New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-10-31
rcTExEsrING TO PARTNERS.
Agricultural Enirs md Cattle shows-
What they Rave Taught, "nd What
they should Trnch as.

farmers festivals under the name Of agricultural fairs
cattie.shows ,heep.shows horSeshows. whca,shows.
fruit shows Sc.
We have at,enled good many those shows dnring
the past quarter OF century. and for 10 or ~
wears we have given faithful reports the sayings ard
doing, and hat we have seen NJ them that Thought
frmofs ought printed in their paper THE TRIB
UNE.
Whq. have hey iausltl Let us see. They have not
ouiy taught The farmer who has attended them The sd
vintage of uslg improved tools. bat they have taught
him their existence OF which he was before wholly
ignorant And this il not all They have taught inven-
tive mechanics the wants of the country. and have been
the cause of many Improvements. The po"man has
been set forward Il century.
The iabo, If rcaping and ing has been csscncd
one half IN consequences Of public shows of reapng ana
MOI ipg machines. so OF many other agricultural I'M
plemcais.
The science Of improving the breeds of al kinds Of
farm stock has been greatly advanced by shows
for it il there that men have first learned that there
were better animals than their own scrubs NJ home
The advantages Of draining have been learned at the
shows where tiles and draining. tools have been cr
hb.ted and where the subject has bcca pubiie, dis
cusscd.
The best methods of manuring. seeding, cultivation,
rotation and management OF crops have been taught
and 40 has the treatment Of farm stock, and how To
produce the most profitable return from various kinds
Of soil and modes of farming
Something but not enough he's been taught about
the bcs, mode Of constructing farm buildings and their
convenient. arrangement.
The object undoubtedly. Of most Of the managers 81
these shows is pro, 1t is Tor this that prize
are offered and awarded. II ia for this that spPropra-
tions are annually made from State Treasures.
The question now most important to be considered +.
whether this bounty is most Judiciousy applied.
There has been time, undoubtedly when prizes
offered for improved Ilovs have stimulated inventors
That time las passed unless indeed avery libern pFisc
were ofcrod-say five hundred or thousand dollar
for some bona dc improvement in this indispensable
farm implement. And such prize should not be
awarded most Of the prizes at agricultural shows
wiihou, any practical test or proper examination.
There vas time. perhaps. when prizes offered at
pow ing matches stimulated boys to learn to be skill
ful rlowmon. Ashley are at present managed NJ all
State Fairs can any Say TINT he honestly believes
that they now do particle Of good' Tho plowiag-
match IS generally tic lcas, attractive feature Of The
show. and il often slurrcd over though Of no moro
Importance than foo,racc between two boys Indeed
II generally Is conducted upon tho raoIag principle and
the prize is awarded 10 the that got, hrst to Tie
goal
That /. no, the way to conluc, plow Ing matches to
promote improvement Let US zee If manascrs VII take
a hint, and work ont an improvement II they cannot.
tlcn le, q. this pa'i Of tic annual show eliifey
abandoned. Ash, IL now Il IS u,ees' It,cach'' both
INK useful.
In the .hou Of agricultural rp'emef.w W. le.fn some
thing alaos every year bat whsi VIC hise i corhnod
to nov Inventions. We leaIn that some alleged no
frovcmeni ias been made What do Ne faoH ~ IT,
value, How does the CoiaH.ii,ec know. When award
Ing przc 20 one Of tesc implements that ih" award l.
for An actual improvement PcrhsP, pris" ~as
Aw ardcd lac, ,,ar for tho Ting. but IS the mann
faciurer has altered IL, appearance ard tels he Goa
uittco be has made a great Improvement. he set
another prize
Now. a. there was trial. What doc- lie Committee
tnov ofihe value - the luvenioa or Of lis inpfurc
mcnii Then whsi have ny taught r. th'ii award ,
Probably i.e.r ctairiuAilon ha. ben 80 hurried
tia, ,loy have no, even learned anything about -
rsocAAnl,m of,he article. - a, give lueid descrp
ton OF IN their report, And o'ihe.e reports IA gene
raj not one Ia ten Is of 40 much value ihe papof Is
- written on
Winning prizes n an agricultural ar IL game o.
IA 10
reports arc oien ade upon the principle u tickle lie
we'll III tickle you too" Many o. The exhibitors are
nc,uaiei sololy By nercennry motive vltAoai pA
tclo Of the noble nature Of rm,r which moves 'h"m
to show good animals or good products 81 the farm
that their brother rmers may zee AID profit ~ their
Improvements.
The prizes offered are o,tou ooniemptlhle sun ~
money tina, would BE- sufficient, iafse 10 temps some
q .iH. 1T
would teach something useful-s FILTERED away In
little beggarly piltanccs upon multitude - objects
The pl1ens,s are nppareniy made up TO accommodate
regular set II prize winners, who bar thea of year
after year.
In many cases thesc show, have run ~ low in chaae
Ter that they are miserable burcsques upon the adu'
try Of the State or County they pretend g. represent
They do not teach anything useful ], Was said Of tho
last Fair Of the American Institute which pretends 1"
represent the manufacturing and mechanical industry
Of America tha.n was mere advertising bazaaf-"
con gregaiion Of clap.iIaps which would make up a
e,,by show and attract visitors This indeed too
,rpe Yet I'll, Institute prctcnds also represent tho
agricultural Interests Of ihc State 30 far that has Tor
many years drawn large sums Of money nom the State
Treasury 70 pay for what teaches In that lne. what
does teach why simply this that nil Of our agrioul
iufal sud mechanical shows need great reform. They
hive either been badly conducted and have failed In
ilcr cflclency or else they never were based upon
sound principle AZ least at present managed they
do not teach Whist They were expected to tescb. They
have been continued by great personal efforts. and
by most unIusabc laudations Of the press
aud IA this respect 30 far We are concerned. with
hope OF sceug improvement from yea TO year and be
cause they have toGgt some useful lessons bat are
al length constrained say that those lessons not
worth their cost
We have always advocated these Annual Fairs and.
30 far m possible. have approved them because they
furnished occasion for great conyocatons of people