The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-12-12
Agricultural ORGANIZATIONS.

Mr.. BAKER: was a little surprised in look
ing over your issue of the 2Sth ult, to find you
urging the organization of County Agricultu-
raj Society. True, had seen from time to time
reference in your columns to meetings of Ear
mers' Clubs" but had supposed them to be
mere auXiliarcs of q common county organiZa.
ton. 1t seems very STANCE, indeed, that Har
ford, bounded as it is on one side by those splep
didly improved counties in Pennsylvania, and
on the other by the scarcely less improved re-
gion contiguous to Baltimore, should have been
digging and worrying along all these years with
out this great incentive to development and
enterprise in agriculture and mechanics.
You have beautiful country, soilnaturally
fertile and easily improved, and climate as
healthy as almost any other people. In addition
to these your lands are we'll watered and wooded
and produce all the cereals and grasses equal to
those of any of the Middle States. With such
advantages, 1t is astonishing that you have never
had an Agricultural Society," or that YOU find IL
necessary to plead with your people TO keep up
with the march OF improvement all around them.
Hammer away, Mr.. Editor, until your county
men, in very sclfdefence, will be compelled to
take this necessary step for the promotion of
their own domestic interests and industries.
For your encouragement, let me tell you a
little of the effects of agricultural society in
Washington county, Va, where / reside. This
county is about the size of yours with about
half the population, and less than half as much
tillab!e land Although several attempts had
been made in years gone by to establish perma-
nent Agricultural and Mechanical Society, the
effort was never entirely successful until last
year-and then without the necessary buildings
and upon ground borrowed for the occasion Dr-
ring all this time, however, there wasa neigh.
.borhood society in remote part of the county,
and the improvement in that ncighborhood was
SO perceptible that spirit of progress was in
fused into all the more intelligent people, and
this year, as the legitimate fruit, we had dis,
play that surpassed all hope and all expectations
few of more enterprsing ofour farmers and
Others in the county determind to havra count y
organization on he joint stock prinripr--T'!l pei
sharc-and went TO work in solid earnest They
organized about II year ago, and received from
The Legislature an act Of Incorporation. They
then purchased, within fourth of Il mile of the
corporate limits of Abingdon 90 acres OF land
for which they paid 500 per acre. This they
enclosed with Il close plank fence seven feet high
erected building with elevated seats capable OF
accommodating from ] 900 TO 200 spectators q
shed for stock BOO feet long, divided oil into stalls
handsome two story octagonal building for the
judges and musicians. In addition to This they
graded circular track within the enclosure hail
mile in length, for the purpose of testing the
speed and training of trotting, pacing and rack.
ing horses-and may whisper in your ear, fol
the purpose, it may be, of testing them in great
er speed.
The whole cost was but trhe over S. 900, and
at the first annual meeting in October last, the
receipts at the gates at 25 cents per head and
the entrance fees for competing stock paid the
whole expense, besides the expenditure of seve
raj hundred dollars in premiums. The fair last
ed three days, and even then the people would
have insisted upon prolonging it, had not the
Sabbath INTERVIEWED. 1t brought the great mass
OF the people of the county, and of adjoining
counties together, forming more intimate inter
course between them, giving each the benefit OF
the experience of Others, all bringing their best
productions ofall descriptions. To say nothing
of the splendid stock on exhibition, both pedi.
greed and graded, and the SUI crior specimens
of cereals fruits and vegetables, the handiwork
of the ladies alone would have given the occa.
sion an interest sufficient to bring the whole
population together hereafter.
With the experience our people now have
they would not be without their annual fair fol
three times the amount the grounds have cost
them, and am very sure your people are better
able 10 bear the outlay, and know do not fiat
tat them when L say that your farmers have
higher Intellectual culture than ours, and aer
better verscd in scientific farming.
Our society here has started our farmers and
mechanics into improvements they had not
only be great incentive to industry and more
intelligent farming, but perpetual mine OF
wealth to all the people.
Urge your people, Mr. Editor, by all means to
organize a county society at once, have an eXhi-
bition next Fall, and my word for it, they will
not only regret that they had put off the work
so long, but would not be without ii thereafter
under any considerations. They will cherish il
the more fondly the longer they experience its
benefits, and always feel grateful to YOU for your
opportunities in that behalf
Respectfully,
DEC. I'd, 1873 CHG.