Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-10-06
Dog River Valley Fair.

The eighth annual meeting was held September
49, 20 and 30 at Colds Park Mortified, Yer
mont. On account Of the extensive improve
ments and repairs made upon the grounds last
year, all that was necessary this fall was to At up
the track and put things In ORDER which was thor.
oughly and promptly done. Saturday and Mon
day quite number OF ladies from the village, as
sisted by few gentlemen, got the floral decora-
tons pretty well under way and everything
seemed favorable but Tuesday morning 1t began
TO rain and continued pretty steadily all day 40
that little could be done during the day. We'd
nesday was bright and clear and the articles
came pouring In with profu4ion and rapidly
that would have caused much confusion without
the preparation which had been made for them.
The entries were not quite so numerous as last
year but through most OF the classes, and in
Floral Hall particularly, the average Of merit was
fully equal to that OF any previous year. By noon
Wednesday nearly everything had been entered
and was ready for inspection. The accommoda-
ton for animals was unusually good, giving en-
tire satisfaction to the exhibitors and rejecting
much credit upon the several officers in charge.
| GOVERNOR SMITHS ADDRESS
The address. which was delivered in the after
1
Adams, was very finely written, full OF practical
| suggestions, and more than usually satisfactory
to the farmers. Beginning with slight refer
ence to the political campaign now in progress,
Governor Smith congratulated his hearers upon
the fact that we live In country where all the
people enjoy their political rights without fear of
molestation. Being prominently agricultural,
having no great cities manufacturing centers,
our chief interests are closely allied to the cuti-
walton Of the soil, and our first and one Of our
most important, duties is to keep the soil In
| condition OF Improvement. Formerly we suffered
for the want OF good markets, but when railway
facilities cured that, business life quickened and
| prosperity and wealth came into the state. For
| many years Vermont was headquarters for butter
apd cheese, and the Genesee valley was the great
| grain center of the east but few years have
passed, and now whole continent teens with
activity, enterprise and prosperity. Not many
years ago Massachusetts, and other New England
states required all we had to spare, and exporting
agricultural products was unknown. Now the
vast improvements OF transportation have made
1t profitable to send our products and the products
| Of the great west to all parts OF the world The
west is our wonder and admiration. 1t may be
the future seat Of empire" and to ia much OF
the credit for its is due, owing as it does
It's prosperity to the honesty, sobriety and hardi
| ness of New England people, Vermont is equal
after all, to any state in an agricultural point Of
view We need only more thoroughness and
greater care to reap rewards equal to any. What
| has been done upon the banks OF the Nile would
| teach us good lesson, where, for thousands OF
years. narrow belt Of land has supported an i'm
mense population. Vermont makes more butter
| to the COW than any other state, but there is
| great chance for improvement even here. In
nearly every thing we stand In the foreground,
| but we do not do whole duty. Our profess
sion requires great judgment, skill and ability,
aud our success will be according to our develop
ment in these good qualities Agriculture has
gone forward to great perfection in England, but
not to the benefit of her laboring classes. Happy
ought to be, and grateful for the better privi-
| eges we have. Let it be our aim to make the
most OF these glorious privileges in farming and
| everything else.
In this department we found 1t difficult to make
| a satisfactory examination. The owners were
/ not at the stables; many OF the horses had no
/ tags. and Others were out for exercise. More
horses were entered than last year Mares with
colts were shown by Fred Parker, George B
| Loomis X. W. Clark of Mortified and Scott &
Mann OF Braintree, Florence McCarty and N. d
Phelps OF waitsfeld. W. F. Wilder entered
very fine driving horse. r. W. Clark of North
| field and DR.. l. II. Fisk OF Roxbury exhibited very
fine two-years old colts A. S. Cross, L. w.
| Avery OF Mortified, Timothy Blanchard of
Brookfeld and n j. Sumner Of Braintree had
colts OF good appearance. The premium list
shows Others and there were several entered OF
which we failed to get an account.
CATTLE.
S W. Winch, Thomes Elliott and W. S. Duns-
more exhibited very fine Jokes Of oxen, and good
ones were shown by c. A. Tracy, Edward Orcutt
| W. II. Dunsmore and J. G. Hopkins. W. H.
| Dunsmore had pair OF trained calves, a pair OF
trained yearliugs and two-year ODDS and fine
| Devon cow. Henry Jones and w. d. Plastridge
| had several fine Durham heifers. Durhams were
also exhibited by e. + Andrews of Berlin, John
Ferris OF waitsfied n D. Phelps OF waitsfeld
had three-y ear-old that weighed 2O60 pounds
A very fine lot of Devon cattle were shown by
Edwin House of waitsfeld, and very good Dew
ons were shown by +. o. Allen and F. Blanchard
OF Brookfeld. Jerseys were shown by Marshall
Green OF Brookield and Alfred Josyn OF Waits
IL -
bull, Lewis Chatfield of Roxbury had one OF the
same blood and William Alvord OF Brookfield a
very fine bull calf Native cattle, equal to the
best for service. were shown by William Royce of
Roxbury, Nathaniel King and W. W. Holden OF
Mortified and others. Doubtless some were over
looked, the fault being as much the owners as
ours, as in many cases no tags were to be found.
| SHEEP.
George W. Flagg Of Braintree had twenty -five
fine Cotswolds and Hiram Henry of Mortified
had few Of the same breed. Alfred Joslyn Of
Waitsfeld, John Bigelow of Brookfeld, W. H.,
Bacon Of WILLIAMSBURG, W. ii. Royce of Roxbury
and Patrick Mack OF Mortified had coarse
| wooded sheep Of various kinds. w. +. Dunsmoor,
Henry Jones and W. II. Duusmoor Of Mortified
and S. II. Allen Of Brookfield exhibited several
varieties OF fine wooded sheep.
| SWINE
The entries were many more than last year.
George Crane had SOW and twelve fine pigs of
Berkshire breed. Henry Averl and W. +.
Duusmoor had White Chesters Cassius Peck OF
Brookfeld and Charles Dole of Mortified exhib-
tied Yorkshires and there were several other ex-
hibitors Of similar goods
POULTRY.
As usual first and foremost came the coops OF l..
W. Avery Of Mortified well filled with Partridge
Cochins Of pure breed and monstrous size. ii.
II. Walling had ten coops OF Plymouth Rock, Sea-
brights, Brown Leghorns and Pekin ducks, all
very fine stock. W. S. Newton had coop Of
ducks. L. Blanchard OF Brookfield pair OF nice
turkeys. II, S. Newton of Randolph had two
coops OF Langshan fowls. Edward circuit pair
OF peacocks. win Boynton big hen hawk, and
c. c. Gokey showed fine specimens Of Brown Leg
horns, Plymouth Rocks, Bolton Greys and Pekin
Ducks.
FLORAL HALL
was nicely decorated with evergreens and flowers,
and the contributions tastefully arranged, pre-
senting pleasing appearance, without as much
crowding OF the articles AZ is usually necessary.
In the center Of the hall was a floral Bunker
Hill monument" consisting of a shaft about
three feet and half high and eight inches square
resting on base about twenty inches square
The framework was covered with dark green
moss, TO which flowers were att ,ched In the form
OF Union flag, and various other designs, the
letters SD, r. V. FAIR" being around the sides
OF the base Around this upon the table were
bouquets Of choice cut flowers. The pot plants
were arranged In the usual place on the west side