Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-24
Poultry At The Fairs

| oIIS lllOIS we are beginning TO
! see on the fences, the billboards
and in the poultry press the adver-
| tisements of the Fall Fairs. Once
| more we are asking ourselves the
Z question-shall we show at the fair
! this fall?
We certainly like to go to the
Fair; it is getting to be the place
where we meet everybody-our old
| friends and lots of others we never
knew before 1t seems so funny to
| US to go to the Fair and there greet
| perhaps, the man who lives so near
/ to our own farm that We had not
| seen him in six months.
Going to the Fair is getting to be
| a regular habit as is evidenced by
| the greatly increased attendance
] that the Fair arrangements are re-
! porting all over the country. And
| why should not this be so? Not
| only does the Fair offer a pleasant
outing which We owe to our family
| but there is getting to be so large
an educational side to these exhibit
tons that no good farmer or good
pouitryman can very well afford
to miss these events.
In days gone by the Fair was
mostly a place where there was a
| lot of midway; some card sharks
and little horse racing. At pres
ent the Fairs represent the last
word in farm practices; in educa-
tional and artistic displays; in mod
ern economic development aTl in
livestock of all kinds and varieties,
The amusement features have been
retained and made better and better
SO that there is no end of oppor-
tunity for relaXa ton and pleasure.
but the practical and educational
parts of these Fairs have so eX-
banded and grown in Importance
that the man who cannot learn
something to his advantage by
visiting the more serious" depart
ments of our Fairs lis few and far
| between"
The Poultry Departments of our
Fall Fairs have always attracted
the crowds; the aisles of the poul-
try buildings are constantly filed
with interested visitors who ask mil
lions of questions. Perhaps it is
the rather spectacular side of the
Poultry Show that attracts some.
To see SO many chickens of so many
sizes, shapes and colors is some
thing unusual. The children are
always keen to see the Bantalns and
and the Rabbits. A fair proportion
of the whole crowd may be put
down in this class-the merely
curious who come because the sight
is novel and attractive. The ex-
hibitor who has birds or stock to
sell does not count on doing any
business with this class; he is polite
to the people ard he answers their
questions because he is that kind
of a fellow and hopes to make some
converts to the future poultry ranks.
But a goodly proportion of the
people who go to the poultry build
ing at our Fairs of the present day
have serious notions in their heads.
They want to learn something more
about chickens; they want to see
| really good specimens of the various
breeds and varieties and many of
! them want to buy Most of these
people are not millionaires and are
not there to buy birds at $500 each.
| but they are hard headed persons
who are prosperous and who want
really good, useful chickens and are
| willing to pay what the birds are
worth. Assuming that the real buy
| ing class at our Fairs is small
percentage of the whole.
That poultrymen throughout the
country are beginning to realize
! this fact is evidenced by the very
large entries that are received by
! the Fall Fair Show Secretaries.
Poultrymen were prone in the past
| to consider the Fall Poultry Show
| somewhat of joke but today it
takes a mighty good bird to win
| and the sales are increasing in num-
! Der and in average price received.
I, A win at any early Fair gives
i a. poultryman the opportunity of
| advertising his stock and his win
ming long in advance Of his brother
who did not show and is, therefore.
| greatly to his advantage when it