Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-06-04
THE HER AID.
COUNTY FAIRS.
How they Can be Made more Valuable and
Attractive.

The Rural Sun, the leading agrI-
cultural paper of Tennessee, says:
Fairs have been kept up in Eng
land in the same districts for more
than seventy years, and are yet
places of resort for the country sur
rounding them. The reason is, they
are made the places of traffic as well
as of pleasure. A farmer who has
an article for sale comes with the ex-
pectation of finding ready purchas-
or. The horse-racing feature, too,
has not been carried on to the same
extent, and more attention given to
the growth and yield of crops. Take
the premium list of any OF our fairs
and we shall find that those things
are most encouraged which, from
their nature, encourage themselves,
and vice versa. Two dollars are OF.
fered, for instance, as premium Tor
the best bushel of corn, and SIO0, or
$500. or even $1,000, given for the
fast-trotting horse. Now, it is good
thing to have good trotting horse,
but 100 people raise bushel of pota-
toes where one raises a great trotter,
and if the large premiums are given
for the trotter and small ones for The
potatoes. the 100 who raise the lat
ter lose all interest in the fair, while
only one feels an increased interest
therein TO have good fairs induce
ments, must be held out so as to Sc
cure good attendance and interest
the greatest number. Without this,
the most imperial trotters cannot re-
deem them from poverty. Here is
what we wish to suggest Let the
Oranges in the different counties, or
ia several coun ties combining, buy
up the stock of the falling fair
grounds, and give through them a
stimulus to production. Let the
largest premiums be offered for the
beat five acres Of corn, or cotton, or
tobacco, or wheat, because every
facmes raises one or more OF these
crops, and all will feel an interest in
competing for them. In this way
new encouragement can be given TO
the farming cperation Of the country,
and It's agriculture improved"
That fairs can be rendered more
attractive to the masses by making
them places for barter as well as ex-
hibition, i5 a question which we pre-
sumo viii not be disputed Ia some
states the English idea is carried out
to u limited extent. The manufac-
Lurers take orders for their goods,
the farmers try TO dispose of their
produce, and the breeders offer stock
for sale. All parties meet and pre-
pare notes, and bargains are begun,
although the great majority of them
may not be consumated on the spot.
A every popular and we'll managed
fair traffic comes spontaneously to
tho surface. 1t is the outgrowth of
the gathering, of the comparison of
articles and the exchange of ideas.
Bring the people, the horses, the
cattie, the sheep, the swine, tho ma
chimes and the farm products togeth-
er, and you may rest assured that bar
ter will take care of itself There is
little or no traffic at some fairs for
the reason that diversity of articles
arc not placed on exhibition, attract
lng the attention of people of diverse
tastes. The weak spot in the man
agemeut of a good many fairs in
Kentucky and Tennessee, is the fail
ure to give prominence TO the floral
hall, the farmers hall and 20 the M
chanical department. Live stock
rule the roost, while machinery and
farm products are crowded into an
insignificant corner. To interest the
greatest number in fair you must
place on exhibition the traits Of all
industries We do not believe in
manipulating the horse and cattls
rings so as to monopolize the whole
attention of the crowd. No single
industry or pursuit should be foster
ed at the expense of others equally
important to the community. 1t is
Just as necessary to grow corn and
potatoes as 1T is to raise live stock.
But if the Changers should get pos
session Of the helm, it is TO be appre-
oended that they would not add to
Iuo popularity Ot iH~ AN>''S' ~ Wv
IL they would not do so by following
inc adv ice of those who cry, Down
with the horse" The people would
soon grow tired of looking at pota,
toes, blg corn and wonderful pump
kns, aud they would sigh for some
thing moro exciting, Without the |
horse ring and the cattle ring, fair
would be ike the play of Hamlet
VIII the character OF HamieJ laf |
out There IS great deal Of idle |
talk about the large premiums given |
tos trials Of speed. As moderately |
good horse is worth at least 500 |
bushels OF potatoes, he by the simple |
rule OF proportion should be placed |
highest in the premium list 500 |
for tho trotter and 81 for bushel of |
potatoes is an equitable arrangement. |
b asid3s, where ten people viii pay
to look at potatoes, 1000 viii pur-
chase tickets for he horse trot. We |
take The position that the fast horse |
should not be made the al-in.all of |
agricultural fairs, neither should he
be ignored There is happy divid.
ing line, golden moan, which the
selfish, unreasoning advocates of |
either policy must choose il they |
want the brightess and most sub
stantial success to crown their efforts. |