Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-12-13
A NATIONAL FARMERS EXHIBI-
TON.


stock interests of our country. Just
as the great Expositions have been
chiefly devoted to the arts and manu-
facturers, so is this proposed Exhibit
ton to make our agricultural and nat
ural products the leading feature. The
prospectus very justly says that if the
artist, the artisan, the inventor, and
the manufacturer are entitled to the
encouragement of these great COMPETE
tive displays, much more is the farmer,
who leads comparatively secluded
life, who is removed from the stimula-
ting friction of great communities, and
who has so little chance for compare
tive observation, entitled to the oppor>
tunity to witness the progress made in
the industrial world in which he works,
and to learn new outlets for his pro-
ducts.
Without any outside aid the South
ern Exposition has held two of the
most remarkable exhibitions ever seen
in this country. The Exhibition of
1883 became Of national Importance,
and was visited by people from all
parts of the world. The Exhibition of
1884 was directed toward the illustra-
ton Of the agricultural and nat
ural products of the country, and lives
stock, and its success was unmistaka-
bic. Following up this idea the
Southern Exposition Company now
propose grand National Exhibition
of this character. The Company has
extensive grounds and buildings, and
they propose to contribute their half
million dollars worth of property, and,
with the General Government contri.
buting the same amount for still great
er accommodation and arrangement,
to hold the proposed Exhibition under
the JOINT auspices of the Company and
the Department Of Agriculture of the
Government at Washington. They
further propose that the General Gov.
eminent shall appropriate one thou.
sand dollars to each congressional dis
trict for the expenses Of an agricultural
exhibit, and the sum of two hundle ed
thousand dollars for awards for agri-
cultural displays, which awards are to
be made under the management of the
Department of Agriculture.
That the agricultural interests are
entitled to recognition of the kind pro-
posed no one can deny. 1t is a fact
that 100000 are engaged in agricul,
ture to only 100000 in manufactur.
ing, and that S12,00O,OOO,000 capital
is invested in agriculture to only 49,
000,000,000 in manufactures. But
beyond this there are cogent reasons
for Government giving some such sub,
stantial encouragement to the farming
interest. Flourishing as our manufac>
lures may be, at last we are an agri-
cultural people and our national wealth
comes directly from the soil. All over
the country the county fairs show the
needs of the farming people for com.
petitive exhibitions, but these county
fairs fill only the place of neighborhood
gatherings, and the farmers are emit
tied to more extended and enlarged
opportunity. At the Southern Expo.
stion, vegetables, fruits, and grain,
from Michigan and Florida, Arkansas
and Indiana, and from other widely
separated States lay side by side, and
were interesting objects of study and
comparison. That limited display of
the agricultural products OF our various
sections was the best lesson ever taught
of the wonderful resources of our con-
tinent, and was of incalculable benefit
10 the thousands of farmers who had
the opportunity to observe it.
We ought not only to have one Of
these great National Agricultural Elk
hibitlons. We ought to have a series
Of them. The Southern Exposition
Company conceived the idea, and offers
present and ready inducements which
cannot be at once found elsewhere.
1t is proper therefore that the first OF
these Exhibitions should be held at
Louisville. The money to be appro.
priated will not be missed from the
Treasury. and Congress can do nothing