The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-13
North Carolina Tobacco Fair.

ing with much favor; being hailed as a
first move in the self assertion OF our in-
p~ortance as a leaf-growing State. we
append divers clippings from state pa
pers, whose observations will stand Tor
our own with this addition. The ar
we think, should be organized, as a Nortn
Carolina Fair, not a local fair, ana IL
should be a charter provision that the
Fair be held 10 different Tobacco centres
from.year TO year. provided the people OF
the selected localities agree to furnish
requisite accommodations.
As a matter of course, the first exhibit
should be held in Durham, "a town
which first taught the world that North
Carolina could hold her W as the 4th
tobacco State of the Union, together with
a disposition to take at least second place.
By the by, as an incident OF the growing
fame of the State, We mention that one
of the leading TobaccoDists Of London re-
Gently passed through Virginia, without
stopping, t. come and buy largely from
Messrs. Blackwell s. Co., after which he
fastened back having no other errand
across the Ocean than to lay In q supply
of North Carolina pure leaf.
We take pleasure in stating that our
Durham friends are in motion to make
the Fair a success. The Board of Trade
appointed committees, and extended in
vitations to the towns of Winston, Ok
ford, Henderson, Reidsville, Asheville,
and other points, to name a vice Presl-
dent. The details have not as yet been
perfected, as numbers of gentlemen who
will take a leading part are absent: but it
is thought the Fair will occur either
about Christmas when the farmers will
be "of duty" and ready for an holiday,
or in the spring, when the leaf will be
''sweated" into finer condition for exhi
bition.
1t is said the reason our State Fairs
sometime make so poor show is because
they occurr at a time when the tobacco
growers are busy, and can lily afford to
drop work FOR a weeks expense at Raleigh
Be that as it may, we trust, as soon as
arrangements be announced, our Tobacco
men all around the State will enter into
Jealous emulation to make the best ex.
hibit at the First Annual Fair.
Let Winston have her ''Winston Ex-
hibit;" Reidsville her buckingham Ex-
hibit,' Marshall her Madison Exhibit,
Alamance, Orange, Granville. Vance,
Wake, each an exhibit of her own, pro-
perly labelled with the names of her lead
ing Growers, and Manufacturers-sO that
the stranger within our gates" land in
vitations should be sent to leading tobac-
co men all over the worldj can see how
widely and how well the land of Tar,
Pitch, and Turpentine," SO called, can
grow the weed that cheers, but not ine-
briates."
n B.-Since the above went to the
printer, we have from Bro. G. E. Webb a
note tanning the officers of the Associa-
as follows. President Julian S. Carr,
Esq. Vice-President, one from each OF
the Tobaccos town of the State. Durham
names Capt. E. J. Parish and Mr.. G.. S.
Watts. Treasurer, A. H. Stokes. Sec.
rotary, Garland E. Web. Title of the
Association-The North Carolina Tobacco
Fair" May is thought the best month,
but is not yet decided"
CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS.
Col. l.. L. Polk, as a matter of course,
heartily and prom pity seconds the mo-
ton. He doesn't raise tobacco, or man
ufacture it but he is one of the men who
recognise the truth Of the platform upon
which the Farmer and Mechanic has been
hammering for fully five years, to wit,
that ''Old Rip Van Wrinkle" must arise,
and awake, and shake the tar off from
the heels" and wheels of Progress; and
demand her r;ghtful position as one of the
very first among States! "Ee thar bloweth
not his own horn, verify his horn it shall no,
be bowed! !" and he that is without a horn
hath no show in this day and generation!
Selah! Tack that down in the middle
of the carpet, and study it for a day and
a half!)
Col. Polk:-CReferring to the Fruit,
and the Wheat Fairs II cannot doubt
that great good will result from them.
The exhibits would have done credit to
any Of the most favored sections of the
Union, and so great was the interest man
Tested by all who attended them, that |
am encouraged to believe that with a
small effort on the part of the press and
of the tobacconists we can have a tobacco
fair, which will present the finest and
most magnificent collection of tobacco
ever seen in any of the States. Gran
vile tobacco, under the decision of Prof
Voelcher, of the Royal Agricultural So
ciety of England, stands at the head OF
the lists of the fine tobaccos of the world.
Our State stands sixth on the lists OF
American States in production, but
first on tie list in prices. Our crop this
year will probably not fall short of As.
600, 900 pounds, worth to our farmers
over Sc, OOO 600. And if by establishing
fairs, devoted specially to our leading
staple crops, we may demonstrate the
wonderful adaptability of our soils to
their successful production, and thereby
8 evoke and establish a system of dlversi
fcation in crops, we will have accom-.
j, plished much for the prosperity of oul
State.
Let us have the fair; let it be held al
Durham let it be held for two days du
ring the first week in October, and let
whole exhibit be transferred to our State
. fair, soon to follow. 1t can be made