The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-11-22
Reorganization of the Agricultural
Society.

A reorganization of Cecil County
Agricultural Society will take place
az Elkton on Monday next. 25th inst.
This movement has not been made
one minute too soon to save the so.
ciety from total wreck, if in fact it
can be saved
&c. M. E." (who we presume is
DR.. Ellis), makes some suggestions
for reorganization, through the Wing
of last week, that are eminently wise
and proper to be adopted. 1t will
require, in addition to such depart
ment organization as &c. NJ. E." sug.
gests, radical change in other fea-
lures. The great leading and eclips-
ing feature of the Fair as at present
organized is the horse race. This is
the foundation, framework and ar
chitectural design of the Fair. Some
strong Agricultural Fairs in the
country are able to carry this incubus
for number of years without break
ing down, when the magnitude OF the
agricultural features forces the horse
race to secondary place, but where
the race is predominating feature
it soon sucks the life blood of The
Fair.
The gambling race course has been
made the first in Importance in the
Elkton Fair, and at the last exhibit,
there came very near being literally
nothing else, The race course fea-
ture must be cut off entirely or no
hope of resusitation need be expect
ed, and al Agricultural Fair abreast
of the spirit and advance of the
times organized. Tear down the
race judges stand and remove it up
to the front of the Grand Stand, and
fit it as a proper platform for speak,
ing from with background for the
display of charts used by scientific
men to demonstrate their lectures to
farmers, dairymen and others who
will find the greatest of interest in
hearing and learning the progress
agriculture in its manifold branches
is making by the aid of science. Our
Agricultural Colleges and Expert
ment Stations would be glad to fn--
nlsh lecturers who will deliver dis
courses that will deeply interest
every farmer. Such lectures would
bring the work of the Agricultural
Colleges, Experiment Stations and
Farmers Institutes before the farm
ers in a way that could not fail to
deeply interest every one engaged in
making living by farming. This
is the grand vista which is opening
before the farmer, in which higher
plane is presented to his view. Two
or three lectures each day with es-
says and papers by specialists in the
several branches of husbandry, with
daily displays of stock in the circle,
and other features pertaining to the
farm, garden, orchard, stock yard, the
household, etc., would crowd the time
with interesting subjects that every
one would find the days all too short
to fully enjoy. The horse race must
be sent entirely adrift or the Elkton
Fair must de- There is no other fut.
ure for it. Horse racing and gam bling
have no place at the Agricultural
Fair of the advanced era into which
farming and the farmer are entering.
Let the men who keep horses 10
gamble with take their outfit to
places appointed for gambling. The
Agricultural Fair and exhibition is
no place for them or their immoral
practices. Owners of fine horses can
show them off by paying small fee
to drive them on the track, as used
to be the practice before the horse
jockey was let in to corrupt aud de.
stroy the Agricultural Fair.