The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-08-07
THE PRESS,
FARM AND HOUEHOLD.
Agricultural Fairs,

Fair day Is the farmers holiday. 1t is the
day on which he turns aside from minding
his own business strictly, to see what his
neighbors have been doing. He inspects their
crops,or the choicest of them, their cattle and
their poultry and compares them with his
own. He finds out or ought to, where he has
failed and where he has succeeded. If he is a
thinking Trainer he is nor content with sim
ply inspecting results 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
oil pleasure to be sure, bnt 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 class
deserves more or enjoys less hours of recrea-
tlon and amusement than the tiller of the
soil. There is no season of the year hut
brings to him severe and unremitting labor
labor too, which is oftentimes very made
quately remunerated. He has all sorts of ad-
versaries to contend with and he no sooner
vanqishes one than another appears. There
fore when he has day of leisure he is justi-
Ned In making the most Of it.
But there Is such q thing as combining
pleasure. with education and without detri-
ment to either. Let the farmer have his agri-
cultural horse trot, his hauling match and his
blowing match. If Honesty conducted they
win do no harm. But let him use his brains
as well as his eyes on fair day. If his neigh
Dor exhibits potatoes or apples superior to his
own, the sensible thing to do is to ascertain
his methods Of cultivation. If he find that
they are identical with his own, it follows
pretty clearly that the soil has made the diff
ference 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 10 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 CT topics for the win
ter's meetings of farmers clubs, where there
is opportunity for full discussion of methods.
Much information can be given on the
spot. OF course it is impracticable to set
forth complicated methods, bu. 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 exhibit. For instance
the tag appended to cows horns setting
forth her yield of milk might also bear a
statement of her feed, and this in many cases
would explain the results and furnish the
data from which the intelligent farmer couln
compute whether or not they were profitable
as well 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 recip.
rocity in this business. A farmer cannot ex-
pect his neighbor to explain to him the
methods by which he has attained success in
one department unless he is ready to recip-
rocate regarding some other branch in which
his success may be notable. By comparing
and it is one province, and very important
one, of the annual fair to suggest these COM
PARSONS and resulting inquiries. When this
fact is more generally recognized an agricul-
tural fair will become school of education
as we'll as place of recreation. Farmers
will not be content with simply admiring Mr..
AS apples, and Mr.. BIS potatoes, and Mr..
CPS cattle. but will supplement their admira-
ton with investigation. Each year they will
learn new methods and discover new prin-
ciples, which will result in making them bet
ter farmers and their labors less burdensome
and more remunerative.