St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-10-24
From the Congregationalist.l
Agricultural Fairs.

| ne nlllnbtI Vi ASll'ulluldi an
held annually in New England is as,
tonishing. There are, | suppose, foul
on five hundred, all told. Beginning
with the New England Fair, which
meets the first of September, they con-
tinue in swift succession for nearly two
months, until almost every town has
had its local exhibition. That these
annual gathering of the people are con-
ducivc of good, no one ut all cOnVeIs-
ant with the workings of the agricul-
tural mind can deny. They serve il
manifold ways to quicken thought, en-
large the field of the farmers ohscrva-
ton, by which his knowledge is en-
largcd, and stir With Il healthy emulation
not only individuals but neighbOring
sections. All honorable local pride Is
cngendered. and innocent rivalrcs are
established which potently affect tol
good the local agriculture of the coun-
try.
1t is desirable from every point OF
view. therefore. that the management
of these annual exhibitions should he
as nearly perfect lis human manage
Sary that it should he wise and impair
tial in the matter of offering and
awarding premiums and prizes to the
exhibitors, 50 that merit may have its
just recognition and general satisiac-
ton given to the public. Rings" are
bad enough in politics and finance,
but rings" ut om agricultural fairs are
worse Yet. Let Il suspicion arise that
the premiums on horses. for instance,
are virtually awarded before ever the
fair has been held: that this OF that
horse is singled out for undeservcd ell
ovation that the whole thing is ''cut
and dried, us the saying is, and Il ia
tai blow has been struck at the enter
prise. The exhibition may indeed
come off us advertised. but it will he
attended with i'll feeling among the
exhibitors and popular disatfection.
1t is upon this subject, how should a
fair-thc New England Fair, for in
stance-he managed to give satistac-
ton to the exhibitors and the public,
that | wish to make il few suggestions
i'll this paper.
In the first place. then, let lis consid-
er the matter of committees.
The first point we observe III respect
to them is that they are now in point
of numbers too large. The ordinary
number, perhaps, is ten or twelve
Such il committee is UuwicldN. It,
members never can he got together at
the call of the President. Sometimes
only two or three out of the dozen APP
pointed will put i'll their appearance
Then the hunt begins for new men tc
make good the number. But it is not
easy to find such IL number of compe-
tent and impartial men at any time
much less can they he found amid the
hurry and tumult of IL fair ground
The chairman of the committee must
take whomsoevcr he can find willing
to serve. Fit or unfit, he drafts then
in. When the exhibitors present then
stock before the committee they see al
Il glance that the real committee is not
there. Men who know nothing of what
constitute excellence i'll the class OF
animals they are to sit in judgment on
are before them. This change of the
committee they resent. Hence grum-
bling and dissatisfaction arise.
Again. it is just here that the ring
tiouriShes. They have been looking
for just this opportunity to capture a
committee. Let us suppose that stock
horses are called up. The original
committee as appointed by the society
consisted of Il dozen men, chosen from
different sections of New England, and
known to the exhibitors of these
horses to he competent and impartial
men. But when the committee is call
ed only four of the twelve report for
duty. The chairman is in dilemma.
Where can he get the other eight lie
PUSHES out of the Presidents tent
The ring are watching for him.
They have a favorite horse to push. =
They offer their services are accepted.
and the committee is captured. 1t is
now ring committee. The award
Is announced, the favorite, or .'ring'
horse. gets the premium, and the ex-
hibitors and general public are indig-
nant and Disguised.
1t Is this ring" influence that threat
ems to-day to break up many of our
fairs. Right OF wrong, certain socie-
ties are believed to be run in the inter
ests of certain horses. and certain
horses, and certain horses men. This
belief Is roofing itself into the minds OF
the agricultural public. And nothing
but an entire change of management in
reference to the committees will ever
satisfy them. 1t is safe to say that the
New England Society itself with all
its prestige, will never again command
the support Of New England breeders
and agricultural exhibitors unless il
takes such action i'll the premises as
shall undo the impression which has
become current, that its prizes, espec-
Tally for live stock, are for the most part