Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-10-15
Agricultural Fairs.
NJ raw. n. NJ MURRAY.

coniiHue in swift succession for nearly tvs
months, uuiil almost every town has had
lis local exhibition. That these annual
gatherings ef the people are conductive
Of COED. 20 one at all eODversaHi viii
the workings Of the agricultural mind car
deny. They serve in manifold ways t'
quickeH thought, enlarge the field OF the
farmers sbseryatiO.. by which his knOul
edge is enlarged, and nstir with healthy
emulation net OSly individuals but neigh
boring sections. An honorable local
pride is cn,sndered, and Innocent rivalrie'
are established which POtently affect fOT
good the local agriculture Of the country
IL is desirable frtm every point ol
view, therefore, that the management oi
these annual exhibisions should be as near
ly perfect as human management may
ever become. Ii is necessary that il should
be wise and impartial in the matter OF Of
fering and awarding premiums aud prizes
to the exhibitors, so that merit may have
its jus; recognition and general satisfac'
ton given to the public. Rings" are
bad enough in politics aud finance, but
"rings" at our agricultural fairs are worse
yet. Let a suspicion arise that the pre-.
miums on horses, fer Instance. ere virtu-
atty awarded before the fair has been
held that this or that horse is singled
out for undeservcd elevation; that the
whole thing is "cut and dried" as the
aying is. and a fatal blow has been
struck at the enterprise. The exhibition
may indeed come off as advertised but it
will be attended with i'll feeling among
the exhibitors and popular dissatisfaction.
1t is upon this subject, how should a
fair-,ho New England Far, for instance
be managed to give satisfaction TO the
exhibitors and the public. that wish to
make a few suggestions in this paper
In tho first place, then, let us consider
tie matter of committees.
The first point We observe in them is
that they are now in point of numbers too
large. The ordinary number, perhaps, is
ten or twelve. Such committee is I'M
wicldy. Its members can never be got TO-
gctker at the call of President. Some.
times only two or three out Of the dozen
appointed will pat in their appearance.
Then the hunt begins for new men to make
good the number. But it is not easy to
find such number of competent and im-
partial men at any time much lesy can
they be found amid the hurry and tumult
of fair ground. The chairman of the
committee rust take whomsoever he can
find willing to serve. Fit or unfit, he
drafts them in. When the exhibitors
present their stock before the committee
they see at glance that the real commit
tee is not there. Men who know nothing
Of what constitutes excellence in the class
of animals they are to sit in judgement
on are before them. This change of the
committee they resent. Hence grumbling
and dissatisfaction arise.
Again, it is just here that the "ring'
fcurshes. They have been looking for
just this opportunity to capture a commit
tee. Let us suppose that stock horses are
called up. The original committee as APP
pointed by the society consisted of dozen
mex, chezen from different sections of
New England, aud known to the exhibit
tors Of these horses to be competent and
impartial men. But when the committee
is called only four of the twelve report
for duty. The chairman is then in
dilemma. Where can he get the other
eight? He rushes out of the Presidents
tent The "riug" are watching for him,
They have favorite horse to 'push."
They offer their services; arc accepted,
and the committee is captured 1t isnow
"ring' committee. TIL award is an.
nounccd, the favoritc, or "ri,ig" horse,
gets the premium, and the exhibitors and
general public are indignant and disgust
ed.
1t is this "ring" influence that threat
ems today TO break up many of our fairs.
Right or wrong, certain. societies are be.
lieved to be run in the interests Of Ger.
tain horses, and certain horses men. This
belief is roofing itself into the minds of
the agricultural public. And nothing ut
and entire change of manage ment in ref
crence 10 the committees will ever satisfy
them. 1t IL safe to say that the New
England Society itself, with all its pres
tige, will never again command the sur
port OF New England breeders and agri.
cultural exhibitors unless it takes such ac-
ton in the premises as shall undo the i'm
preston which has become current that its
prizes. especially for live stock, are for
| the mes, part wholly at the disposal Of
certain rings" so much so, that The
prizes are really awarded before the en.