The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1913-08-01
Farmers Letter
BY CAPT. T. F. PECK

sAss$$s%t**$$*$**
On Monday morning, Septem.
Der 29th,,the gates Of the Ten
nessee State Fair will be thrown
open toivisitors and for six whole
daysthe people Of Tennessee and
neighboring states will have an
opportunity to see exemplifed
the progress we are making ag-
ricnlturally and they are going
to be astonnded at the progress
we are msking.
While, many men and women
know Something about one or
mere Of, the sconntry's big state
fairs, NOT 90 many know about
the organization and the effort
expended in successfully con-
dhctingbne-of these expositions
Only asfew-know definitely the
how ands:the why Of the state
fair Of. today.
Havetyop ever stopped to think
how yourEstate fair has grown
into q great, permanent institu-
ton of your commonwealth?
What part It is playing in your
educational system, or why it is
entitled tosand receives more or
less financial support from your
state treasury? II you have, you
will be- glad to reinforce your
conclusions with mine. If you
have not thought along these
lines, you should do 90, and |
hope yon will read what follows,
and that.it will set you thinking
and working to boost your state
fair,
From the Colonial beginning of
this country there has been some
appreciation Of the fact that our
really big Development problems
were agriculture! problems. For
many years this appreciation was
merely latent. After vast till
able areas had been added to our
possessions, and as the possibili-
ties Of our millions of fertile,
acre, began to be understood,
this appreciation increased arnaz.
ingly. Long since it has become
an active force in our national
life. Today, men in all walks If
life are studying the farm, farm
ers are farming. Giant armies
are marching forward under
banners bearing such Inscriptions
as, Back to the land" I'm
prove your seed," 'sStop robbing
your soil" Rotate your crops, +"
"Systematize your farm"
Raise more and better live
stock"
There is an irresistible impulse
toward conserving our national
resources. and realizing on our
greatest asset-the land. This
appreciation of the fact that
America's really big develop.
ment problems are agricultural
problems, has increased until to.
Jay the statement is received as
automatic.
Hand in hand with the growth
in agricultural understanding
have grown the country's agri.
cultural fairs. These institu.
tions have year by year mirrored
the nations progress and the
peoples idea Of the importance
Of agriculture. They have been
tie direct means of increasing
the value set on production from
the soil, and of leading the
people into the promised land Of
corn, live stock and permanent
prosperity.
I'm 1909 there was held this
country's first agricultural fair,
at Georgetown, d. c., and it was
mainly devoted to domestic
animals and manufacturers. !"
In 1912 .thsrs was held in the
United States, over four thousand
agricultural fairs and at each Of
the score or more Of the great
state fairs, there were shown the
best results Of man 8 thought and
work in every line of industry, a
vast structure Of accomplishment
bnildeas ppon Sthe land and its
PRODUCTS as corner stones.
In 1909 but one agricultural
fair was held, and it attracted
several hundred visitors. Ii
1912, several thousand agricul-
tural fairs twereTheld, and twelve
of these alone entertained and
instructed over two and one half
million busy people.
In Minnesota, which has a
population Of 2,075,5O one agri-
cultural fair attracted 372,SO5,
aud the total attendance Of the
states eighty.six agricultural
fairs aggregated $50, 078 people,
or nearly Al per cent Of the total
population. 81 IA.
The oldest existing agricnitu.
raj society thai still holds fairs
Ia TIA y RorksEsra or,cr1{nra1