Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-09-30
THE STATE FAI {.

The Brattleboro Pheair contains an inter-
esting %articl. on the late State Fair held in
this Place. The position of the editor,
Charles Cummings. Esq, as Secret Try of the
State Agricultural Society, has enabled him
to compare the results of the Exhibitions of
several years past. = lie gives Instructive ta-
bles of the number of different kinds of hor-
ses. cattle, and sheep placed on exhibition.
They Indicate a steady increase in the num-
Der of horses brought forward. In cattle
and sheep the numbers have been very 1uc-
tuating, and there were not SO many brought
forward this year us on some pr vious ones.
We take a few extracts from the PhGnir' S
article:
The animals that have been bred during
the last four years are far in advance ofthose
that Were on the sage when the first Fairs
were held and in the other departments of
the exhibition the improvement manifested
is, We believe. equally as great and as s"nsi-
oily apparent as it is in the stock. With
such results the Society can take courage
and 20 on from good to better until they
snail make their annual expusitions, in all
these several departments, fully represe Mt
the great agricultural and industrial inter-
ests of Vermont
The Fair just closed has been successful to
Il good degree. The exhibit IN as Il whole was
the best ever made in the State. ana it gave
the numerous strangers present exalted ideas
of the caracities of Vermont as a stock gov
ing State,-ideas which did not fail to find
ir'quent expression in terms qualified only
by the highest degrees of comparison.
The number of horses exhibited was an IN
crease over that ofany former year; at the same
tine tier weref wer tlan ever # those which
have Won distinction abroad. There were
not Il dozen present the names of which are
familiar t. well posted horsemen out of the
STATE. They We're mostly young horses that
made their first appearance tits y ar In the
particular class IN which they were respect
lively entered. Being nearly all of Morgan
or Messenger blood, they not only exhibited
skilful breeding hut gave promise of great
future usefulness"
The exhibition OF cattle this wear indicated
4 very marked improvement, in some respects
in this importlnt dep lrtment OF our agrIcul-
ture. w r,fer particularly 10 the classes of
thorough tired cattle. The committed on
lle- itT INSTANCE. III llclT IGfJIl NtIN
justly remark: 1T is gratifying to notice
tie manifest improvement in this class of
stock. The animals off red for competitor
are superior. and highl mcritprious, and
present marks Of careful and iudlciouS
breeding, IN the right directi H." We annut
but HOPE that this import mt branch of YER
mont stOck-growing Is destined to % on am
open Il uaY sbirce OF wealth To our farming
int rests. We already g,ow the best horses
and the best sheep. Way should We not
grow tie best cattle also?
Tie sheep on exhibition were fair sam les
Of tie great bulk kept by our farmers. For
4 FEW years past there has been a great fall
in. off n't!3c number OF French Nlerinus of r
I'd for exhibition, as will be seen by reference
to the preceding table. This dunnutlon
but correctly indicates the decline in the
rearing Of this breed of sheep. Oar wool
growers have ound them poorly adapted To
the vicisSituieS of our china te, and much
less profitable than thc other breeds: conse-
quently they are RAISED only by a compara-
lively few tanciers. The Spanish MerIn0S
and the different grades of fine wooled sheep,
are increasing much faster than the success
i've exhibitions would indicate. There is n
better soil in the world than that afforded by
our green hills for these sheep, and our grow
ers of fine wool are ready to compete with
the worlt in this department. The long
and middle wooded varieties are mostly either
pare COtswold, Leicester, and South-down, or
c crosses Of these varieties, and the excellence
OF both their fleece and flesh is proyerbial.