Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-09-25
Agricultural,
Notes Of the Fsirs.


Of the Maine state and New England fair at
Bangor was estimated at 20, 600. The receipts
aggregated about S2s, 600. It is claimed that
there we're in all over 500 cattle on exhibit
ton, Of which the greater part were from
Maine. Among the exhibitors from Vermont
we're L. B. Harris OF Lyndon, with ten Here
fords, and T. N. Vail Of the same town with
imported polled Angus cattle The only
sheep from Vermont shown at Bangor were
Cotswolds exhibited by II G. Hill of Elmore.
One Maine man at this fair carried of nearly
80 premiums on vegetables.
Tho New York state fair held its 45th an
nual exhibition this month"; commencing on
the 10th inst. and closing the 10th, at Albany.
This society has cut itself loose from the race
course, and it not only survives, but its exhi-
billions are probably the largest and most sue
cessful of any of a similar kind in the ooun-
try The society also excludes from its
grounds all catch penny and gambling con-
Germs. A reporter says;
upon entering the grounds which are
well located and easily reached by railroad
and street cars, one is attracted by the lofty
shade trees wide lawns are seen, intersected
in every direction by drives and walks. These
are margined here and there by the white
tents of the victualers and press reporters.
very marked feature Is the entire absence
of small side-shows shooting galleries, auo.
tioneer carts and the like, which in many sec.
tions are so numerous that one is at a loss to
know whether he is at place where the sci
ence and products of agriculture are TO be
viewed, studied, and their comparative merits
adiudged, or whether he is at a pandemonium,
where monstrosities Of the human and beastly
kinds together with sleight-of hand perform
ances and feHts of strength, rule the day and
attract the unwary. We honor New York's
example in this particular-that she has made
her state fair one devoid of these small, low
diversions, and has centred her influence 80
largely upon the main and noble features
properly belonging to such an occasion"
Cash premiums to the amount of $3.50 we're
paid by the society to exhibitors, of each Of
the leading breeds Of cattle. There were 1863
entries of Jerseys-a larger number than were
entered of any other breed. The following
items give an idea Of the extent and charac-
ter of the exhibition:
The show of poultry was the largest and
finest ever seen at the state fair there we're
G75 entries.
1.-The New York experiment station farm
had a very large and interesting exhibit Of
nearly every known variety of vegetable and
all varieties of cereals This exhibition was
not entered for prizes, but simply to show the
farmers of the state what the station is doing,
and to show the growth and characteristics of
the various classes OF vegetables, etc.
Another very instructive exhibit was made
by Houghton farm, Mountainville $40 vari-
cites of potatoes were arranged in three rows
of dishes of 81 each. The dishes in the back
rows were each filled with the product of a
hill where one whole potato was planted for
seed the middle row with the product of q
hill where half-potato was planted and the
first row where only single eye was used
for seed. One had only to glance from the
heaped-up dishes of the rear row to the half
filled dishes of the middle row, and lastly to
the nearly empty dishes of the front row, to
decide that, in this experiment at least, the
whole seed had yielded from GO TO 10 per cent
more than the single eyes. The severe
drouth during June and July may have had
something to do with the yield, however"
For the joint fair of the Vermont Agricul-
tural society and the Ohamplain Valley asso-
citation, large show-bils were sent over the
state, announcing the prizes offered for fast
horses, amounting in all to $145O. We be-
lieve that no mention was made on these bills
of premiums offered for any thing else There
was however, quite a fair show of cattle,
sheep, manufactures, etc. A larger number
of llolsteins than of any other bret W. re
exhibited. Fred l.. Houghton of Putney was
one of the principal exhibitors of these cat
tie, having II young bulls-yearlings and
calves In all there were 80 or 60 Holsteins
on exhibition, about % Jerseys, 40 or so Ayr
shres fewer Shortborns and a few Galloway
and poed Angus cattle. Merino, South.
down, Cotswod and Shropshire sheep were
represented, the whole number on exhibition
being about 120 head
At the Franklin county fair, held at Shell
don Sept 1-3, there were 1GO cattle, 10 stall
lions, 80 brood mares with colts, and a large
number of driving horses.
At the New England fair the premium for
the greatest variety Of apples was awarded to
person having precisely the Same number
of varieties that were exhibited at the Wind
ham county fair by Willard Dodge of Dunn
merston, viz, so varieties of grated fruit
q. s. Gray of TOwnshend had 80 varieties of
grated fruit, and John NJ. Miller of Newfane
had GO varieties Of apples at the county fair,
while 40 varieties was the second largest ex-
hibit of apples at the New England fair
Some of the nuieances of the Windham
county fair were this year excluded from the
grounds, but they did thriving business just
outside the gates.
The immense loads moved by the draft
horses of Warren Hildreth of Newfane, and
by other horses competing for the prizes, and
the feats of strength performed by the work
ing oxen exhibited by Fisher, Bemis, and
others, at the county fair, show to what ex-
tent muscle and strength may be developed
by use and judicious training, though we do
not quite like to see them drawing and back
ing the last pound.