The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-08-17

tributed as prizes for 1.-The best lamb
sheep, steer, mich COW, jack, oxen
and horses actually sold" In 1909 the
Columbian Agricultural society was
organized in Washington and held an
exhibition in the city of Georgetown
nearby. But this was not the sort of
thing that appealed to the average
less a society event and, as some one
has said, "Its attendance list reads
more like the social register, headed
by the President of the United States
and his lady and the cabinet mem
berS."
1t remained for Elkanah Watson to
originate a fair in which the COM
mon farmer would be interested be-
cause he could feel that he had a real
part in it, Who he was and how he
did this is described in the volume
''Toilers of Land and Sea-" in the
Yale University Press Pageant of
America" as follows:
Elkanah Watson was not among the
founders of the Eighteenth century
school of AGRICULTURAL experimenters
and writer's, but he was it's most dis
tinguished pupil. AS a business man,
he had travelled along the Atlantic sea-
board and in Europe. In 1907
he gave up commerce and took up
farming at Pittsfeld, Mass. During the
next four years he made his contribu-
tion to the development of American
agriculture. By 1911 he had completed
the organization of the Berkshire Agri-
cultural society
Watson wrote in 1920: I'm the fall
of 1907 ] procured the first pair OF
merino sheep that had appeared in
Berkshire, if not in the state. .
1 was induced to notify an exhibition
of these two sheep under the great
elm in the public square in Pittsfield
on a certain day. Many farmers ard
even females were excited by curiosity
to attend this first novel and humble
exhibition 1t was by this lucky acci-
dent / reasoned thus: If two animals
are capable of exciting so much at
tention, what would be the effect of a
larger scale, with larger animals% The
farmers present responded to my re-
marks with appreciation. We became
acquainted and from that day to the
present, agricultural societies, cattle
81
have predominated in my mind"
The Berkshire Agricultural society
was founded in 1911. The principles
on which it was based proved pop
ular. Slowly at first, then more and
more rapidly the Berkshire system
spread until 1t reached west into the
new states of Indiana and Illinois and
even penetrated the southern cotton
kingdom. Unlike its predecessor, the
agricultural societies of Philadelphia
and New York, it was an organization
of the common farmer In it's time it
served his interests well.
Watson was a student of human
nature The purpose of the organization
was to hold each year an exhibition
Of the best handiwork and the best
products of the farmers of the locality.
Prizes were awarded for pre-eminence
In farm animals and crops, and in
butter, cheese and cloth made in the
home At the end Of the exhibition came
the general assembly in the largest
village church. Here amid impressive
ceremonies, the honors were distrib-
uted, each prize accompanied by a
certificate of distinction which, hand
somely framed. held place of honor
on the wall of the farmers parlor.
Watson's greatest problem was to
arouse the active interest of the ladies
in these exhibitions. The diplomatic
shifts to which he and others re-
sorted in order to win over the coun-
try women, unaccustomed to activities
outside their own homes and fearful
of arousing comment by appearing in
a public competition, were finally
everywhere triumphant. At the end of
the general assembly came the pastor