The record-union., 1896-02-03

often hear disgruntled persons reIer 10
the State Fair as being of little help to
the farmer; but my experience has
taught me that it is of great benefit to
this very class. The farmer that takes
nc interest cannot expect to be helped
directly, but is without doubt indl-
rectly, as those that do take part help
in creating or encouraging a market Tor
the products of the farm. / have been
an exhibitor for the past ten years; al
ways take something TO the fair,
| whether stock, poultry, grain or fruit,
| whatever I have that is worth showing,
and | must say that | think it has
| helped me, and I believe the Board of
Directors try hard to do justice to all.
I feel that / have been we'll used, al
| though many times not a successful
taker of premiums. The great value of
the exhibition is the opportunity it
gives us to meet purchasers. / have
sold stock to go to South Africa, Homo
lulu, Japan and other foreign countries.
My principal sales are made during the
State Fair. / find 1t a good market for
my surplus stock" These are the hon
est sentiments of an honest man, ex-
pressed without solicitation. He recog-
nizes his opportunities, and profits ac-
cordingly. Should we make any effort
/ to get opinions from those who take
part in, and are thoroughly conversant
with, these annual exhibitions as to
their value to the State, this volume
would have to be enlarged somewhat.
1t is safe TO say from knowledge of in
dividual sales made that in horses, cat
| tie, sheep, swine, poultry, machinery,
vehicles, implements and household
/ fI1Il Ilxr &c yoha
| for each year. The directorate take
especial pains to encourage the devel-
opment of all industries that would
| tend to make this State prosperous.
| In the matter of dairying, this So
ciety, in its desire to promote the inter
est and to show the average dairyman
the proper methods that should be fol-
| lowed by him, as we'll as to encourage
superiority in milk breeds of cattle,
offers valuable cash prizes annually for
a genuine test of milch COWS for butter
fat under the Babcock test, and the re-
suit last season (1S94) gave to our State
the credit of the worlds record-a yield
from Lady Woods, the prize COW, of
3 2S3 pounds of marketable butter a
day for three days. For the test of 1895
there were twenty individual entries,
and the competition was strong. Much
interest was manifested in this contest
| by reason Of the manner in which the
tests were made. Samples taken at each
milking were placed in jars, labeled and
sealed. The testing was done at the
Pavilion each evening by A. v. Stuben-
rauch, an understudy OF Professor Hill
gard Of the Department of Agriculture,
University of California. He used the
large steam Babcock tester exhibited
by G. G. Wickson & Co. of San Fran
cisco. The same firm also made exhibit
of smaller hand machines, and ex-
planned to breeders how satisfactory
tests could be made at a small expense.
Composite tests were also made. The
experiments attracted considerable at
tention and were conducive to the in
terest represented. The test lasted
seven days, and resulted in the award
being made to the Jersey cow Pansy,
the property of Henry Pierce of San
Francisco, with total yield of 1876
pounds of milk that produced 1917
pounds of butter fat, equal to $500
pounds of marketable butter-a return
of 1.401 pounds of butter for each day
MIXED. AS the milking was done at
the fair grounds, where there was much
and as she was subjected to change
Of feed and surroundings, the return
made under these adverse circum-
stances may be considered a very good
showing. The tabulated results as to
each animal competing will be found
farther on in this volume, as well as the |
table of the average yield of milk and |
fat of premium cows exhibited at the |
n ri in11c Tot 7air f1,sf he TT,oif
where tests were made in 1894. The re-
suits of 1895 are not yet available In |
this table presented California leads |
with that grand COW Lady Woods, |
which made the worlds record at the |
fair of 1894. These tables will furnish |
volumes of information to the close |
student of the producing qualities of |
mich cows. Every COW in use upon the |
dairy should be tested periodically upon |
various kinds of feed, to ascertain upon |
what feed she will produce the best !
quality of milk, and the cost of its pro-
duction. Improve your herds; get the |
best, hence the necessity of high-class |
stock. most interesting paper on this
subject, from the pen of P. J. Shields, |
will be found in this report
The horticultural department of the |
supervision of the State Board of Horti- |
culture, and there was a voluminous |
showing of a high quality of green and |
dried fruits. In connection with this |
department was maintained a booth as |
an educational method of showing |
practically how dried fruits should be |
cooked. Professor c. Fl. Allen of San |
Jose, a pioneer in promoting the use of I
California dried fruits, kindly con- |
sented to preside over this exhibit and |
demonstrate from a practical stand |
point how our dried fruits should be /
prepared. circular containing his /
formula was presented to each visitor.
and judging from the interest taken by
the public this feature was of great |
value to the dried fruit interest of our
State.
This society devoted some special at
tention this year to the poultry ex-
hibit. The premiums were advanced /
nearly 100 per cent, and the entire list I
reclassified. Heretofore this exhibit
was located at the Park grounds, but
this season we changed it to the PaviI-
ion annex. The innovation was a sue
cess, as the exhibits numbered over
GOO coops of the finest breeds of poul-
try. The display proved to be one of the
attractions of the fair AS the poultry
industry offers more inducements than
any other subsidiary farm product we
hope to see an agitation in its behalf
that will encourage its extension to the
full limit of home demand, at least. The
exhibitors made successful sales. and
promised, for another season, at least