The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-01-31

or II they do not attend, from showing their
stock or other property. They say that this
practice Of giving the highest premiums. no,
to the horse or other animal that's calculated
to be the greatest benefit to the farming in.
terest, but to those that by sacrificing their
other and better uses, are kept exclusively for
speed or show, is not only calculated to pro-
mote their best interest, but to have per-
nicious tendency, by encouraging fast driy-
ing and other reprehensiblc practices. Nor
is this the worst. They often see premiums
Of $40, 900, and so on up ito hundreds, given
for objects calculated TO be Of little IL any
benefit to the farming community while
perhaps the highest premium offered on farms,
is only S5. That is, farm that has co'i
the owner almost the labor OF lifetime. and
perhaps many thousand besides, 60 bring into
its present beautiful and highly productive
condition, making 1t worth ten, fifteen,
twenty, twenty-five thousand dollars, as the
case may be, is not considered entitled to
half, perhap, not one.fourth, as large pre-
MUM Us "lady," for few turns around
the track ON horseback; or to one-tenth, or
perhaps one.twentieth as much. as the horse
that can trot around the track the quickest.
The thoughtful, obscrvant, but quiet peace
able farmer, no, being willing to counten'
ance or encourage such proceedings. and
knowing that it will be difficult, IL not i'm
possible, to countract the central city or
village influence, which considers that the
main object in holding fair is to get out
large crowd-I say such farmers either stay
at home. or If they attend, are uninterestcd
and indifferent spectators.
But, say the advocates of sensation per
formanccs, "something must be done to get
out crowd. 1t costs great deal Of money
to buy and ct up a fair ground, and pay all
expenses, premiums, &e." Granted; but is
not a large portion of this money expended
for the very purpose of preparing for. and
drawing out crowd? Are not fair grounds,
as general thing, as large again as they
would need to be. were they not prepared for
large crowd? And finally, us at present
conducted, and when the mos, successful In
drawing out crowd, is there anything like
an adequate or proportional benefit realised,
for the time and money spent by the Society
in preparing for great sensation show, or
for the time and money spent by the thou
sands who may be induced to attend 1t.
Again, taking it for granted, as think 1t
must be, that there is nothing like cores
ponding benefit received, for the time and
money spent in setting up, and attending the
sensation portion Of fairs; is it not serious
question for the consideration Of all boards
of managers, whether they are justifable in
providing for and promoting oil the various
sensation performances, which would be but
little noticed or thought Of, were IL not for
the apparent character and consequence i'm
parted to them. by being got up and carried
out by respectable Societies. composed OF the
leading and influential men OF their respective
communities. And also to consider whether
they are justified not only in spending, and
causing to be spent, grca, deal Of time and
money to very little public advantage; but
whether in 50 doing, they are not doing a
great deal to prevent and countcract much OF
the benefits that otherwise might be realised
from u good Agricultural Fair. L.