Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-09-13
THE FOURTH ANNUAL EXHIBITION!
or the ARKANSAS VALLEY FAIR ASSOCIATION

on the west side of the river, and CLOSING
Friday evening, was success, not only
financially, but u success as an exhibition
Of the agricultural and live stock interest.
OF this county, especially so as 10 live stock
II was decidedly the best showing evei
made in the valley. Without generaizine
or spending words in praise Of officers, OF
in describing the crowds and incidents OF
the four days, we will coniine ourselves to
the principle features Of the show. TO wit.
namely the hogs, cattle, sheep, horses and
fruits.
The immense display OF swine was SUI
prise to everybody in general, and the
managers Of the Farmers Fair in partieu-
lar. IL necessitated the construction OF a
large number OF additional pens 70 those
already provided, aud even then stopped
over into such Of the sheep pens a. were
found vacant.
W. j. and NJ. A. Estes, OF Butler county,
showed three pens OF nice Poland China
pigs. Mr.. Wells, OF Sedgwick county, had
on exhibition one pen OF Poland China
June pigs that looked good enough TO eat.
A blue ribbon attached TO their pen i'm
pressed US with the idea that the judges
thought 80 too.
Joe Richie occupied large space with
his Poland Chinas. on the west end Of hog
avenue-''for sale" being marked on each
pen. Henry Blakesley, Of Marion county.
was on hand as usual with superb herd Of
d E,., Z,
and numbering about IL animals his stock
being mostly young. was credit 10 any
breeder, and the numerous ribbons futter-
ing in the breeze showed that Henry had
''got there Eli" Col. NJ. Stewart, with
his coat OF and prod in his hand, was
eXpatlaliDg 10 numerous buyers and on
lockers the excellence OF his herd of Po-
land Chinas. Is pens Of which were on ex-
hibition, and of which he might well have
been proud. We venture 10 say that out
side Of the state and Bismarck fairs a su-
perior herd Of Poland Chinas has never
been shown in Kansas. These were all
breeding stock and shown in breeding con-
ditiOn. We think a mistake H. made in
giving encouragement 90 exhibitors of
breeding stock for animals exec, siyely fat,
whose very obesity demonstrates that their
career a. propigators Of their species has
ended, if indeed, they ever possessed it.
Black Jack SCI, a. the card on his pen indi.
Gated, standing AT the head of the Colonel's
herd, took LIT premium in his class, the
grand swecp,take prize aud the assocla-
tons special OF the silver pitcher. lie al
20 took lot premium on the best herd, be-
sides large number Of class premiums.
David Fox was on hand with fine lot Of
Berkshircs, amongst the number superb
SOW of his own breeding which carried OF
the honors in the sweepstake ring. Mr..
Miller, OF this county, also exhibited some
young Berkshires Of FoN's breeding which
we predict will be hard 10 get away with
when they attain their growth. Farmer
h. was the first on the grounds with hi,
'avorite breed, the Chester White: he ex-
hibited two pens, but they were hardly up |
TO the standard reached by Mr.. Ransom in |
former years.
One Of the very best exhibits on the |
grounds was by Farmer Gilman Blood, of
Waco township These were grade Poland |
Chinas, and shows what a cross on the |
common or mixed stock ofthe country will |
produce, when bred to pure Poland China |
male. The exhibition of this stock by Mr.. |
Blood serves rs an exponent of the object |
sought in holding these fairs, namely. to |
benefit the producers of the country by |
to them the results attaina-
bic by the proper application of the means
at hand or procurable. We miss our guess
II not n few farmers walked away from
those pens who have been tussling with
scrub stock all their lives, impressed with
the conviction at last that blood will tell
We must not forget TO meution the exhibit
made by II. J.Razey, of Sucker Bay, two
ycar-old Poland China boar, which Mr..
Razey purchased from B. +. Dorsey, of
Perry, Illinois. The committee awarded
him second on sweepstakes. and the animal
was certainly deserving of some substan-
Iial recognition.
Kansas and California will yet lead Yer
mont, and ii maybe the world in the sue
,essful growing OF fine woods. Ii was long
that the United States could never
compete with Australia in raising high
,red Merinos, but now American Merinos
re being carried to Australian colonies.
>ew York and Vermont Merinos. Mr. Fox
Informs us, almost invariably improve in
orm and weight, and the fleece in weight
nd firmness, when the animals are brought
o and bred few years in Kansas. Ii is
aid that American Meriuos give ten
ng purposes, while the Australian Merino
My gives eight pounds. The wool of the /
nmixed American Merino is not so fine rs I
be Australian, but il is much denser, and /
he cross will preserve the fineness and add 7
0 the density. So far as American sheep /
re concerned competent judges declared {
hat the showing made last week equaled, {
not surpassed any animals they ever I
aw. The premium thoroughbred rams of i
OK a. Askew, and of Little a Windsor a
nd of George Strong showed wool TO the I
nd Of the nose aud 10 the tips of the toes. .
II the superiority Of these sheep we have s
eretoiore alluded. The herds of Vermont, a
lew York and Canada were searched /
Trough and through for the very best.
here were eleven pens of fine woods, Fox
Askew exhibiting seven pens; Little Il
Windsor. three pens; George Strong, one
en-; total number thirty-three animals.
Dme of these animals are valued at several
undred dollars each. Mr.. Fox said he
ould not take 1fteen hundred dollars for
Ie First Premium Buck. In the Cots
olds. or long woods, there were nine pens
twenty-ninc animals. Ransom exhibit Z
y four pens, Watkins three pens. OF the !.
rades there were seven pens. Upon the j
hole we doubt il in the state so valuable !.
lot of sheep were ever brought together u
fore. ID
While the numbers OF cattle did not rival =
e show of hogs and sheep, yet in some q
spects it was the best ever made in the q
I.ley. The Short-horns took the lead rs II
numbers, followed by the Polled Angus ~
ID the Jerseys, there being no Herefords U
the grounds. Henry Blakesley exhibit "
among the Short-horns bull, Raven y
'od Lad, magnificent animal, and four 10
WIS, Niola, Angelica, Lillian and "Angel. D.
. Doyle Creek" and Rose Bud No. 2, an 4
ght months calf. Viola is an extra fine
Il. H. Campbell's Polled
ngus bull, two-year-old took the LIST pre- z
um, and J. +. Reese's two-year-old
fled Angus the ID. Both of these were vi
,gnifcen, animals aud Kept a crowd about bI
ep each day. Robt. Lawrence exhibited 81