Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-07-01
For the Journal
HOrse-TrOtting and Racin. at
Stale and CoQntV Fairs


State and County Fairs.
When ma tch is made for speed, either
trotting, pacing Or running, it is expected
that horse will go at the top of his speed,
at that gait, do not see but tile difference
think, however, as far o the horse, is CON
cerned, it IL in favor OF tro ting; first, the
horse is not as liable to injure himself !; and
second, believe that. as general rule, more
mean oS third-rate horses will take the first
premium for speed in running than for tro'
ting.
In answer to ''Glencoer (where We hear
a man speak in public, it is an insult to his
hearers if they cannot have his name-not
so in a newspaper article. Why is this
If the fashion is wrong, let us aoright ito
| believe that this discussion in the Journal
arose from the action Of our Board of Coun-
ty Agricultural Society, on the question of
adopting the premiums of last year, as fol-
lows: "CIass D.-Trotting Horses. = The
Stallion making the best time in harness"
UppE this question it was tie vote in the
Board Of Directors 1t became my duty, as
President of the Society, to give the casting
vote, which had no hest; a ion to give in
the negative. Eow, nearly the whole art
Gle or argument of "Glencoe'' is to the same
effect.
At the last State Fair held at Muscatne,
q rni mn I at ha
lowed to compete for a premium, which had
ever won or lost money for his speed or
want of speed npon the course, which rule
probably either had or needs this amend
8nent-ercept at an Agricultural Fair as a
premium.
ask you to copy the following remarks
upon this subject from the North Western
Farmer for July, page 2ls, which paper
esteem as of the best authortys together
with the resolution of the OHIO State Agri-
cultural Society. They were not content
with refusing to offer Premium for speed
alone, in their own Society, but advised all
the District and County Societies to do the
HORSE RACING AT FAIRS.
The following resolutions respecting
horse racing at Fairs, introduced and passed
by the Ohio State Board of Agriculture, re-
feet our opinion perfectly We think this a
move in the right direction, and it is the
more gratifying from the fact that the reso-
lutions were introduced and warmly advo.
Gated by u breeder of fast horses. We have
always been opposed to these exhibitions
turpi VI FAIRS into horse races as de-
moran and otherwise deleteriou in their
effects Premiums should be offered only
for such animals as show qualities of gener-
al utility -gooI, sound working horses, such
as the farmer needs-not mere snowy ami
mails fast nags-ft only for the race
course. We hope every State Board of Ag-
riculture will follow the example of the
Ohio Board, in passing similar resolutions :.
ResolUed, That pay ng premiums by Agri-
cultural Societies, for speed # horses, sim
ply as such, without due references to quail
ifcation for purposes Of general utility, is a
perversion OF original design.
Resolved, That such trials of speed have
a great tendency TO divert attention from
everything else and what seemed to be their
lnseparable mplishments, are defraud-
ing and demoralizng; and therefore, we
will not offer any such premiums, and will
discourage their being offered by County or
District societies.
write at this time under the misfortune
of not having my article before me, which
was copied into the Journal from the
Country Gentleman, but 1 do not think
that ever said W ord against horse hay
ing Speed but on the contrary, have al
ways considered it as one qualification, and
never as the only one. / agree with "Gen-
coe' generally as to the character of horse
which is most valuable.
But we undoubtedly differ in regard to
what our Agricultural societies ought to do
in order to check this immoral practice of
trotting and racing There is, think, but
very little of this speed.trying of horses
done in this county at this time, as am
very happy to be able to say. The time
was when trottng and racing was quite
common here. l am so positive that the
change has wrought great improvement
to both city and county yes, to the deci-
ded profit of the farmer in raising your
serviceable horses, to the exclusion of those
candle legs, which we both repudate-
Mosesauae legs sotich took the first premium
at our county Fair about four years ago.
| am informed that the Directors of our
County Society are to have meeting to
consider this subject asain. l hope there
will be full meeting of the Board. Ger
tainly shall cheerfully acquesce with the
decision OF the minority.
Thank Glencoe" for his compliments to
Horticulture. We expect to introduce it at
the Experimental Farm of our State Agri-
cultural College. Shall we add thee won't
give it that offensive name) the trottiny
course? What says 'Giencoe p We need
advice for the best interest, of Agriculture
and Agriculture on bust with the horses
and the boys. SUEL FOSTER.
According to the census of 1850, there
were in the United States %, l90,876 people.
Il IL -