Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-10-04
VETERAN JUDGES SUGGESTIONS.
Would Like Better Lighted Quarters for
Poutry-Lcenses as a Source Of Rev
enue,

FoultTy-LlCenSeS as source OF Rev |
enue.
AS a purely agricultural fair there Is |
not, nor has there ever been, a fair to |
excel 1t. A town of rising 1000 inhabi- |
tants, all united in their efforts 20 make !
their annual fair a success, has resulted
In making such efforts to exceed i'm cN-
ceHcnce its predecessor that to.ay their
I'D tair Is the best in its history. In no
class could its exhibits be called Of me-
uuum quality.
While the year 1907 has been conceded
to be the worst and the hardest to pro-
duce-cspccally in the poultry exhibits
of our fairs-thc Valley Fair i'm this re-
spcct has shown the most even quality
and of the highest merit Of its history.
The poultry exhibition, taking numbers
N526 specimens and merit together was
the best Of the % yearly exhibits | have
Judged for the society. The 1876 White
Lcghorns, 1O7 White Wyandottcs. 90 Bar
red Plymouth Rocks and some SO Rhode
lslanu Reds, would make show In itself
to uutnumber many state exhibits, while
for quality | have never seen this show
eNcellcd in my long life a judge of
poultry, while other classes, with 10 to 10
specimens of merit were very clean.
Many remarked: How clean Is the ex-
hibit, how free from low quality and
scrubs. While il cannot be expected
that much If any Improvement in merit
can be expected for the future, il the So
ciety will furnish its poultry building
with uniform coops like those of the En-
pirc Cooping company which would dis
tribute the light in the building more
evenly and show up the specimens Ia all
their beauty, the visiting public would
consider the poultry exhibit fully 100 per
cent. in advance Of what they believe IL
To be now. / am willing to go on record
as saying that the exhibitors Of poultry
tasi1 tTt,rIts
coop for each specimen, as their stock
would be shown up 50 much better they
| could easily sell their specimens for
many times more than the cost incurred.
| And | do not believe there would be a
| smaller number exhibited. None will de-
| ny That the immense size and quality Of
| the pumpkins seen in the vegetable cX-
hibit has done much to advertise Brat
tleboro' and they ana the balance Of the
| exhibit, have made the Valley Fair as
| renowned for its vegetable products as its
| poultry But the facilities TO develop
the vegetable exhibit in its best state is
| far In advance Of the facilities given 20
| the poultry While the Valley Fair has
seemingly reached its limit of merit as
| "A purely agricultural show and has ac-
| hleNed success that has been denied
| TO fully 20 per cent Of all the state and
| county exhibitions, il has probably reach
| ed the limit OF attendance. which has
| b''N IIdlNtiouS lbl "A Town on n rail-
! road Of a single track, and TO maintain
! its supremacy demands each year a large
| expenditure of money. II comes home
| to the writer that the society can no longer
| ignore an income that can be secured
| from licenses for entertainment within its
| enclosure. Two thousand dollars at least
| could be secured from this source The
| farmer no longer is content with strictly
| home attractions nor are the 20 600 an
| nual visitors to the fair content with the
| agricultural exhibits alone They want
| IA whistle or a whip. The 10 cents or the
| % cents they pay out as a reminder OF
| the fair days is not hcgrudged. and be-
| sides, the attendance will be Increased
by these outside attractions The Valley
| Fair Is not private organization. The
| amuscments have got to be something
besides battledoor and shuttlecock or tea
| parties believe the time for license for
| outside attractions has come. and that we
| must please the patron that makes the
| Valley Fair possible and create a surplus
| for the rainy day The merchants OF
| Brattleboro cannot AFFORD TO see the Val
| ley Fair to deteriorate; they should be vi
tally interested in it; and for its future
| they must be held responsible
|. *. FELCH