The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-09-17
CALEDONIA COUNTY CATTLE FAIR

the return of the Farmers Annual Festival in this
County on Thursday the Goth inst. in this town
Unlike the bacchanal, horse racing, and riotous
| sembages of other days at the closing up OF the
season, the farmers, africans and manufacturers of
New England, or a considerable portion of them,
now meet every fall and exhibit specimens of the
fruits of their toil-of their improvements in nus
bandry, in the arts, and in stock; custom which
tends to deveIope the capabilities of soil, the
skill of artizans and to elevate the several in
tercsls of the industrious portions of the community
to that degree ofrespectabty and importance 10
which their merits entille them.
| The exhibition last year exceed all previous
ones in the variety of articles presented, and in the
excellence of their qualities; and no one who at
tended could fail to have gathered from what lie
saw enough Of information to pay him well for his
time, besides the opportunity afforded of greeting
many old friends, and of interchangng those friend
y salulations which serve TO bind stronger the ties
of community and Of mutual interest. We know
not what may be brought forward this year at the
Fair, but if Harry Stevens's Cart is there no one
need apprehend disappointment in attending. At
any rate, we shall look after it.
Massachusetts and portions of New HAMPSHIRE
and Maine, have realized great benefit from Cattle
Fairs and Agricultural Exhibitions; and SO have
other sections of our country. DANIEL WEBSTER
who is now in Europe, lately attended an agricul-
tural Fair in England on which occasion 5000 far
mers sat down at dinner. Having been toasted by
the Chair, Mr. w made speech upon the subject
ofagriculture, from which we ex tract the following
lie would say, in the place-il he could
say--how much he had been pleased and gratihed
with the exhibition of one product, or branch oil
product, of that agriculture for which England was
so justly distinguished. When persons connected
with some pursuit, of whatever descrp on assem-
bled in such n numbers, he could not but look on
them with respect and regard but he confessed at
once that he was more than ordinarily moved on
all such occasions, when he saw before him a
great assemblage of those whose interests, whose
hopes, whose objects and pursuits connected
on either continent with the cultivation fthe soil.
Whatever else might tend TO enrich and beauti-
fy society, that which feeds and cloths comlorra-
bly, the great mass Of mankind should always he
contended, be regarded the great foundation of
national interest. lie need not say that the agri-
culture of England instructive TO all the world
u science il was here better understood as an
art 1t was here better practlsed great interest
ii was here as highly esteemed in any other part
of the globe.
The importance Of agriculture TO a nation was
obvious to every man but II perhaps did not
strike every mind so suddenly, although certainly
it was equally true, that the annual product of En-
glish agriculture was a great concern The whole
civilized world The civilized and commercial
states were so connected, their interests were so
connected, their interests blended, that it
was matter of notoriety that the fear the pros
pect of a short crop in England deranged and agi-
tated the business transactions and commercial Ie-
gulations and speculations of the whole world
1t was natural that this should be the case in
those nations which look ed to the occurrence of n
short crop in England, as an occasion which may
enable Them TO dispose probably of their own sur
plus produce but the fact went much farther for
when there was such an occurrence in tho English
capital, the centre Of commercial speculations for
the whole world, where the price of commodities
was settled and arranged, where the exchanges be-
tween nations conducted and concluded its
consequences felt every where, as none
knew better than the noble Earl who occuDied the
chair.
Should there be frost in England Is days later
than usual, should there be an unreasonable
drought, or ten cold and wet days instead of ten
warm and dry ones, when the harvest should be
reaped, every exchange in Europe and America
felt the consequence Of it. He would not pursue
these remarks. cloud cries of "Go on, go on ~
He must, however, say that he entertained not the
slightest doubt of the great advantage the inter
est agriculture which result from the formation
a nd operation of this society.
Was IT not obvious to tho most common observer
that those who cultivate soil had not the con
vcnences, opportunities, and facilities Of daily in
teroourse and comparison of opinions tile com
mercal and manufacturing interests Those who
| associated in the pursuits of commerce and
manufactures naturally congregated together in
cities they had Immediately means Of freouent
communication. Their sympathies, feelings and
opinions instantaneously circulated like cleo.
tricity through the whole body
But how was ii with the cultivators of the soil /?
Separated, spread over a thousand fields, each at.
tentive to his own acres they had only occasional
opportunities Of communicating with each other.
IL among commercial men, chambers of commerce
and other institutions of that character if, among
| the trades, guilds were found expedent how
much more necessary and advisable to have some
such institutions, which at least annually should
bring together the representatives Of the great agr.
cultural interest?
| In many parts of the CO untry to which he be-
longed, there were societies upon similar prnci
I pie, which had been found very advantageous
They had rewards for specimens of fine animals
they had rewards Tor implements of husban!ry =,
supposed to excel those which had been known
before. Ihey turned their attention to everything
supposed to facilitate the operations of the farmer,
and improve his stock and interest in the country
Among other means of improving agriculture,
they had imported largely from the best breeds of
| animals known in England
| He knew that gentleman who had to day de-
servedly obtained many prizes for stock would not
be dspleased to learn that he had seen along the
rich pastures Of the Ohio and its tributary streams