Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-09-25
EIGHTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION
OF THE
VERMONT STATE AGRICULTURAL
CnCTETY

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of
last week.
The week next following the State election in
Vermont has been set apart for this annually
recurring festival. Six years practice has just-
fed the wisdom of the selection of that epecial
time for the interests ofthe Society and the con-
venence of the visitors. Unfortunately this
yea;, tie Springfield ITorse-Show was held dur
ing the same four days. We say unfortunate
~, for that exhibition not only took away some
of our best horses and horse men and other ct
izens but it attracted the attention of many low
ers CT horse flesh from other states who would
otherwise have visited our Fair. Falther than
this, many of our OWL citizens in this portion of
the State, at least felt that Vermont could not
get up a credtabe show under SUCH discourage
ing circumstances Theresult only proved the
grouneless nature of their own anticipations, but
demonstrated the fact that Vermont is so rich
in the resources of superior stock that she can
send enough horses from home to another State,
there to win the prize banner from all compe-
ttors, and then have left more material for an
exhibition Of her own than was ever congregat-
ed at any one of her previous successful Fairs.
The exhibition at Burlington the past week
was equal, in the estimation of those who have
attended the eight Fairs now held by the Socie-
ty, taken as whole, to any of its predecessors
and far superior to most of them. In the horse
department the absence of few well known and
distinguished animals was plainly discernible,
but their places were more than filed, at least
in the eye, of intelligent stock growers, by an
uncommon display of mertorious animals of
more tender age-colts and FLIES that will soon
occupy, and fill too, the vacancies to be made
by the best now on the stage of active service.
The show Of cattle was in every respect, with
the single exception of working oxen the larg-
est and best we have ever witnessed in this State.
The sheep breeders were out in very full force,
and their progress from previously high stand
ard was evidently manifested. The other de-
partments of the show-the products of the
dairy, orchard and garden, the superior handi-
craft of our mechanics, and the skill and taste
Of the ladies' were creditable to those who con-
tributed to the display, and manifested the in
terest which is felt in the continued prosperity
Society,"
We have not room nor time for a general de-
tail of the several departments of the exhibition,
nor for the merest mention of the animals and
articles that were meritorous. We can only
glance at the general features of the show, as
they appeared in comparison with the results of
previous years. A comparison of these results
with those of former years will show that the
Society is making very creditable progress in
the right direction.
The whole number of horses entered for ex-
hibition was 492. These were sub-diyided as
follows: Sherman Morgan stations and colts,
81; Mares and FLIES of the same blood, 81;
Woodbury. Morgan stations and colts, 50
mares and FLIES of the same class, 20; Bulrush
Morgans, 10; Hambletonians and other bloods
excluding the Morgans, 60 Matched Horses
81 pairs; Geldings and Mares, 1856; Foreign
Horses, Sc. The number of cattle was 249-
Of these ~ were blood stock, comprising 32
Durhams, 80 Devons and Herefords. The
remainder was divided into Mixed bloods, 66s
Working Oxen, pairs; Steers, SO pairs; Mich
Cows, .; Fat Cattle, IS; Foreign Cattle, A.
The whole number of sheep entered was 524-
Or these ~ were in the class of French Meri-
noes 256 Spanish Merinoes, 80 Mixed breeds
of the fine wooded varieties; and 1877 of the Long
and Middle Wooded class. The Spanish Meri-
noes embraced so bucks, 1870 ewes and II lambs
Little need be said concerning the different
classes of horses. The subdivisions made by
the Society are too well known and recognized
to require any explanations and probably all
our adult readers have formed their opinions of
the relative merits and adoption of the several
classes. The Morgans, in their different branch
es, greatly predominant. The Messenger and
ST. Lawrence bloods are both highly priced, and
deservedly too, for their many excellent quail
ties. A large proportion of the stations and
coltswhich attracted attention were of the Sher-
man Morgan varieties. The stock of the re-
nowned "Old Black Hawk" bids fair to MAIN
tain all its previous reputation for beauty do
cility, action and speed.
The show of blood cattle was by far the lar
gest ever made in Vermont. 1t was a very in
teresting feature of the Fair, and indicated the
progress of very rapid improvement through
out the State in this department of farming
mers in each and every county are introducing
the choicest Thoroughbred animals of the Dur
ham, Hereford and Devon breeds and obser
walton clearly shows the improvement which has
been going on for the past five years. and iusti-
flies the brightest hopes for the future rapid adj
vancement of this department of agriculture
The very deficiencies in the exhibition of cattle
at former State Fairs have led our people to
move in the matter of improvement. The pro-
verbal spirit and enterprise of Vermonters, SO
abundantly manifested in the improvement of
horses and sheep, will soon work such change
as shall make our annual State exhibitions of
blood cattle inferior to those of no other State
of any where near the same productive capacity
Where all were so good it is difficult to par
dcularize with justice. Messrs. Bowdish G.
Wright of Weybridge, exhibited herd of ten
had of borOuuh b.oI IA. 4 : ~.