American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-10-01
The Decline OF Farm Products at Fairs.

Is it at all to be wondered at that the
exhibits of farm products at our Agri-
cultural Fairs should show falling oft
year after year, as is clearly percepti-
BILE, when the premiums upon them
bear no proportion to those given for
horses. trials of speed, foot-races, BIZ
cycle races, and other things that have
nothing to do with farming, and are of
a nature to draw public attention
from the real purposes for which these
exhibitions are Ostensibly established?
A ma jority of farmers cannot afford, or
are at least unwilling. to spend money
and labor in preparing for these fairs
their choicest products and samples
of their leading crops, with no chance,
from the meager premiums offered, to
repay them even in very moderate
degree. To suppose that farmers mere
ly from a desire to show what they
can raise should carry their products
many miles. spending days and nights
in the work, without fee or reward.
while the owners of horses carry OFF
their hundreds upon hundreds of dollars
for possessing an animal few seconds
faster than somebody else, when these
trials of speed have practically nothing
to do with farm-is to suppose great
deal more than will ever be realized.
cultivation of love for ones business,
Independent of the money it brings, is
laudable. The man indeed who is &C
tuated by such love is generally the
one who succeeds best in his business,
and therefore what any society may do
to encourage this very proper spirit is
all right. But this being granted it is
absurd to suppose that the monetary
part should be ignored. A man may
take pleasure in farming. The man
who delights in it succeeds best rs q
rule, and he farms for money at last.
Those who exhibit without much
thought of the immediate return, who
think the honor of gaining the premium
is enough-even these look forward to
the substantial reward which such honor
brings. 1t is an advertisement for their
goods, or for their skill. and such repu-
think it right that the farmer or the
members of his family should keep in
mind the honorable distinction of ex-
ceiling, but at the same time think that
he is perfectly right for not objecting
to all the immediate pecuniary return
that may flow from this distinction.
And then why is not this logic as
good for the exhibitor of the fast horse
as for anything that may be produced
from the household or the farmP Why
does not the racer put up for the honor
of the thingP Why is not the owner of
Flying Squirrel or Lovely Duck as well
satisfied with the fun? Why should he
have five hundred or thousand dollars
for his achievement, while the owner
of bushel of wheat Or the best jar of
preserves ought to be satisfied with
diploma and fifty cents? In short, why
should thousands upon thousands be
devoted to premiums, 1.-THE greater
part for trotting horses?'
Until these questions are satisfactory
iy answered We shall not wonder that
articles from real and genuine farmers
and gardeners fall OFF annually at these
fairs. There must be more effort on
the part OF managers to make it an
honor to exhibit, and this can be done
by intelligent justice in making the
awards, and that there must be as
much appreciation-subs money
good genuine farm
products as of the fast horse. German
tOWn Telegraph.