Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-09-04
MUsCATINE COUNTY AGRICULTU-
#aEt RAJ SOCIETY. = 49, Ess So
TENTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION.


AFrand Success.
a.. w. ~ FIRST DAY. o. ltfttff
The tenth annual Fair of the Muscatlne
County Agricultural Society opened yester-
day morning with great success. Four hun
dred membership tickets were sold up to
four o'clock, against ninety-two sold on the
first day last year.
The number Of entries is unusually large,
especially of stock. The number Of horses
already on the ground is greater than was
ever brought at any similar Fair held in the
county. Of cattle, the show was very large,
there being full pens. Some Of them are
beautiful animals. The finest specimens of
hogs We have ever seen were entered yester-
day. In this class there is good show
The number of sheep on exhibition hardly
came up to expectations, but the deficiency
iu quantity was amply made up in the quail
ty. There were but five coops Of poultry, ex-
hibiting some fine specimens of imported
ducks and geese.
There were but few agricultural imple-
ments on the ground yesterday. We noticed,
however, horse hay rake, patented by
Millar and manufactured at New Paris, Ind
lana, which we Judged would perform its
work we'll. There was also Pitts thresher,
Buckeye drill, and two machines, invented by
Mr.. Furnas, Of Ononwa, Loui'a county-one
y corn pillow, the other a cultvator. On both
Of these machines the operator performs his
work riding, great improvement on the old
plan of "of following the plow," and "earn-
ing the bread by the sweat of the brow" they
have been fully tested by practical farmers
and pronounced perfect.
are after all, the peasantest feature of the Fair
The first on the western side of the enclosure
is the Zine Arts Hail." Every available foot
Of space in this large building was occupied
by some article of domestic manufacture or Of
merchandise. In one corner S. G. & P. Stein
show magnificent chamber set Of furniture,
manufactured from chestnut wood. They
also have several other articles of furniture,
all of the best quality. Further on, VIM. A.
Brownell exhibits a fine array of cooking and
parlor stoves, tin, Japan and porcelain ware
The articles are Of the best manufacture
Opposite these, L. McGreer exhibits an excel
lent wooden pump, such an one as we were
formerly wont to see in the old homestead
These pumps have already attained wide
reputation. They are, after all, much better
than any newly invented article. At the
southern end of this Hall, James Donnell
exhibits stand of bee hives of his invention.
The eastern portion of this Hall is devoted
exclusively to articles of domestic manufac-
ture. The number of jars, bottles and tum
b!ers containing jellies, jams, preserves ard
pickles, evince not only the skill of our ladies,
but also their interest in the success of this
feature of the exhibition.
Passing eastward, we come next to the
Floral Hail." a very prettilv arranged build
ing 1t is divided into two sections, by a
partial partition running lengthwise of the
building. The souther portion is devoted ex-
clusive!y to plants and flowers, and it is to the
beautiful arrangement of the many kinds
of plants and flowers on exhibition here that
it owes its attractive features. There are two
separate displays Of house plants, both Of
them highly creditable to their exhibitors
Mrs. E. Msa4on occupies the western end
of this -cens ament with lovely and vari-
Gus collection of plants. At the other ex-
tremity, Mr.. Westphall, of Iowa City, an
experienced Floriculturist, has displayed a
marvellous ingenuity and excellent taste. In
the center of a small basin Of pure and clear
water, on which pond lilies and other acqua-
tic plants float and flourish, and over the
bottom of which is strewed pebbles and shells,
giving to the whole very natural appear
ance, small jet of water spurts up, appar-
emily from an island of stones, to consider
able height, falling back into the basin on
variety of sparkling showers. Surrounding
this basin are the various, rare and beautiful
plants, the cultivation of which Mr.. West
phall makes speciality. The brink of the
basin is also surrounded with wall of moss
grown and venerable stones. Not one vestige
of the apparatus used to produce these beau
tiful effects is visible to the eye. The display
is we'll worthy visit.
In the other apartment of this Hall, there
are numberless articles of ornamental work.
A basket of fowers-,he former of shell and
the latter'of tissue paper-made by Mrs. J. G.
Evans, attracted much attention, as did also
a basket of fruit made from wax by Mrs.
Little. The master piece, however, was
couple of vases made from Parian marble,
containing wax flowers, the result of Miss
Angie STEMS skill, which were so perfect as
to deceive the best judges.
The next building east of the Floral Hail.
is used for the exhibition of fruits and farm
products, of which there was only moderate
show, owing, doubtless to the fact that the
season is not yet far enough advanced We
noticed, however, fine show of apples by
Isaac Negus and James Cattell. There was
also a fine lot of wheat on exhibition, besides
quite variety of pumpkins, squashes, beets
and potatoes.
OTHER MATTERS.
The dinner given by the young ladies
for the benefit of the soldiers, was deservedly
we'll patronized. The young lsdies are enti-
tied to great praise for their noble Efforts
Although it was the first attempt Of many of
them at housekeeping" they succeeded ad-
mirably, and will probably all get first pre-
miums and be awarded good husbands. So