Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-09-27
Farm and ORCHARD.
AGRICULTURAL FAIRS as THE BEST OF
EDUCATORS.
Benefits Derived in Having Glover in the
Fan-Eggs and Prices-GeneraI
Farm Notes.


the middle ages were the first to originate
the idea of holding fairs. Their object
was to bring buyer and seller together, tc
dispose of the products OF their monas.
teries.
In the earlier ages, when there were nc
railways, but traffic was carried on by
means Of caravans, the fair was vast
market, and the greatest event OF the year
The word 'fair" implied commercial
gathering of great magnitude. The honor
of the first agricultural fair belongs to the
Incas of Peru. They had no money, and
rude kind of commerce was kept up by
the bartering of products Prescott de-
scribes these fairs and their management.
The great fair was held in the City OF
Mexico, where forty to fifty thousand Wis
visitors attended, and yet with all this
vast concourse of people, perfect order
reigned.
KEENAN, has treated us to some descrip-
lions of the great Russian fairs. That of
Nijnei Novgorod, founded in 1916, is visited
bred thousand persons. and the sales OF
silks, teas, furs and iron amount to $780,
100000. China, Persia, parts of Asia,
and European colonies are represented
there.
In Siberia, near the Chinese frontier, at
Kiakta, is the great emporium of trade.
This fair was established in 1727 A. D.,
and is yet power for good in these wild
and desolate regions. These people come
great distances, and they are intent upon
business and trade, and give no time nor
thought to frivolous shows or amuse-
ments.
The history of English and French fairs
of note teach us that the exhibits sent to
shows are small factor compared with
the character Of the men who are respon-
sible for the management. The influence,
too, of the cities near which fairs have
been located has been marked. When the
dissolute and disorderly classes get control,
the decadence of fairs has been the iney-
liable result When the management
reflects the character of the producers of
wealth, and is made up of men who are
directly interested in the production,
preparation and distribution of commodi-
ties which add to the comfort, support,
elevation and refinement of the people,
then do We see that fairs have proven
blessing to those who attend and to the
community in which they are located and to
the people at large,
History is replete with examples where
fairs have been helpful to trade and COM
merce, and have been great educators of
the masses, disseminating progressive ideas
and adding to the wealth, intelligence and
enjoyment of the people.
The leading idea In the early history of
fairs was to foster trade, by bringing
buyer and seller together In the early
history of agricultural fairs, the idea Of
leading spirits was to incite to better pro-
duction. The stimulus comes from the
presentation of better models, which were
to show to the masses the superiority of
the best over the average production.
Individual excellence amounts to very
little, when known only to the person
producing it; but as soon as the inventor,
manufacturer, breeder, florist or artist
ceases to hide his light under a bushel, and
places it upon a candlestick-that is, in a
conspicuous place where all may see tit
giveth light to all. The buyer and con-
sumner can see it; the producer and manu-
facturer gets a new inspiration, and a
higher ideal of excellence has entered into
his life. He is no longer satisfied with
what was before good enough for him. A
new light has come into his soul, and
he sees how to remedy the defects of his
former efforts, and he finds no rest until he
has produced as good or better wares or
stock than his rival had shown. This one
desire for producing something better lays
the foundation for real progress 1t in
cites to study, it quickens investigation.
As soon as the worker in wood or metal or
silk, wool or cotton, in marble, clay or
brass, is moved to produce a something
better he must not only develop more skill
in himself, but must also secure better tools
and machinery, and have better designs
and better materials to work upon.
Thus springs up demand for tools and
machines for all these craftsmen. The
chemist must come to the aid of the miner
and reducer of ores before metals can be
made Of the proper texture, fneness, due
tility, elasticity, hardness or softness, to
meet all the wants Of the ambitious manu-
facturer. Thus the artisan and the chem
ist have new fields constantly opening for
their skill and science to work upon. In
creased knowledge is needed.
Fairs, then, are not only educators, but
they stimulate to higher effort, and set be-
fore the public higher ideals.
While the original idea of fairs was to
foster trade, the later and higher and
grander idea is to make them educational
Fairs are educators. The public recog-
nizes this, and the enterprising manufact-
urer inventor, breeder, florist or gardener
understands it and attends the fair or the
exposition. They know that Improvement
comes by comparison.
No man can make the most of himself
who shuts himself up in the shop, barn or
cave. Bacon wrote strongly on the dwarf
ing influences of solitariness. The ex-
elusive are apt 10 become one-sided mar
row, selfish and bigoted. The more thor
oughly one understands his own calling,
the more will he learn by contrasting and
comparing his products with those OF
rivals.
As educators, fairs stand without a
rival, in offering facilities for quick and
wide observation and comparison, between
the best models and the greatest variety.
At well conducted fair, nothing objec-
tionable is more likely TO be met than at
a well managed school.
AT the fair the farmer will meet the
most progressive of his calling, with the
best specimens of their fruit and farm
products. The breeder of horses, cattle,
sheep, swine or poultry will find there The
best models of his favorite stock, and he
will enjoy the opportunity of comparison
and study of points of value, and dis
covery Of defects common to the breed
as he can not enjoy by months of weary
and expensive travel among farms and un.
skilled stock-growers.
The artist, too, and the educator will
find here a grouping of the best work
of his rivals Each can see wherein he
has failed and they have surpassed him.
The machinists and the manufacturer: