The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-09-13
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Agricultural Fairs.

BLflCJlyt W See WH"s h4s hS+6H
have been doing. He inspects their
crops, or the choicest of them, their
cattle and their poultry, and COM
pares them with his own. He finds
out or ought to, where he has failed
and where he has succeeded. If he
is a thinking farmer he is not con-
tent with with simply inspecting re-
suits but examines into the methods
by which those results were accom-
plished. A day spent in looking at
fine cattle and horses and the fruits
of the soil is day of pleasure to be
sure, but little profit accrues to the
husbandman unless he studies the
means by which they were produced.
We would by no means deprive
the farmer of any Of the pleasures of
fair day, No.elass deserves.more or
enjoys less hours Of recreation and
amusement than the tiller Of the
soil. There is no season of the year
but brings him severe and unremit.
ting labor-labor too, which is often
times very inadequately remunera-
ted. He has all sorts of adversaries
to contend with and he no sooner
vanquishes one than anotherappears.
Therefore when he has day of leis-
ure he is justified in making the
most of it,
But there is such a thing as COM
bining pleasure with education and
without detriment to either. Let the
farmer have his agricultural horse
trot, his hauling match and his plow-
ing match. If honestly conducted
they will do no harm. But let him
use his brains as well as his eyes on
fair day. If his neighbor exhibits
potatoes or apples superior to his
own, the sensible thing to do is to
ascertain his methods of cultivation.
If he finds they are identical with
his own, it follows pretty clearly that
the soil has made the difference and
the remedy lies in searching out those
elements in which his soil is lacking
and supplying them, In such case
recourse must be had to agricultural
chemistry and an investigation will
have been started which inevitably
yield fund of knowledge which if
properly utilized will swell the credit
side of next years balance sheet. An
agricultural fair should be fruitful of
topics for the winters meetings of
farmers clubs, where there is oppor-
tunity for full discussion of methods,
Much information can be given on
the spot. OF course it is not imprac-
ticableto set forth complicated meth
dds, but it oftentimes happens the
secret. if one may so describe it, that
has produced some notable results
may be set forth in very brief terms
and could easily accompany the ex-
hibit. For instance the tag append
ed to a cows horns setting forth her
yield of milk might also bear state
ment of her feed, and this in many
cases would explain the results and
furnish the data from which the in.
telligcnt farmer could compute
whether or not they were profitable
as we'll as remarkable. This is one
instance, but doubtless many others
will occur to farmers where this plan
could be successfully adopted. of
course there must be reciprocity in
this business, A farmer cannot ex-
pect his neighbor to explain to him
the methods by which he has attain
ed success in one department unless
he is ready to reciprocate regarding
some other branch in which his sue
cess may be notable. By comparing
notes it is possible for both to be ben
Gifted and it is one province, and
very important one, of the annual
fair to suggest these comparisons and
resulting inquiries. When this fact
is more generally recognized an agri.
cultural fair will become a school of
education as well as a place of recrc.
alton. Farmers will not be content
with simply admiring Mr., A.'s APP
pies, and Mr., BIS potatoes, and Mr.,
C,'s cattle, but will supplement their
admiration with investigation. Each
year they will learn new methods
and discover new principles, which
will result in making them better
farmers and their labors less burden
some and more remunorative,-E,