Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-10-25

hem IN their vocation, great point would
be gained. But they go in quest OF enter
.ainment, and find this mainly in horse
racing.
Of all human opportunities for instruc
ton in humility and self-depreciation. the
average public speakers is the best. He |
hurries to place where he has been told |
that his presence and utterance are earn
estly and generally desired, perhaps to find |
that his invitation came from an insignifi- |
cant and odious handful, who had some
private ak to grind so repugnant to the
great majority that they refuse to counte
nance the procedure, no matter how great
the temptation. Even where there is no
such feud, many, having satiated their Gu
riosity by a long stare at him, walk whist
ling of, without waiting or wishing to hear
him. But the speaker at fair must cum-
pete with a thousand counter attractions,
the least Of them far more popular and
winning than he can hope to be- He is
heard, so far as he IS heard at all, in pres
ence Of and in competition with all the bel
lowing bulls, braying jacks, and squealing
stations in the county if he holds, never
theless, a quarter Of the crowd, he does
well; but let two jockeys start a buggy
race around the convenient track, and the
last auditor shuts his ears and runs of TO
enjoy the spectacle Decidedly, I insist
that fair ground is poorly adapted to the
diffusion Of agricultural knowledge-that
the people present acquire very little in
formation there, even when they get all
they want.
What is needed to render annual fairs
useful and instructive far beyond precedent
I sum up as follows:
I. Each farmer in the county or town
ship should hold himself bound to make
some contribution thereto, if only good
hill of corn, peck of potatoes, bunch Of
grapes, a squash, mellon, let him send
that. If lie can send all of these, so much
the better. There IS very rarely thrifty
farmer who could not add to the attractions
and merits of fair if he would try. If be
could send 4 cage of superior fowls, like
ly calf, OF first rate COW, better yet; but
nine tenths of our farmers regard a fair as
something wherewith they have nothing
to DO. except as spectators. When it is
half over, they lounge into it with hands
in their pockets, stare about for an hour,
and 90 home protesting that they could
beat nearly everything they saw there.
Then why did they not try? How can We
have good fairs, if those who might make
the bes, display of products save them
selves the trouble by not making any
I The average meagerneSs of our fairs, so
generally and justly complained Of is not
the fault Of those who sent what the had,
but of those who, having better, were too
lazy to send anything. Until this is rad
ically changed, and the blame fastened ou
those who might have contributed, but did
not, our fairs cannot help being generally
meagre and poor.
/ II. 1t seems to me that there is great
need of an interesting, and faithful running
commentary on the various articles exhib
tied. A competent person should be en-
ployed to give an hours of-hand talk on
the cattle and horses on hand, explaining
the diverse merits and faults Of the seyera
breeds there exhibited, and of the repre-
sentatives of those breeds there present
If any are peculiarly adapted to the local.
ty, let that fact be duly set forth, with thu
simple object Of enabling the farmers t.
breed more intelligently, and more profit
ably Then let the implements and ma
ohinery on exhibition be likewise explain
ed and discussed, and let their superiority
in whatever respect to those they have su
perseded or designed to supersede be clear
ly pointed out. So, if there be any ney
grain, vegetable, or fruit, on the tables, lie
it be made the subject Ofcapable and thor
oughly impartial discussion, before sucl
only as chose to listen, and without puttin
the mere sightseers TO grave Inconvenience
A lecture room should always be attache
to a fair ground, yet so secluded as to shu
out the noise inseperable from q crOwde
exhibition. Here meetings should be hel
each evening for general discussion ever
one being encouraged to state concisel
the impressions made on him, and the i'm
provements suggested to him by what h
had seen. Do let us try to reflect and con
slider more at these gatherings, even The
at the cost of seeing less
III. The well supported agricultural SC
ciety of rich and populous country mu:
be able, or should be able, to give two {
three liberal premiums for general prof
cheney in farming. If Sl0G could be pro
fered to the owner or manager of the be!
titled farm in the county, $50 to the ownt
Of the best orchard, and $50 to the boy III
der Is years of age who grew the best acl
of corn or roots that year, am confdei
that an impulse would thereby be given t
agricultural process. Our premiums al
too numerous and too petty, because so fe
are willing to contribute with no expect.
ton of personal benefit or distinction
we had but the right spirit aroused, v
might dispense with most of our petty pr
miums, or replace them by medals of 1
great cost, and devote the money thus sa
ed to higher and nobler ends.
". Much of the speaking at fairs seen
to me insulting to the intelligence of tt
farmers present, who are grossly fattert
and eulogized, when they often need to |
admonished and melted to mend the
; ways. What use or sense can there be in
0 lawyer, doctor, broker, or editor, talkir
u to crowd of farmers as if they were Il
most favored of mortals and their life Il
noblest and happiest known to mankint
u Whatever it might be, and may yet becon
II we know that the average farmers life
: not what it is thus represented; for, if
! were, thousands would be rushing into
!. where barely hundreds left it !; whereas ,
u all see that the fact is quite otherwise. !
II good can result from insincere and extra
: agant praises of calling which so ft
II freely choose, and so many gladly shu
> Grant that the farmers ought to be t
y most enviable and envied vocation.
know that in fact it is not; and agreei
that 1t should be, the business in hand
n to make 1t SO. There must be obstacles
y surmount, mistakes to set right, impe,
ments to overcome, before farming can