Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-10-08


Made for a Rousing Time Next Year.
The fourth annua! fair of the ChebOy-
gan Agricultural society, just closed.
can be, in one sense of the word, called
the best and most profitable exhibition
ever given by that organization. To be
sure the weather was so terribly bad
that the attendance was next to nothing,
and the receipts failed to pay the sx-
penditures, but the great point gained
is in the grand awakening among the
farmers to the good effect of their an
nual meetings, and the effect is shown
by the large, varied and extensive ex-
hibit made this time. Too much praise
cannot be expressed for the action of our
county farmers in connection with this
matter and their laudable ambition to
get up fair that would successfully
rival many older and more highly favor
ed communities. All parts of the county
was we'll represented, in fact, eyery
township, with two exceptions, were
there by their representatives and all
brought along something toward max
ing the exhibition success.
After a careful survey of all the diff
ferent vegetables and grain shown, we
heard gentleman, who had formerly
been resident of Lenawee county, one
of the oldest and most highly improved
counties in the south part of the state,
express the opinion that this exhibit
would get away with a good many
of the county fairs that had been given
there, and the comparisons thus express
ed by this gentleman was but one of the
many favorable comments made. The
fact is, the exhibit was so much more
extensive and var led than was looked
for or expected by any one.
The entries III ade for stock show
some very good breeds and their appear
ance made very creditable i'm
preston on all who viewed them, par
ticularly was this noticeable in the
grades of sheep and hogs shown, as also
was it in horses.
Still the chief attractions of the ex-
hibit lay in the line of grain and yege-
tables, they being arranged by the
committee, having the main building in
charge, so as to produce the most favor
able impression on visitors. The first
thing that met the eye of the visitors as
they entered the building was the head
of the center table loaded with some fine
specimens of melons interspersed with
varied collection of fruit-plums,
grapes, crab apples and few samples
OF apples that would compare favOrably
with those grown In any part of the
state, for size and while
further down, the table was filed with
few of the finest specimens of vegs-
tables, dairy products, fancy work, and
the effect of it all was made more pleas
ing to the eye by the fine samples of mil
linery work from the store of Miss M. w.
Smart, displayed in snowy case at the
farther end. The tables on the left hand
side was exclusively devoted to vege.
tables and grain and the magnitude Of
this exhibit was such that it required
the entire space. 1t would be useless to
attempt to give any description or
relative credit Of the products
and different classes Of them
shown for they were all large
and very fine. few things, as usual,
attracted little more attention than
others, and among them we might men
tion cOrn-eyery variety of which was
on exhibitiOn-and it seemed to be a
real surprise to many TO find out that it
would grow so big and mature so we'll
in our climate. Then the large squashes,
pumpkins, melons, turnips, beets and
potatoes in their turn come in for full
share of the surprise, created at their
size. About twenty different packages
of wheat was shown, where last year
there were only two, while the other
kinds of cereals were not neglected such
as rye, oats, barley, buckwheat and peas.
1t would seem as though in the line Of
poultry, household and manufactured
articles and dairy products the display
could very easily have been bettered,
and we can see no reason for this reluc-
tance on the part of our mechanics and
manufacturers.
Friday afternoon, the time on which
the members of the society met for
the purpose of electing new officers and
directors, an enthusiastic session was
held and all the farmers manifested a
lively interest in it, and great many
different suggestions were made by the
members present and every thing, at
present, would indicate that full at
tendance will be had at the next meet
ing, which will be held here the second
Saturday in February, at which the by
laws and constitution will be amended
and improved; the committee to devise
and submit a series of Ofby-laws are A. B.
Riggs, j. p. Sutton and Jacob Walton, a
committee was also appointed to invest
gate, and report at that meeting, as to
the feasibility of procuring permanent
grounds, for holding the fairs. Despite
the bad weather, and consequent small
attendance, all seemed to be well pleased
with the efforts made, both by the officers
and the exhibitors, to get up fair that