together in this grazing county, such
occasion,-and the room devoted to the exhibition of
specimens of domestic industry, only distinguish
cd for the skill of foreign manufacturers, and the abil
ity Of milliners and manua-makers in fitting these
productions the fair forms of the wearers. We
turc to assert that the whole of domestic
features exhibited on that day, not much as
our citizens of midding fortune give their daughters
for setting-out, when they commence house-keep-
ing land consequently the premiums were awarded
10 merely ordinary specimens of skill there being lit
tie or no competition in the Such indifference
not only desire ys the object ofthe Fair but SO far dis
courages the friends of the Society from making efforts
to increase its funds that they even led eelhat
by paying their own annual subscription and appro-
pratng it to the payment of premiums upon articles
where there is little competition the money is but
little better than thrown away:
1t iseviden that something be done 10 increase
the interest and Importance of the Society, or it will
soon dwindlc away and die; and believe the best
possible method to accomplish this is to increase the
exhibitions of the day, and to excite strong compe-
ton for the premiums. To promise certain amount
for the beA horse or cow article ofdomestic
nfacture, and have but two three specimens of a
Kind exhibited and these of quite ordinary character
of which must obtain the prize and that far
inferior to many that might and ought to have been
presented for the premiums is not only disccuraging
20 the active friends Of the Society, but ruinous