Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-02-14
agricultural.
For the Freeman.
The Lessons of the Fairs

Now that the festivities Of the Christm j.
holidays are over, the donation visits paii
and the leisure Of mid-winter evening Is come.
we have time 10 review, arrange, and elias.
f. the facts We have gathered, and TINS
change them from barren isolation to value
bic and available knowledge.
The particular class of facts with whiat
we propose more particularly to deal ID
now, are facts pertaining to ans, their
value, their tendency, and some notice 1f
such articles exhibited at some of them, s-
seemed to be ofmo5t general interest and merit
Fairs are no longer an experiment in our
country, but q fixed fact, permanent i1-
stitution, though their character Is changing
BY degrees from that Of an exhibition purely
and simply to that of market as well,
where those attending expect to buy or sell
the articles exhibited a. well as enter then
for competition. This is a change in the rigat
direction, and We hope it may continue nm
I'll the practice becomes as universal here as
il has long been in Europe, for it Civ
another and la practical value for the farmer IN ]
artisan, a. well as to the purchaser who wi
(when 10 comes 70 b. 50 understood) find tae
best articles OF their q uses together for ez-
animation and selection
We would urge up)n those wishing to
purchase or dispose Ot stock, tools, ma
chiuery or produce t. help along the work
and make their wants known at such fairs as
they may attend the coming year, and mana
gers of fairs would do well to establish a
" sales department " so buyer and seller can
easily filI each other Another good ide.
would D. to have cards printed for such a.
desired with . Fur Sale : and - Price ' 81
m.
The money value OF premiums awarded "a
fairs is ordinarily so small as to mai then
Of no Importance; the other and greater
value being the sort Of patent Of superior
excellence which Is conferred on the article
10 question BY me award of the committed
the statement . by authority that this 4,
the best OF its kind; and this value viii de-
pend almost entirely upon the reputation
which the society has earned for SO coustt
tuting their examining committees thai
their Yerdicts shall show sound judgment
and fearless and impartial action, regardless
Of all influence Of locality, breed, owner
OF anything whatsoever outside or fore &
to the merit Of the article in question.
IL is probably impossible to - arrange anC
conduct fair and award the premiums q.
to have everybody satisfied, as man is fnit,
land selfish as well, to say nothing Of al
occasional rogue) and judgments differ; bu
it Is quite as impossible for committees tc
award premiums to unworthy articles shown
by Z" because he is an influential man am
does great deal for the society or s.
must have something to keep him quiet,
or . Q has taken great deal Of pains t
come and we must encourage him. or 70
any such cause generally apparent and Otter
expressed, without the result in due time o
an universal opinion which the receivers c
those very premiums viii share, that th
awards Of that society have no value, its e1
preston of opinion entitled to no respect, an
its honesty worse than doubtful.
The evils resulting from such a conditio
Of things aside from the greatest of all evils
the undermining of public confidence, an
the corrupting of public integrity, to
many for enumeration and too apparent I
need proof yet in attending fairs from tn
Atlantic to the Mississippi, we find the IL
stances of such condition, as proven b
general remark, " the reputation for trut
and veracity," much too frequent to
classed as rare exceptions
And not to managers and judges alone
this char, cable exhibitors resort to trick
and knavery and falsehood to secure awards
At trial of threshing machines at the ia
in Western State, the competitors eac
drew load of the same number of bundl,
of wheat from stack at some distance, Fl
the trial. The first, intending to make gu
of showing that hisimachine was the best ar
would thresh the'cleanest, had a bag of whe'
convenient which he poured over Il
op of his load while on the way. The se