The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-03-27
agricultural.
Tim Bunker on Losing the Premium
"a the Fair,

~ iilN n W.
IWLsrcm Esquire b gi,er some ur1ad hiuts
about ihe way Wcutuws afe ral Hui'fqNcuHi
awarded
We take the Gll1ping hOm the Amer
lean APioultunst The evil complain
od Of Is enc that operates 10 the injury
g. Agricultural firs in more instances
Dim the one here mnat0l GEO.
Ma EpIToR - toh you IN my
last about raising q carrot crop with q
new kinduf manure, | did not tell you
how ! lost the premium on the same
crop, II II nu old saying, that merit
wins" but think that must have been
said in times when men were less tlcky
thnuthey are now, ! had always thought
that the only thing necessary 10 get u
premium, wis 10 raise the best CROP
but J discovered at our last fair, that
-li.fr was a mighty difference between
raising premium crop and getting the
premium for IT, -,
You see, our County Fair vas held
NJ Hookcrtown, aud the competition IN
the root crop was pretty sharp, The
people of that town were up IN force,
and guess, if there was one load OF
vegetables, there was twenty, hcaped up
with big cabbage heads and squashcs
long turnips and bccts porsneps and car
rots. Theslley Mr., Slocum was up.
and both OF his dcacous, Fcsscndcn and
Foster, and Esquire jenkins aud all
brought along lots Of garden produce.
Smithyillc was represented by the Law
SONS, the Tabcrs. and the WilcoXcs,
Now, you see, il so happened that
Tom Wilcox kept livery stable, and
had a mare that he thought might take
premium. He fed her high for n
month beforehand, and got her into first
rate condition, and brought her on to the
ground, without saying word 10 the
committee, or anybody else, that she had
tho heaycs. My neighbor Jack Frink,
was chairman of the judges on roadsicrs,
and must have known all about Wilcox 3
mare, "a he sold her to him not three
yeaTs q 90, and she was unsound then,
and only brought seventy dollars.
But Jake had an AK togrind, and was
mighty anxious to get premium on car
rots, no as 10 take wind out OF my SAILS
lie managed TO get Tom Wilcox put down
among the judges on vegetables. Jack
thought the thing might be managed,
and, sure enough he did manage it con
siderable slick. As soon as the judges
came on to the ground, Jack-acciden-
tally, Of course--met Tom, and says he
Mr., Wilcox, you are not n going 10
enter that old mare are you you know
unsound horses are not allowed 10 COM
pete"
Dew tell, Mr.. Frink, you don't say
80. But look here, Jack, she is MS fat
AS porpus, and have fed her on green
stuils 80 much, that she hasn't coughed
for week Nobody ~ know anything
about it, if you don'ttell EN- Of it. liant
you got anything you want premium
on? One good turn deserves another,
I'm on the committee for garden sass,
you know"
Upon this you see, Mr. Frink took
Tom around among the roots, and | had
tho curiosity to keep within hearing dis
lance.
Good carrots, " said Tom, " but you
zee, yourself, they ant so long or smooth
us uid Bunkef's. y ---
"I'n tell you what" said Jake,
"rll double my hill, to make more of a
show and gau-can liIe the aEe44ailis. -..i.=
;hat"
did not hear any more but | saw
Jakc's hired man unloading n cart about
mn hour after; and, | guess, if Jakc's
samples of carrots had II half bushcl in
it, ms the rules required, it had six.
Some of the people opened thcircycs,
when it was read of at the close of the
fair:
First premium on Roadstcrs, Thorn
as Wilcox of Smithyille .-.. $500
First Premium on carrots, jacob Frink,
Of Hookertown $500
. But you see my eyes had been open
cd before. The only shadow of claim
these men had for premium was, that
the one had the latest horse, and the
other had the biggest heap of carrots,
At the last meeting Of our farmers
Club, we had up the subject of root
crops for discussion OF course, each
man gave his experience, and, among
others, Jack Frink gave the details of
his mode of raising carrots. for which he
took premium last fall
When it came my turn to speak,
took occasion to congratulate my neigh
Dor on his success, but was sorry that
he had omitedcto give one very essential
item in his treatment Of the crop, viz:
a large application of horse manure.
Mr. Frink looked very led in the,face
and pretty soon had occasion to go out
and take the air Whether he was trodb-
led with apopexy could not say.
Now Mr. Editor | think it is high
time, that this business of giving pre-
,niun,s Mt tbn fairs had mn ovcrhaulinu