The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-06-09
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AGRICULTURAL FAIRS.
Tho ACCESSIBILITY of Offering Premiums for
Novelties to he Exhibited.

Tho ACCESSIBILITY of Offering Premiums for
Novelties to he Exhibited.
That the various State, district and
county fairs that have been held in this
country during the past fifty years have
been productive Of great good, none
will deny. They have enabled foreign.
| ers who come here for the purpose OF
| engaging in farming to see the produce
tions peculiar to this country and to
learn much in relation to the ways OF
raising them. They have served to
bring up the quality of all our dairy
products. They have exerted power
| full influence in increasing the produce
ton of orchard, vineyard and garden
fruits, and in improving the quality OF
them. They have been of considerable
value to Horticulture and vegetable gar
dening. Persons who have visited fairs
have seen new varieties of fruits, vege-
tables and flowers, and have engaged in
raising them. New and improved agri-
cultural implements have been brought
into notice by the displays made at fairs.
At one time the competitive tests of the
different kinds of implements in the fair
grounds or in fields in the vicinity en-
abled farmers to Judge of their respect
i've merits. Most farmers who have
visited fairs have learned much by con-
versing with exhibitors Of stock, ma.
chinery, field, garden and orchard
products.
Probably the most good has resulted
from the displays of specimens of inn
| proved breeds of horses, cattle, sheep,
pigs and fowls at fairs. All farmers Of
intelligence have read descriptions OF
improved breeds of farm animals and
have seen illustrations of them. But it
is necessary to see the animals them
selves and to compare them with COM
mon stock in order to become convinced
of their superior merits. The exhibi-
tons on fair grounds enable farmers to
do this. The displays of Norman horses
in the showing served to make these
animals popular in all parts of the
country and to produce great demand
for them. Farmers became dissatisfied
with s.scrub'' cattle after they saw fine
specimens of the short-h horn and Here
ford breeds. Dairy farmers decided to
improve their milking herds after they
had seen Ayrshire, Jersey, Holsteins and
Swiss COWS. Pork ia; sers were inclined
to give up keeping "razor-backs" after
| they had visited fairs at which Berk-
shires were on exhibition. A similar
effect was produced by the displays at
| fairs of the improved breeds of sheep,
hens, geese and ducks. Men who took
fine stock to distant fair in order to
! obtain premiums accomplished good
missionary work.
1t is certainly advisable to continue
| the display of all kinds of live stock as
well as all kinds of field, orchard and
garden crops, and to encourage exhibi-
tons by the offer of premiums. Al
| though most farmers have seen spcci-
mems of all the improved breeds of
CATTLE sheep, horses, pigs and poultry,
it is desirable that they see from year to
year the improvements that are made
by skillful breeders. Still, an agricul-
tural fair should be something more
than livestock show. Good farming
is necessary to produce crops for ami
mails to eat, and for land to be made
productive it is necessary to preserve
and apply manure properly, to prepare
the soil SO that plants will make a Wig
orous growth, and to cultivate it so that
weeds do not make their appearance.
In this part of the country it is neces-
sary to provide shelter as we'll as food
for stock, and at the present time fur
nishing shelter is attended by large cx-
pense. Without doubt the price OF
lumber will increase from year to year
till the time will come when farm build
ings must be made of stone, brick, iron
or concrete. Building materials have
increased in price and the wages of car
penters have advanced during the time
that nearly all farm products have been
on the decline.
1t seems to be time for the managers
of agricultural fairs to turn their atten-
ton to new things. The breeders Of
fine stock have been encouraged by the
offer of liberal premiums, and so have
the persons who have introduced new
and improved varieties of fruits, grains,
vegetables and towering plants. There
are other things that need encourage
ment. We want better buildings on
farms, and we need those that can be
constructed at small cost for mate
| rails and work. Rural architecture has
been sadly neglected in this country.
The great majority of farm buildings
are unsuited to the purposes for which
they were designed, while they are very
costly. The offer of liberal premiums
for the best and cheapest buildings that
would accommodate certain number
of horses, cattle or sheep would set me-
chanics at work In preparing plans to
be submitted for examination. The
erection of one cheap, convenient and
substantial building would be the means
of causing many to be erected. 1t
would have the same influence on the
barns that would be put up during the
next few years that a fine horse will on
animals that will be raised in the same
ueighborhood.
Shelter belts are of so much import
ance on Western farms that it would be
wise to offer premiums for those that
are of the most service, are most
quickly grown, and which are produced
at the least cost. The construction Of
stock-ponds, fish-ponds and clsterns for
holding soft water is deserving the at
tention of the management of agricul-
tural fairs. Ensilag1 has received little
attention in most parts of the West,
chiefly for the reason that farmers do
not understand howto construct and fill