Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-02-11
Agricultural Fairs.

The Vermont Watchman favors the hold
ing of county fairs under the supervision Of
the county councils Of the order of Patrons
of Husbandry, "and if our state agricultural
society has outlivod its usefulness, or fallen
into bad hands, as some are claiming, what
shall prevent the state grange from holding
grand and successful state fair r. Well
there is need enough Of an infusion of new
life, and very likely of reform into the man.
agsment of county and st ate agricultural so.
cieties. There are plenty of grumblers who
stay at home and take care of their own
business and leave these societies to die or be
run by those who have selfish interests 10
promote, who are vcciferous in the charge of
played out usefulpsss or fraud. They usu.
ally suggest the organization Of rival societies
as a remedy for the alleged evils.
Admitting the existence Of every evil
complained Of, the questions arise, is it best
to reform and reorganizs the societies we
have or incur the labor and expense of du.
plicate organizations in fields which ought to
be represented by those already 10 existence
Is there any obstacle in the way Of thor.
ough overhauling Of any society which is not
doing its duty efficiently and faithfully to
the cause of agriculture I?
1t will be conceded by every fair minded
man, and by none more readily than our con-
temporary that it is waste Of force and Of
money to maintain two agricultural societies
to perform the work within the scope of one.
Our neghbors of New York, who tried the
disastrous experiment Of holding two rival
state fairs in one week, can tell holo the
thing ,eorks. But the reply is made that
"the societies have fallen into bad hands.
How have they fallen into bad hands and
what is TO prevent the new societies "under
the supervision of the councils and the state
grange" from meeting the same fate? The
answer is plain enough. Neither the body
Of the farmers nor fair representation oi
them go to the business meetings of the agri'
cultural societies to look after the common
interests. Any man in the state can become
member Of the state agricultural society
and have an equal voice in its management
by the payment of one dollar annuSlIy. AnC
yet so indifferent are tho farmers Of Vermont
to the benefits to be derived from a stron(
state agricultural society and good Stat'
fair, that they leave the important work O
that organization TO be done by the directors
1t is a notorious fact that twenty-five mer
would be a sufficient number to walk init
any annual or business meeting Of that soci
ETY., pay down each his little dollar, and out
} vote the members present and take possessio y
! of the society and its fund.
1t Is not to be expected that all the far
mers or even a majority of the leading far
! mers of the several towns in the state will
: go to Brattleboro, Burlington or any otbe
t point to attend business meeting. The
Q will not 90 to that trouble and expense /
: see the state fair with all its attractions Q
fine stock, crops and farm implements an
the people, with horse trotS aud side showi
But the county societies can send their dele
gates to the state society to represent then
aud then, If the county societies we're run b
the farmers Of the county, the state sOciet
would represent the body Of the farmer
g Unfortunately they are not so run as ger
eral rule, and very few, who have nev'
> failing fund of public spirit or an axe
grind, are left to bear the burden.
: The farmers for whose benefit all agricu
= tural fairs are, or ought to be, run are Il
ones who have got the work to do, and {
10 them rests the responsibility Of failure thrOuG
/. ineiiciency or fraud.
l. Let them form town agricultural sOCleti