Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-10-24
yarn' a''O 1oustboID.
Agricultural Fairs.

All the fault-finding which attend
the holding of agricultural fairs does
not extinguish them. or even percepti-
bly, injure them. Every year they make
their appearance, with new attractions.
3 greater interest and larger attendance
The indirect benefits of the town, ccun-
ty and State farmers fairs" says the
Newburyport Herald, ARE even greater
than those for which they are specially
established. The fair is to encourage
great crops, fat cattle, serviceable and
fast horses, cows which give rich and
abundant milk, skill in ploughing,
knowledge of fertilizers and all the pro-
cesses Of the most successful farming
This is The direct object, but it is more
than all this to the farmers. 1t takes
them out of the routine which is dwar-
fling to their humanity, and making
them more farmers than men. Every
trade and profession narrows the man
who devo;es himself exclusively to il.
Even what are called the liberal pro-
fessions are no exception. One wonlG
suppose that the minister would be the
most liberal of any. His themes are
the highest and the broadest, his oppor-
tunities for study and observation am
pie, but the minister with a parish on
his hands has many narrowing influ-
ences against which TO contend. He is
apt to judge of merit as proportional
to the assiduity with which people at.
tend meetings or subscribe for the sup
port of the gospel, and it is curious to
observe how much broader and more lib
eral they become when retired from the
pastoral duties with competent sup
port. The legal profession is called
liberal, but the lawyer falls into the
habit OF looking to prescription as the
ultimate authority. and they learn to
look upon morality as conventional.
Some Of them announce it in these bald
words, and it is a narrowing tendency
of the law to bring men to this view.
The physician becomes pedantic in his
profession, and the storekeeper gets to
measure everything by his own yard.
stick and scales, and every trade and
calling has some narrowing influence
against which men have to contend il
they would be full, round men.
The occupation OF the farmer is favora.
BILE to independence of character and
not wholly unfsvorable to indepen
dence of thought. But the toll is SC
absorbing, the business leads to so in
frequent intercourse with men, except
the same round of acquaintance, tina
the farmer is apt to grow stupid as to
everything but his own round of EN-
ployment, and it is common to hear the
epithet applied "a rusty old farmer 4
is not uncommon for a bright anl
promising young man to become rusty
old farmer, and the brighter. more ell
ergetic, and the more assiduous il
business. the more likely he is 10 fal
into the ruts and become more of farm
er than he is of man. Now the agri
cultural fairs lift the farmer out of BIZ
ruts and set him upon al entirely new
track, or at least 30 far new that it rub
of the rust and the dust of the HON,
soil and brings out the man underneath
Sunday aud the parish meeting hous'
do something in this way, and the tow
meeting good deal, but the agricul
tural fair brings him in contact will
men of similar pursuit with ..-., owl
but of diverse views, and also will
men whom he does not see elsewhere
II is stimulus which is needed to til,
monotony OF country life. and an infu
ence more beneficial than the promotion
OF breeding fat oxen, fast horses, grea
mixers, big crops. and fine ploughiny
The farmer is benefited more as q ma
than as farmer BY these gatherings
The social meeting, alone, Of men iron
different neighb0rhoods has a polishin,
influence, and there are always new
notions, new suggestions and new in
dmacies which break in upon the rol
tine of the farmers life with beneficis
effect. No class need such inhuesce
more. Men of all occupations in cite
and villages meet daily with other me
OF varied occupations. The townsma
Is narrowed by his surroundings jus
Is much as the countryman but in q dill
ferent way, and he needs . differen
corrective. To the farmer the autum
fairs are better fertilizer to his ow
soul than to the knowledge of his bu.i
ness. Moreover they are pleasant III,
profitable to all of us, for the roots {
our prosperity are in the soil. "-Ees
nebec Journal.