Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1863-06-04

With all that has been written in favor OF
these institutions, and the efforts that have been
made to establish them, they are still great
desideratum in the farming districts. There
can be no doubt that our farmers are losing
millions of dollars every year for the want of
them. In this respect the British farmer has
one Of hi $ chief advantages over us. 1t is not
so much that he has cheaper labor, that his liv-
lug expenses are less, or that he follows his
business more closely, that he prospers, but he
has steady reliable market near home for
everything that he produces. This gives him
great advantage over us, notwithstanding he
has to pay a rent of from ten to twenty dollars
an acre for his farm and much heavier taxes
than ours. Every farming district in England
has its weekly market. II farmer has fat
cattle or milch cows TO dispose Of they are
driven few miles to the Market Fair and sold
nearly as well as he could sell them in the Lon
don market without the large expense of
transportation. II butcher wants cattle he
goes to the fairs to buy. Here, there is a mid
dleman. drover, between the butcher and the
farmer making his profit, often a very large
one, which would otherwise 90 to the farmer.
II the English farmer wants store cattle, he can
Hnu just WIul ne wants dt the expense Of q
morning ride. Here, il a farmer wants a stock
OF cows he has either to go to a distant market,
losing travelling expenses and time. or to take
his own conveyance and spend a week perhaps,
in picking up what he wants, in his own or the
neighboring towns, at such prices as he is
obliged to pay. There is no stealiness 10 the
prices in buying or selling, except in the large
market towns. The regulation of prices is
very much in the hands of mddlemeu.
But few efforts have been made to establish
such fairs in this country, Notwithstanding their
manifest advantages. 1t takes time to change
from a system in which we have been educated,
even though that system be a bad one. There
is nothing in our circumstances to forbid the
establishment oil these fairs and the full reali-
cation of lheir benefits. They began as religi-
Gus celebrations many years ago. We have
nothing, except our Annual Agricultural Ex-
hibitions, upon which such market fairs could
be grated, and these are quite too far apart 10
answer the purpose. The place, however, where
such exhibitions are he'd, generally the cllE or
village in the trade center OF county, Wouiu
be good starting point for the hlrs' ~ not
unfrequently happens now, that SlIe VI $50
and oiher nroducts occurs at the close OF the
ann,,ai evbini,ion. More or less exchange OF
nroGncts always takes place. Where Society
has grounds and permanent stalls and build
mos all the convenienees are provided that
wouid be headed for the accommodation OF
market fairs. There would need to be some
concert of action to get them started, and gem
erally the men most interested in the County
Society are the right ones 10 project the market
fairs and make them successful They might
at first he held quarterly or monthly, and then
more frequently as they became better known.
Once established they would take care of them
selves, as it would be for the personal interest
of every farmer in the district to buy and sell
in that market. This matter should be dis
cussed at our farmers clubs, and annual ogri-
cultural meetings. CONNECTICUT.