Smyrna times., 1859-10-06
Agricultural Fairs.

Agricultural Fairs have become in the Uni
ted States permanent institution. The fall of
the year is the favorie season tor holding them,
when the harvests are over, and the heat of the
sun has ceased to be intense, though the leaves
are still green on the trees, Or if affected at all
by the advancing season, are just beginning to
put on the glorious autumnal tints Under the
bright American sky of this season the fairs are
more generally held; and vast concourses of
people come together to see the exhibition of
full booded horses, fine cattle and poultry, and
improved agricultural machines and imple-
fnents The display of vegetables and fruits,
too, is very interesting to housekeepers and to
those who are engaged in the cultivation of
them. And, to citizens especially, the lively
and novel appearance of the exhibition grounds
is the most attractive portion of the whole |
scene.
The view of a fair ground to a stranger is
amusing, but the frequency of these fairs and
the spirit with which the agricultural popula-
tion enter into them, suggest serious though
agreeable reflections also. Fairs like that which
has Just been held at Powelton are an evidence
that agriculture is no more the isolated pur-
suit that it once was, and show that the farmer
and breeder of stock are stimulated in their
avocations by all the influences that competi-
ton arOuses. Emulation kept within due limits
is noble, and it has done great deal in few
years to improve agriculture. 1t is in this re-
lalon that agricultural fairsa extremely USE u
~
of the soil such as it is difficult for citizens to
understand. Hundreds and thousands of farm
ers are converted into readers of agricultural
books and periodicals, who otherwise, without
the excitement they have received from fairs,
would have been content forever with trudging
on in the old land-exhausting processes of cul-
tvaton. This is one of the most important :
uses of agricultural fairs. By rousing the in =
telligence and energy of the farmer they have
done more to improve the breed of men thar
the breed of cattle. They have been Indirect
ly the cause that has led to the importation of 7
improved stocks of horses and cattle to the
raising of immense crops of corn to the growth
of mammoth turDips and pumpkins. In conse-
quence of them we have been startled by the >,
strange looking sheep and chickens; delighted 7
with the whitest of curds, the sweetest of but .
ter and the most delicious of pears and plums. h
But not half their tale is told if we stop here. o.
They have done more to improve the class of q
people on whom the main reliance of country h
is placed, than any other one agency We can b,
think of. D
So, long may agricultural fairs flourish el
They eviace the better education of the farmer.
They are the result of his higher intelligence,
and are the instrument by which he is urged
on in his course of improvement. They are -
the product of cooperation, the result of that ~
system of combination which is so characteris- 81
tic Of our time. And may it be said Of agri- y
cultural fairs that they among the best fruits "
OF eombnaton-they are among those objects "'
to which combination may be rightly and pro-
htably directed. Unfortunately, in other direc- IL
tons, combination is oftentimes carried too far n,
TO tie destruction of individual self-reliance h,
and independence. Men can no more accom- Il,
Plish certain intellectual and moral ends by ~
mere combination than the builders of Babel or
could scale Heaven. But in a science and art l.,
like that of agriculture-a pursuit that distri- g,
butes men, and naturally tends to isolation, W
combination for, and interchange of, ideas and .r
comparison of results, is important.-NOrth s,
American. =: