Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1871-10-07
FRANKLIN COUNTY FAIR.
AT SHELDON SEPT. 20, 81, %.

cultural festival of our great dairy county.
The first day of the Fair opened rather in
auspiciously, so far as the weather was con-
cerned, and the attendance of people was
comparatively small. The number of en-
tries in the morning was not large, but the
record in the afternoon showed gratifying
increase in almost every department. The
show of horses was considered by good
judges to be inferior to that of former exhi-
billions. The entries in this department,
5 stations, IL breeding mares with colts, %
gait and draft horses, and 90 of other descrip-
tons
The cattle show may safely be pronounced
the largest and best ever before given in the
county. Some 100 head of all kinds were
entered, made up of 80 Ayrshires, 81 grade,
% Natives, Pure Blood Mixed Is Dur
hams, 3 Jerseys and Attorneys, and Dew
ons.
OfoXen and steers there were II pairs of
working oxen, and pairs of fat oxen. There
were two pens of Chester County swine, and
two or three entries in the poultry depart
ment. In sheep the exhibition is said to
have been superior to that of other years,
comprising 8 Merinos, 60 English Long
Wools Leicester &c, and some grade.
The display of the great staple products
butter and cheese, which have given Frank
lin County an enviable reputation abroad,
was Il very fine one, perhaps not eXcelled by
previous Fairs. There was very creditabe
display of mammoth vegetables, and those of
II less pretcntious aspect.
IN tba J,,, II Int
tendance was large estimated mt from 1000
to 5000. The new railroad was II great help
in bringing a crowd. Among noticeable ar
ticles in the Floral Hall the Messenger men,
tio:s a curiosity in honey by o. G. Wait of
Georgia, II honey house, with doors, roof,
dormer windows and all in perfect shape,
which he had coaxed his bees to make and
had appropriately named Sweet Home";
samples of Arnautka wheat, grown by S. H.
Boynton, Esq, of st. Adams, from seed i'm
ported by the Government from Russia; and
the best show of dairy products ever before
exhibited in this State If there had been
nothing else mt the fair but this, and the wo-
men who made it, the exhibition would have
been n success The Grafton was delivered
by Gov. Stewart. He spoke for half an hour
delivering scholarly, practical and sound
address, the lesson of which was to make
farming as pursuit more intellectual, and
therefore pleasanter us well rs more profit
able. The address was well liked by all who
heard it.
The third day was given up to races, at
which the attendance was much less than
the previous day, the "green pumpkins and
stock having been mostly carried away.
The absence of ladies and abundance of"'tan-
glefoot' were conspicuous on this day The
same fraud" was committed here as at Bar
ton, time not being taken. The Messenger
says
"Of the general merits of this exhibition
we do not intend to speak. By agreement of
the judges and the parties concerned, it was
decided not to 'time" the horses. We under
stand that the best time made by any horse
was 2: 46, and the next ibest 262. There
was more or less unnecessary wrangling
among the drivers and their friends, and too
much delay in starting the races. AS "A con-
sequence, the running race which excited
more interest than any other with majority
of the spectators, came off so late that the
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