The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-06-14
OAKLAND CLUB.
The Monthly Meeting Held Friday Night
Attended by a Large Number Of
Members,


Members.
The monthly meeting of the Oak
land Club was held Friday night in
the rooms occupied by it in the Erin
ger building, the meeting having been
postponed from Tuesday evening un-
til Friday owing to the Epworth
League Convention then in session in
Oakland
President Percy Proctor presided
at the meeting. The County Fair
Committee of the Club, through its
chairman, Mr.. A. D. Naylor, present
ed paper which is of great impor-
tance not only to the people of Oak
land and its immediate vicinity, but
also to the people throughout the
county, treating upon subject which
may be the means of producing a SEN
timent in favor of the organization of
a County Fair Association. The re-
port of the committee is given in full
below:
To the President and members Of
the Oakland Club
Your Committee on County Fair
beg leave to submit the following re-
port:
Garrett County contains the great
est area of any county in the State of
Maryland. From the standpoint of
agricultural development she is per-
haps, if not quite, the smallest in the
State. But within the last twenty
years rapid strides have been made
toward the clearing off of her beauti-
full hills and fruitful valleys, and re-
ducing her soil to cultivation.
Nature has done much for the hus-
bandman here.
Underlying almost every hill are
veins of limestone and coal, and ex-
perience teaches that lime is especial
ly adapted to our soil as a fertilizer.
The quantity required per acre is
much larger than that applied by
farmers in the Piedmont counties of
the State; but the liberal application
of lime has been attended with
splendid results and seems to be the
only assistant required to warm up
and make rich the soil of our farms.
Despite the fact that advancement
has been within the last generation
towards agricultural development,
more than one-half of the tillable
lands of the county are vet in their
native State, covered with timber
and underground. 1t can be safely
said in this connection that Garrett
County can easily support forty times
her present population, and still
leave untouched the rough untillable
lands.
Nowhere in the State of Maryland
can cattle be fattened for the export
trade upon grass alone as they are
here. Washington county with all
her agricultural development and
rich lands, according to gentleman
who stands prominent as a farmer
there, cannot fatten cattle upon grass
as we do here, and we assert that the
fact that such results are only OBJ
tainable here ought of itself bring
this section prominently before large
cattle growers as the best country in
which to establish stock farms on a
large scale.
In addition to the many advantages
We enjoy as cattle growing country
the sheep reared here stand without
peer, both on account of the quality
and quantity of the wool sheared per
head, as well as the superior quality
of their meat. Mountain mutton is
far famed as one of the greatest deli
cacies that can be furnished for the
table.
a rapid improvement in the grade
of our horses has been going on, until
to-day upon every farm can be found
noble specimens of these animals.
Other farm stock have kept pace
with the horses in point of improve
ment.
Where a few years ago ii was the
exception to see any modern farming
machinery in use, now it is almost
the universal rule TO find upon every
farm of respectable proportions,
binders, drills, mowers and even sui
ky plows and cultivators. Large ag-
gregate investments have been made
in wagons. buggies and family car
riages. To-day our farmers have
every means of conveyance, in as
comfortable a manner as their bro
ther tillers of the soil in the older set
tied counties. Our roads are getting
better each year, because new
methods of road building are being
use and adopted.
In order to establish County Fair,
or Agricultural Society, upon a per-
manent basis, your Committee has
endeavored to ascertain what could
be depended upon in the way of Sc
curing exhibitors and exhibits. Our
investigations have led us to the
conclusion that neither would be
lacking in case fair should be held.
Fine cattle, fine sheep. fine horses
and hogs can be had in abundance
for exhibition purposes, and in the
way of farm products we feel safe in
saying that the exhibits would COM
pare most favorably with those from
any of the large agricultural counties
of the State.
We feel that il the matter of the
formation of society were attempt
ed that nothing more than its or
ganization could be accomplished this
year, as grounds would have TO be
secured and be put into condition for
the exhibition next year; but we be-
lieve that a Street Fair could be held
this year, under the auspices of the
Oakland, Club, and such an exhibition
wOuld give the Agricultural Society