The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-09-08
For tie Guardian
The Agricultural Fair.

This Article should have reached us some
time since, but the letter was taken out Of the
post office through mistake, by gentleman Iiv-
ing in another part Of the county and it has Just
been returned. Our friend A. Y. win therefore
exonerate us from any intentional neglect of his
welcome communications. %
Mr. EDITOR %s ~ vs. &
In my July article, which you SO
kindly placed in your columns, alluded
to Agricultural Fairs. OF. what is one of
their pleasant concomitants, an agricul-
/ tural dinner But as the dinner is to the
Fair what the pastry is to the bread and
meat of the meal, wish in my August
number (Which for various reasons has
been delayed to- calDthe attention of far
mers to the Agricultural Society of Blu
chanan County. And, first, are you al
ready members9 Ifnot. you have ne
elected too long not merely your duty,
but one of your choicest privileges The
utility of Agricultural Fairs is as well
established in every well-regulated Agri-
cultural community, as any other con-
nection between cause and effect We
are not only the creatures Of imitation,
but social, and more easily influenced
either for good, or for evil, when associa-
ted in masses, than when alone. This in
some degree accounts for the well-estab-
lished fact that since the era of fairs,
where the choicest specimens of stock,
grain, vegetables, the dairy, and all the
variety of mechanical inventions and
art, are exhibited, beautifed by speci-
mems of the handiwork of the ladies,
there have been improvements in every
branch OF agriculture and mechanics, in
a vastly increased ratio beyond that of
any previous period.
Those individuals who join such So
ciety simply because they may happen
to have superior animal, or crop, or ar
ticle of manufacture, on which they hope
to obtain premium, but feebly appreci-
ate the value to the community of such
society, or the refux of influence
it will have on themselves. or all. 70
see in close proximity to each other spec
linens of the good and indifferent, show
ing what every farmer and mechanic can
have by giving due attention to breeds,
and the best manner of feeding; Of
crops, and the way of producing of the
dairy land the " modus operandi" Of max
ing; of the skill of mechanism, and its
influence in rendering work easy and
rapid of flowers, which do so much to
add to the beauty of our western homes
crowned by the presence of women for
who ever knew a fair of any kind wor-
thy of the name, that succeeded, unless
woman gave it her infuence) without
whom our homes would be deserts S.
Every Agricultural Society should be
literally a Farmers Society-that is, un
der their control and management
There are those of this class who are in
cined, TO find fault with the arrange
ments made by the officers, who do moth
ing towards sustaining the Society-who
are Jealous, and assert that their mana-
gers are influenced by selfshness, OF to
make money for themselves out of the
show. Now | will venture to assert that
the officers of our County Society have
in services dollars for every
penny they have received as an equiva-
lent !; or more probably they have never
received any thing at all. Let every far.
mer, then, who can possibly afford it,
whether he has anything to exhibit or
not, come promptly forward, and by pay
ing his dollar, add to the funds that tire
State have so wisely appropriated for
this object and let those who do not
feel that they can give so much, cheer
fully pay the admission fee to the
grounds I am told that some last year
were displeased because such a fee was
required. The writer has had some ex-
perience IN the customs of such Socie-.
ties, and, never knew one that had not
such a regulation, as one means Of in
creasing the funds TO distribute in pre-
miums. lcm SID vet d.y 3Y5 veal
Others are inclined to find fault be-
cause the arrangements for the fair are
not all according to their views Of con-
venience or expediency. Now it is by
experience alone that we can arrived at
perfection in anything and as soon as
the farmers and mechanics of the county
will become, members, and attend the
annual meetings, and select its
managers from different parts Of the /
county-these, aided by experience, will
soon adopt such measures as will best ac-
and carry forward Agricul-
Iural improvement, toF. -
have said that this should be Farm
ers Society, do not mean by that, that
every professional man and mechanic
should be excluded; !; fortunate for the
Society it is, when such feel enough in
terest in Agricultural and Horticultural
10 be willing to give their !
either as officers ormembers.-
Every member of our community, from
the Parsoa down to the Lawyer. is in
terested in making two blades of grass
or grain grow where but one does now. |