Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-09-18
agricultural.
State Fair Notes.

State Fair Notes.
The steady growth and enlargement of
the State Agricultural Society's annual
| fairs at Lewiston shows to casual OBJ
server the permanence and stability OF our
greatest of all industries-that of farm
ing. Every year there are new buildings
and accommodations. made necessary by
the growth of leading branches of exhibit.
which are constantly exciting new inter-
est. For example: The trustees this
year offered a premium TO the grange
making the best exhibit of farm products,
fancy work, domestic manufactures, etc.
But two have responded, the Turner and
West Auburn oranges. They each make
most attractive and interesting displays.
and if we mistake not one floor of an en-
tire wing of the large building will be
needed for these exhibits next year. This
year building 80 by 80 feet was erected
for the poultry exhibit, but it is not more
than half large enough. 1t is filled and a
tent near it also is filed with very large,
choice and representative display of poul-
misrepresentation because there are good
birds present OF at least ten distinct
classes or families, something not often
seen unless at our regular poultry shows.
Here is Mr. J. H. Morrow of Smith
field, the turkey man." And why not
turkey man" as others are "bee men ?''
His specially is the growing and selling
OF the American Thanksgiving bird.
Mr.. Morrow raises about 100 himself and
buys for the annual Thanksgiving and
Christmas trade about 1000 each year.
The breeds he most prizes are the
Bronze and Narragansett, the latter ma
turing early and being the best for the
Thanks giving market, the latter best for
the Christmas trade. Mr.. Morrow sends
about 600 birds to Lewiston every fall,
and the remainder wholly to Boston. He
has gobbers on exhibition here which
weigh % lbs, but frequently birds of the
Bronze breed will weigh 80 lbs.
Five large tables are occupied by honey
and bee-keepers' supplies, j. B. Mason e.
Sons being the largest exhibitors. Their
apiary is at Mechanic Falls, where they
have about one hundred colonies. j.
Pike, Livermore, shows very large dis
play of extracted and box honey. The
following breeds-how odd it sounds to
say "breeds" when speaking of hees-of
bees are shown: Black, Italian. Holy
Land, Syrian and Carnolian. What a
long list improvement has made in the
| families or breeds of the busy little bee.
The premium offered for the best ex-
exhibit made by any grange IN the
State has been competed for by
two granges-that at Turner, and
that at Auburn. The exhibit of the latter
named grange was awarded the first pre-
MUM. 1t consisted of one hundred and
fifty eight articles, embracing fruit, garden
and field crops, fancy and ornamental
work. domestic manufactures. etc., very
artistically arranged.
One OF tne most enthusiastic young
farmers among the exhibitors is Mr.. n. !
p. Haskell OF Orono. a graduate of the |
State College. He has herd of thirteen
finely bred Jerseys, and keeps daily
milk record of each animal so he can
tell not only the daily, weekly. monthly |
and yearly record of his herd, but of any
individual in it. Mr.. Haskell has been
making butter, but has changed somewhat, |
and is now supplying cream in glass cans,
to private customers in Bangor, a distance
of nine miles.
The fruit exhibit is large and fine, com.
prising about three thousand plates. all |
most beautifully arranged On one table are
about two hundred plates of named speci-
mems. rich in color, and study to the |
pomologist. S. NJ. King of South Paris /
esteems the Founding very highly, think
ing it equal to the Gravensten. The
Briggs Auburn, an apple much esteemed
in Androscoggin county, originated on the
farm of Mr.. |. T. Waterman. and Mr. |
Waterman exhibits apples here picked
from the original tree. Mr. Waterman
also exhibits the Montreal Peach-an APP
pie which he regards worthy of being
placed on the Societies list
In general the one forcible lesson of this |
great fruit exhibition is. "don't grow too
MANY varieties When you count up the !
really profitable and successful varieties
grown in Maine. those from which our
orchardists get their money, it stops at
four or five leading sorts-Baldwin, r. 1.
Greening, Roxbury Russell, Bellfower,
Northern Spy and King of Tompkins.
And vet one man here shows over one
hundred varieties! We can think of no
instance wherein farmer wants more
than twelve varieties. and seven would be
better. q
The dairy exhibit is in striking contrast
to that at the late New England Fair.
Here are stacks of factory and domestic
cheese, and creamery and domestic butter
in the most attractive forms. kennebec
county is we'll represented in the dairy de-
partment, Mrs Robbins and Mrs. G..
Henry Moore. both of Winthrop. leading
off.