The daily sentinel., 1907-10-03

lines in Mesa county. 1t outstrip'
all others combined and is growinl
faster and faster every year. We are
learning better how to select the bes
trees, to cut down the varieties to I
few of the best. and how to harves
ard market our crop to the best ad
vantage. The fruit growers associa
tions are doing a great work along
some of these lines, and the count,
| fair should endeavor to lead in this
work, and the secretary might more
properly incorporate some sugges
tions to this end based upon his per
sonal experience as a secretary, rath
er than to defending the stockhold
ers and directors to those stoclIhold
ers VINO may offer suggestions which
are by the secretary fancied criti
cisms intended to harm the fair ol
detract from the possible glory
sought BY this official. A better faii
is what we all want, and what We
are going to have. There is less
knocking now than at any time in
the past, and let us meet and cut OF
every chance for a knock.
| do not believe even the secre.
tary fully realizes the showing which
is made by the premium list in the
way of premiums offered for individ-
ual exhibits of fruit. We did not
wish to advertise to the outside how
cheaply our fruit interests are held.
Just a few figures:
Individual collections, first..S 400
Individual collections, second 24.00
Individual plates, first. 80. 1890
Individual plates, second. =. 1850
Total -............-. $303. 10
This is not all. In the list are n
large number of varieties of summer
and fall apples and most varieties of
peaches and plums which are out of
season and cannot possibly be shown
at the date of our fairs without a
cold storage plant. These will cut
down the amount at least S25: and
so, if one man received all the money
offered, he would have only a small
amount; but when this is divided by
the larger part of all men who own
orchards, what inducement is offerel
for our fruit growers to attend the
county fair unless it is loyalty to the
industry and to their sections?
To the amounts above we can add
the amount devoted to the sectional
exhibits-$630,-all of which is paid
by the county commissioners, and
which stimulated the exhibition thi.
year more than all others, and may
do as much in future years. 1t is
true that every industry peculiar tC
the soil Jared much the same. Ther,
was $3.50 offered for first premium.
on farm products and S6725 for sec
onds. All told. honey received s44
sufficient to disgust my quonian
friend, James U. Harris. For kit.
chen and pantry stores, the ladie.
were offered $16S, divided into yer,
small parcels insufficient to cover tn,
cost of butter and eggs to season
Plants and flowers have had
friend at court" as that department
received $t20.75, convincing the IL
terested that the management |.
'esthetic," and aware of the fac
that this Industry needs encourag ging
now that the valley is so abundant,
prosperous from the results ant
studies of horticulture.
dozen and more years ago ther,
was another county fair manage
ment. 1t was before my time; bu
have been told that the death which
the organization died was too mucl
horse" and there may be many il
the county who viii croak that sucl
an end will result from the presen
| effort. Possibly our former remark,
| were too much in the nature of /
croak; but they were not intende,
that way. 1t is. not that there wa
| TOO much fast horse connected Will
the fair this year. but that ther,
was not enough of encouragement {,
other lines upon which the manage
ment must depend for patronage [,
| inSurR Gnrracc hnraaftar
The tendency of the present is to
wards simplifying the fruit indus
| try-less varieties and those left o
superior merit. The state societ,
| began the work of education thi
year by cutting out many old an,
familiar varieties, even the Chenan
go Strawberry apple. and the none,
! offered was added to those leadin,
varieties, plates of Jonathans AM
similar standard varieties receiving
as high as s1.75 for first and 81 70
l second, and there was in all thes,
| departments third and fourth pre-
MUM, allowing better opportunit,
! for large number of growers t,
! get look in" at the premium list
This in the end will stimulate
greater interest and individual effor
and add to the number who can af
ford to patronize the county fair
| There are number of other inter
esting features learned at the Pueb
10 fair which will interest the city a
well as the farmer reader. and | an
glad Secretary Chapman has givel
me an opportunity to reply and in
eidentally give some of the ideas re
| cetved at the state fair which will b,
of great value to those who love tn,
work and because of that are NOR,
deeply interested in having an elab
orate and increasing showing at ou
county fairs. The work is too inter
estihg to NIL up valuable space witt
personalities.
A. c. NEWTON.