The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-10-06

Items about tie Cowmsy Fair.
A few papers in the first of our edition
last week contained an important error. Ten
thousand, the estimated number who visited
the show, was printed Fire thousand. Most
Of the papers containing the error we're sent
to distant subscribers, and we make this cor
rcction for their benefit, as those who were
present at the Fair would see for themselve
the absurdity Of the statement
In speaking Of the Fair, the Star has
not exercised its usual Judgment. 1t says
that as whole. the Exhibition is pro-
nounced as having been crcditablc. In some
of the departments, however, the show was
much smaller than usual There were but
very few cattle sheep and swine exhibited
TIL" dairy products were mcagre as was al
so the exhibition of fruits. The mechanic
arts and household manufactures were well
represented. The display Of Horses, on the
second day, was large, and what with the
trotting Of them in harness, the exhibition
OF female equcstrianship, &c, excited great
attention. and constituted the main feature
Of the Fair"
1t is true that there was not half the show
Of cattle, sheep and swine, that Caledonia
County can and ought to make ANY one
Of three or fonr towns might have made a
better display than the whole seventeen dit
make. But that Is not the question. The
comparison is between the Fair of this and
those OF previous years; and we have the au-
thoritv Of men who have attended every Fair
since the organization of the Society, for
saying that there was this year no tlimnution
in the value of the animals contributed in
the departments mentioned above, with the
single exception of swine. At one or two
Fairs there have been more head of cattle
entered; but this year they were for the
most part improved sto, k-choicc specimens
Of bloo''rd ANIMALS and shove better than
at any other Fair the adv anccmcnt going on
IN the hrecLin" and rearing of improved Va
ric:ics o: stock. And this is the point aimed
at or else the l,over who collects :hc largest
herd of fat rattle would have a claim upon
our consideration surprising that bestowed
upon these Fairs. a large collection is de-
>irablc, but not the paramount otject Of con-
Il <,cc
as a means of improv cmcnt consists in the
quality of the show. rather than in the num-
Der of specimens offered.
The same thing is true to greater extent.
even, in regard to fruits We cannot con
ceive how any person could call the display
in that department "meaSrc." Ever since
the first Fair was held in the County there
has been a gradual Improvement in the speci-
mems OF fruit exhibited; and at the one held
last week there was a decided advance over
every other. The varieties Of grated fruit
were more numerous, Of choicer kinds, lar
ger and taircr, than were ever before exhib-
tied in the County. The apples, and a few
pears, covered table four by twenty five
feet - rot cider-aIrlcs, either. but rich,
juicy-looking fellows, fair and fragrant
bu>hns at their own lovclincss. For a
northern climate, where no especial attcn-
ton has been bestowed upon fruit until an in
terest was awakened by our Agricultural So
ciety only few years ago, such display is
commendable. and proves beyond doubt,
that there is nothing in our climate or soil
that, with proper care, will prevent our
County from becoming a Embarrassing dis
trict. We shall present some statistics upon
this subject hereafter
As corroboratory of the Judgment we
have given upon the Fair, we may mention
an observation made by gentleman from
Manchester, n. H., who was present at the
Fair. Said he, 81 have attended great ma
"ny Agricultural Fairs, State and County,
Gin New Hampshire and elsewhere, but
never before one where su oh an admirable
arrangement was observable throughout
You Caledonia folks have knack of doing
things that we haven't yet learned"
We hear occasional reference made to
the " trotting match" on the last day of the
Fair. If we have a correct understanding
Of the case, the trotting was not a match in
any general acceptation Of the word. The
track was not built tor a race-course and
under the laws of the State cannot be used
as such. The course was designed for the
purpose of giving the horses a chance to
display, not only their speed, but all other
desirable qualities. And we suppose the
Committee understood, from their instruc-
tons to award the premium to the best trot-
ting horse, that something more than speed
was to be taken into account in making a de-
cision. From the wording of the instruc-
tons there is chance for misunderstanding
but whether sufficient to Justify them in ma
king the award they did, is not in our pro-
vince to decide.
We found hens nest on our table the
thor yDorp;uO With <uo Iorno -. = "a