The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-19
The Manchester Fair.

The fair at Manchester, n. H., seems TO
have been quite successful as local show,
but what benefit it derived from the Lor-
ing and Needham attachment is difficult
to see. 1t was even more local than the
exhibitions at Worcester. The manufac-
turing towns pour out large crowd of
operatives at such fairs, but the agricul-
tural interest is only side show, subor-
dinated to the bicycle, the horse race and
the dog exposition.
Vermont contributed just four exhibit
ors to the cattle divisions, none to any
division of horses, four to sheep, (only a
single exhibit being made in the Merino
division) There were just eight exhibit
ors in the dairy department, one of them
from Vermont. Connecticut and Rhode
Island were even less represented than
this state. In fact ninety-fve one hun
dredths of the entries were drawn from a
circle with a radius of fifty miles, Man
chester being the center.
Our friend Cheever of the NeU England
Farmer, Everybody knows how mild
critic Cheever is) expresses himself as fol-
lows in regard to various matters con-
nected with this Great New England
Fair" We select paragraphs here and
there from his report:
The cattle are now supposed to be
nearly all in their sheds, though we find
few pens still vacant. A stroll through
the cattle quarters will give one a chance
to see some fine cattle, and others that are
hardly worthy of the long journey to
visit. The number of animals is I'M
doubtedly large, as compared with some
former years, but they are brought in by
a comparatively small number of contest
ants, and in the main, from points not
very distant. The show of sheep is de-
cidedly small, as representing six states,
the average being one flock from each,
with one for New England at large" as
the politicians have it. New Hampshire
has two focks, Massachusetts one, Yer
mont three, and Maine one. The swine
of New England are about equally repre-
sented with the sheep. The show of cut
flowers is good, so far as it goes, but
half dozen entries cover the entire exhibit.
Colonel Needbam opened the meeting
u NJ IHo Slly lldil, Ou uOoudy
evening, by short address in which he
alluded to the contrast between the pres
ent gathering of fifty to the overcrowded
house when the society held its fair in
this city some years ago. He did not,
however, believe that the thin meeting in
dictated any lack of interest on the part of
members, but was rather owing to gen.
ersl feeling of Encouragement prevailing
fha oil ba nfrxy
The calling of the committees is car
ried on much as in former years, with
the exception of the pure-bred stock
class, which is judged by experts secured
by o. B. Hadwen of Worcester, Mass,
who made very excellent selection. OF
the six names found on the printed list
of judges, in each of the other classes of
exhibits, an average of less than two re-
sponded to the roll call, and vacancies
were filled by nominations at large, or the
judging was done by one or two members
of the committee.
The dog show is in one of the most
costly buildings according to the space &C.
cupied, of any on the grounds, and the
animals shown number about one hun.
bred and twenty, which are nicely quar-
tered, while the sheep in the open pens
are wet with the morning shower, and ex
posed to the scalding sun at noon. Forty
eight different breeds of dogs are repre-
scented, by about the same number of ex
hibitors. There are many noble animals
and some handsome pets among the ex
hibits, and they sttract good deal of at
tention, and it may not have been unwist
on the part of the managers to add this
feature, for once, to the show, but thu
sheep men are hardly pleased at the prom
inent position these general enemies t.
the fiocks are taking.
The poultry is of high quality, but il
shown by small number of contestants
The labors of the committee ON poultr,
will not be heavy. Less than half dc zeI
pairs of working.oxen were presented TO
examination.
The exhibition of farming tools AM
machinery is one of the largest and bes
ever made by the society, though tn
dusty tent in which they are chief
shown is little better than coal shed, s
deep is the dust and ashes from the sand
soil and ash beds from the brush heap
which have been burned while clearin
the grounds of their native growth.
The fifty cheeses entered by +. M. Stay
ton, Manchester, make prominent di
play in the hall but the dairy exhibit, 9
whole, is meagre and poorly presente
to the public. The butter is scattere
around in boxes, lying on the ground,
clouds of dust, on tables, and portion
glass case, with ice SO far underneath {
to afford little protection from heat, viii
dust gets in as every curious visitor oper
the cover to look in or take sample G
his jack-knife. The display of bread
also meagre, competition being confint
to some dozen samples of fair averai
quality.
The vegetables and fruit are spres
mon q table running the entire length