Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-02-14
3or1uay
Its Geography, Climate, Govern
ment, Social Institutions
and Resources.
BY HON. R. O. RICHARDS OF HURON.
Christiania, Norway.


Christiania, Norway.
Aug. 90, 1907. r
Farmers Leader: The 18th annual
state fair Iandbrugsundstilling) of
Norway was opened June 2Sth and
closed July 4th this year. The King
made the formal opening address in
a short and we'll worded speech from
a low tribune, erected in front of the
grandstand, to an audience Of about
40, 900 people.
The usual European ceremonies of
such an occasion were observed and
the grounds were beautifully decorat-
ed with flags and bunting everywhere.
The ministers of state were present
and stood in line, hat in hand, in
front of the little tribune to receive
the king as he and the queen drove
up at the last minute, in an open
carriage pulled by four beautiful
horses. The band struck up the air,
the national anthem, as the carriage
halted in front of the little stand,
while the king and queen alighted
and ascended the tribune, followed by
his cabinet officers. A pretty little
girl stepped forward with a large,
bouquet of LaFrance roses and hand
ed them to the queen. After the
king and queen were seated in the
center Of the little stand, his minis
ers took seats to his left, while men,
bers of the diplomatic corps filed the
seats to his right. The band then
stopped, when the united singing So
cieties of Christiana sang several pref
ty pieces, especially composed for the
occasion, after which the King arose
and in clear voice, but with an ap-
parent blush on his countenance, de-
clared the fair formally opened and
extended his best wishes for success
full fair. The timidity and modesty
and the very simpleness of human ma
ture portrayed by the King was rath-
er pleasing. Norway could certain
ly have done worse than to have Sc
cured him for chief executive.) Then
a few more pieces Of music and songs
were rendered, after which the horse
exhibits were brought into the ring
and each animal led in front of the
tribune for the king and the judges
to view. First, a String of fifty pret-
ty bay and black, well groomed and
shining "Gulbrandsdal' horses, pass
ed the stand; mostly stations, blocky
and well shaped, some of them with
names reaching their knees and long
thick forelocks and tails, with intelli-
gent eyes and large nostrils, prancing
and chewing their bits, as their stur.
dy owners were leading them through
the ring, a beautiful sight to behold.
At last, the judges called up the
prize winners one by one in front of the
stand and the king personally handed
out the prizes to them, accompanied
with kind word or two; next in the
ring came 10 Fjord horses, also most
iy stations, every one alike in color,
which is a light cream, with black
name and tail and a narrow black
stripe down the back. This horse is
gentle, intelligent and pretty; some
of the names were cut short, arch
shaped, with the neck, and as these
little animals of an average weight of
800 to 1000 pounds, clean limbed and
shapely, were prancing through the
ring checked up like circus horses,
with curved necks, they presented a
striking sight. Next followed the
"Osterdal" horse and other valley
varieties in large numbers. Next in
the ring, came the cattle numbering
several hundred of various tpyes (rac-
err and very interesting sight it was
to see the clean red-cheeked strong
peasant girl from the mountain dis
tricts in her national costume with
the characteristic head tuck or white
sun bonnet, proudly leading by the
halter, her pet COW, spotlessly clean,
with it's long curved brass tipped
horns, before the crowd; the girl
erect, and with firm steps and with
out sound, but for an occasional re-
mark in that clear ringing brogue Of
the west Of Norway, so much resem-
bling the accent of the Scotch, ad-
dressed to her neighbor girl leading
an animal ahead of her s'Skynd di
Kari'' (Hurry up Karl,) as if she con-
sidered the time of the judges and the
king.
First, came the Telemarken type Of
cattle about $50 head of an average
size, all marked nearly alike with
white backs and bellies and red sides,
speckle-edged, long curved horns and
long pretty tails and large udder.
This COW is one of the best all-around
types for milk, butter and beef in
Norway. Next came the Hardanger
type trace) a small black COW with
horns, then Lyngdalsfe, Vestlandsfe,
Bulbrandsdalfe, Osterdalfe, Halling-
dalfe, Valdersfe, Rorosfe and Maal-
selydalfe, each kind differing more or
less in size, color and individuality.
In the hog line exhibits, the large
white chester predominated; the hog
is frequently kept till four or five
years old in Norway, and Of course,
grows to enormous size; many of the
individual exhibits would weigh from