The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-01
OSSIPPEE VALLEY FAIR.
First Days Proceedings.

CORNISH, Sept: oV.
For some years past it has been the custom
of the Ossippee Valley towns to hold a Fair at
this place. The towns taking part are four:
Cornish, Parsonsield, Limerick and Lining
tom and the show is held at the Cornish trot-
ting park, half a mile or so from the centre OF
the village on the long, level stretch OF ground
locally known as "Shapleigh." The enter
prise was undertaken with some misgivings,
but has proved itself an entire success, and is
in many respects more notable exhibition OF
stock and agricultural products than the Coun-
ty Fair itself.
This years exhibition began today and will
continue through Wednesday and Thursday
This day is to the farmer the most interesting
OF the three, because it is mainly given up to
the display of CATTLE of fruits and grains and
vegetables, and of the implements of farmers
work. The succeeding days are devoted to that
discovery of ingenious Fair trustees, 'the agri-
cultural horse trot The display made so far
is very fine The chief objects of attraction
this morning were the town teams, four i'll
number, consisting of long lines of oxen, two
hundred or more yokes to each team. All the
morning cattle came numbering in, and by
noon the stalls were filled, two hundred yoke
being upon the grounds. OF late the
Ossippec towns have given much attention to
the improvement of stock, freely introducing
some of the famous English strains. Thus we
find at the Fair fine specimens of Hereford
and Jersey and Devonshire and grade Dur
ham. No better display, probably, could be
made by any four towns in the state, and few
groups could make as good. OF sheep and
swine the show is small and not noticeable.
The display of fruit is excellent and very
large, as might be expected from these great
fruit growing towns with their immense orch
ards clinging to the southern slopes OF wearl-
some hills. OF apples the we'll known variet les
Baldwins, Greetings, Northern Spies, Bell
Flowers, Russets,-there is show that might
excite the cupidity Of Eve herself, despite the
object lesson she received. Considerable at
tention has been given of late years this way
to the raising of pears and peaches, and the dis
play made of these is extensive and very cred
liable. The Flemish Beauty appears to be the
favorite pear. The peaches, though not SO
large as those from the Jersey orchards, are
fully as rich OF flavor and as richly colored.
Fine cranberries are also shown, raised by the
meadow streams, and several varieties OF band
some plums. In grain the display is chiefly OF
corn and wheat. One stalk of corn, fifteen
feet high, is exhibited. The exhibition of
vegetables would do credit to our best market
gardens. Potatoes ever so few to the bushel,
cabbages as green as a Greenback orator and
bigger than the Republican majority in the
city of Portland, onions as strong as q fusion
falsehood about state expenditures and nearly
as large as the national debt, burden the
groaning tables in the wide building where they
are displayed-a building the walls OF which
are tastefully hung with rugs and quilts and
other specimens of women's work.
Attic time of the cattle inspection there
were five hundred head in line, some from the
neighboring towns of Hiram, Baldwin and
Porter as we'll as from the Ossippee towns.
For town teams the first premium was won by
Limingion, the second by Limerick, the third
by Cornish Parsonsfeld did not compete
The display was the finest ever made in this
vicinity. Premiums were then awarded for cal
tie and swine.
Tomorrow(W there will be an exhi-
biton of stations, gentlemen's driving horses,
family horses and breeding mares and colts.
This is followed by the inevitable horse
'trot. Two purses are tfotted for; purse of
SIS for colts under five years old, and one of
$50 for horses that never beat go. The atten-
dance promises to be large. The days festivi-
ties will be brought to a close by dance (not
agriculturaD at Woodbury's Hall in the even
ing. The horses entered for the 2.30 race are
Millinocket, Coupon and Little Pete.