St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1857-10-22
ILLINOIS STATE FAIR.

ILLINOIS STATE FAIR.
PEORIA, ILL.,, Sept. %, 1857.
MEssRs EpIToRs Il have just been
visiting the Fair grounds and will en-
deavor to give your readers some
idea of the character of the exhibition.
My limited time gave me an opportu-
nifty to merely glance at many articles
which were evidently worthy of a
more careful examination. My ex,
pcctations have been far more than
realized in the display of horses and
neat cattle. OF the former can truly
say never saw at one time SO many
and so beautiful creatures. \ Yer.
monter remarked to me this afternoon
that his native State never produced
finer animals. Some of them are
valued as high as $2000-and quite a
number cannot be bought for less than
$1,000. Various breeds are repre-
scnted. a large proportion are Stal,
lions. OF Geldings, Mares and Road.
stcrs there are about an equal
number The latter are to display
their qualities upon the track day
after tomorrow. There are several
long cared qaadrupcds on exhibition
which presume are the best of their
species, but they are too clumsy and
stupid to elicit my admiration.
The display Of neat cattle is excel
lent. My attention was called to a
numerous herd of Dcvons, which were
well worthy of notice. The number
Of bulls is, | am quite confident, near
" equal to that exhibited at the Ma
tiolal Fair of 1855. One splendid an
imal OF the Durham breed weighs
$500 lbs. Some noble specimens ot
milch cows observed, also. There
were numerous smaller creatures O
the bovine species, which were notice
able. | saw but three pairs Of oXcl
which were superior animals. You
readers are aware that horses arr
used here in preference to draft cattle
This accounts for the small number OF
exhibition. In one stall | observed
an immense OK, six and half feet il
height, weighing $500 lbs, and very
lean and angular. He looked like q
huge mastodon. If well fattcd, he
would weigh at least $500 lbs. The
tlcccy tribe were largely represented
out with the exception Of some Merl
nos, they received but little attention
The swine had better been left on
altogether they were not superior t
ordinary porkers, which one can see
hundred times in a day pcrambulatint
the streets. The department devote
to farm products presented very ii
tcresting appearance. Some of you
New England readers would be AZ
( tonishcd to sec several stalks of cor
twenty feet in height bearing ears
Among the vegetables | noticed a
enormous squash, two feet and tw
inches in diameter, and weighing a
much as an ordinary man can lift.
was particularly pleased with the frui
department. As is generally the cas-,
apples prcdominatcd, Of which thcr
were many large and beautiful var
cites. Mr.. Lloyd Shaw, a Massach'
sets man, exhibited superior lot
different kinds of fruit. He persuade
me, with but little urging, to try son
of his apples. ! pronounced them
be equal if not superior to any cv'
tasted in New England. 1t is a I
markable fact that wormy apples a
: very rare in this State, which is II
the case in the East. Our horticult
rists find great difficulty in raisii
peaches and pears. Onr winters ha'
been tco severe for the former, a,
, the latter seem poorly adapted to t
soil. Plums are rarely found i'll o
= gardens, but we have any quantity
the wild fruit, which is quite palitab
y Heretofore farmers have given b
,, little attention to garden produc'
. They have devoted themselves almo
solely to the raising of wheat a
. corn. A change, however, is bel
! gradually wrought III their lde;
= The impression begins to prevail
4, !, the minds of many that the luNuri
y of the orchard and vineyard ;
. worthy of portion of that attcntl
' which is now bestowed upon
=, staple products. The mail is j
- closing. and | hasten to Il close. NJ