The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-08-04

IIiE FAIR ITS ny DIRK w HAT W
H4s DONE AsDls Doikg ! have.
sometimes wondered iflhe people
Of Mason county Justly appreciate
The work whichhas been done BY
The Agricultural aud Mechanical
Association. Agrarian Shows or
Exhibitions are as old as the Ro.
man Empire, for ever since man
abandoned the pastoral stage ofhis
existence, the cultivation Of the
field has been his chief employ.
ment. The great and real impor.
lance Of Agriculture in its fullest
meaning has never been apprecia-
ted, nor isit to day.
Nothing has done so much TO en-
courage aud deyelope this, the
greatest Of all mdns pursuits, as
the establishment Of National,
State, and County Fairs. These are
the true Agricultural Colleges
the source Of farmers education
Here he lays down the products Of
his labor by the best specimens Of
his fellow tilles Of the soil. In
tina. however be gains nothing
The vastcst aggregation Of the pro.
ducts Of The field is worth nothing,
save vain display to the farmer
himself.
Docs that seem bold or unten.
able propositiOn2 If SO, we must
explain. We have said that the
Fair is the farmers College or
School. 1ftrue, he should attend
it-shOuld be a student at every
session, for the student succeeds
best who hears all the lessons
taught.
But this is not true Of Mason
County iarmers-that is they do
1
not avail themselves the adyan.
tages Of every lesson. The Fair
continues four days, the FIRST two
Of which there is but a slight at.
tendance. The greater number Of
farmers think that one days at.
tendance is all that is necessary
Thisis wherein their great mistake
is made and the real advantage
asd true object Of the Fair is lost
An Interchange of ideas, the re-
hsarsal Of trials and experiments,
is the great object to be attained,
liza farmer has produced 80 bushels
Of wheat TO the acre, he should be
present every day during the Fair
to tell his less successful neighbor
how he did it-when and how be
sowed 1.-THE kind Of land on
which it was sown, wha! fertilizer
be used, &c. Then the destruction
Of nOxious weeds, and insects,
drainage, tileage and many other
topics Of interests should be
thoroughly discussed. Andinstead
Of four days, twice or three times
four days could be most proftably
spent in the manner above men
toned. Then do not think one
day sufficient, but be there from
the opening to the closing of the
Exhibition and let the real object
for which the Association has been
organized, be accomplished, All
over the country an increased in.
terest is being manifested in your
Fair this fall, Thousands Of
strangers will be on the grounds.
Then be there yourselves to give
them the advantages Of your ex.
perience, in stock.breeding, the use
Of agricultural machinery and all
else upon which they may wish in.
formation. They come, many of
them for that purpose, aud you
should not disappoint them.
The company is making its best
efforts to make this the best Exhi.
bitiou, they have yet held, and j.
S. Spencer the gentlemanly Score.
tary informs me that the foreign
interest now manifested is greater
than on any previous OCCASION
Then come to the Fair, not only
one day but every day, and make
it what it should be-the Farmers
School wherein he exchanges his
own ideas with others and goes
home better informed, and better
prepared to do bis work.
AGRICuLTuRrsT.
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