Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Oct. 28, 1909, edition 1 / Page 7
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Thursday, October 28, 1&09. THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER. 7 m The NbrtK Carolina State Fair, Some Comments on Various Features of Interest A Splendid Fruit Display The Neglect of the - Iiive -Stock Industry Too Many Doubtful "Amusements" and Too Few Educational Fea tures. . - . E HOPE in an early issue to 1 stock judging went on in the rear of the cheap side-shows which , occupied the best part of the fair ground with only three or four persons besides the judges and the exhibitors taking any interest in it or thinking any thing about it. Such arrangements pb this are not conducive to the de velopment of a State Fair which can answer the educational purposes for which a fair is supposed to be es tablished. This, indeed, is the serious criti cism to be brought against the fair management a sad lack of perspec tive as to the true value of things and of the great importance of the work which the State Fair might do in developing the agricultural in terests of the whole Commonwealth. No one supposes for a moment that all amusements should e barred from the fair ground or that it is n :c worth while to make special ef forts to entertain those that attend them, but when things are so arrang- have reports covering various features of the North Caro lina State Fair which was held at Raleigh last week, but owing to the little time we have, we shall, this week, attempt only to give a few notes on some features of the fair which seem worthy of mention. In the first place, then, it is worth while to say that tho agricultural ex hibit at the fair was highly credit able and splendidly illustrated the agricultural possibilities of the State. This exhibit is generally pronounced the best ever seen in Raleigh, and much interest was taken in it by those in attendance. The horticul tural exhibition deserves especial mention, as it would be hard to find anywhere a finer exhibit of apples than that prepared by the State De partment of Agriculture. The Hay wood County fruii exhibit was also good, and some splendid Japanese persimmons from the eastern part of the State showed conclusively what North Carolina could do in raising this fine fruit. Indeed, the possibil ities of this State for fruit growing are not yet half appreciated. It seems to us that, from the very necessity of natural conditions, the western part of North Carolina is bound to become one of the leading fruit growing sections of the whole coun try; and the men who are first in the business are bound to make good money if their work is carried on in the right way. The general display of farm pro ducts was also gobd and the exhibits of corn and cotton proved that North Carolina breeders are quite capable of developing these crops to a higher stan&aTa than we are now familiar with. There was the usual display of farm machinery, and the interest taken: in it was prophetic of the bet- ter farming which we believe is coming. " . The poultry exhibit was large and representative, and we hope to have it treated more in detail in a later issue. : The live stock exhibits, were, how ever, neither large nor, taken as a whole, of good quality. While some fine animals were shown, most of the classes were poor, and in only one or two breeds was there any compe tition worth speaking of. The only exhibits, we believe, from outside the State were by the Wheeler Home stead, of Kankona, N. Y., which ex hibited some fine Berkshire swine and some good Devon cattle, and the Spring Dale Farm, of Farmville, Va., which showed some good-looking Guernseys. There were some pretty good Herefords, too, and in the swine classes some creditable Duroc Jerseys and some fine Berkshires. Aside from these, the quality of the exhibits was not at all what one ex pects to find at a State fair. Some of the exhibitors evidently brought their animals without any preparation at all to the show ring and an animal that is poorly groomed and not in very good flesh cannot be expected to show up to advantage. While exces sive pampering of breeding animals is always unadvisable, stockmen should learn that no animal will show up its real merits unless it is in good condition. Jt is, however, not a matter to wonder at that there should have keen no more live stock on the fair ground. The provisions for taking care-of them are far from being creditable to the State Fair and the ed that there are a thousand people who see only cheap and vulgar side shows to every one who knows any thing about the judging of the live stock which should be one of the most important features of the fair - one cannot help feeling that there is some misunderstanding of the real purpose a State fair should serve. This Is not written with any de sire to criticise or find fault unduly. It is the general testimony of those who have visited the State Fair for several seasons that it is gradually improving; but we cannot help hop ing that before another fair season comes about there will be better ar rangements provided for those who wish to exhibit live stock, larger pre miums given, more attention paid to the convenience of the breeders and of those who wish to see the stock, nxre judges provided and . a better place given them in which to do their work. It will not do to say that the public will take no interest in this work, because in some fairs in the Northwest great ampitheatres are provided for the stock judging and people go by the thousands to see the work done and to learn some thing of the comparative merits of the different animals shown. Notes From the Virginia State Fair. Great Progress Along Agricultural Lines Increased Use of Improved Machinery A Wonderful Horticultural Development. HE WRITER was asked to help . sented in all the varieties of Virginia took the first prize for the measure the acre of corn that best acre of lowalnd corn at the Virginia State Fair. This aere of corn made 147 bushels and 42 pounds and in a. field of corn of 70 acres that at last culti vation made 55 bushels to the acre, and this year will probably average a better crop. It is worthy of men tion to note that this farm has been kept in a high state of cultivation for over two centuries, 'not by the use of commercial fertilizers but by a judicious system of farming, by the repeated applications of barnyard manure and by the Eystematic sow ing of clover. It is gratifying to note that the ag ricultural exhibits at the fair along general lines realized the expecta tions of the large number of visitors who attended the fair each day of the meeting. The agricultural implement exhib its were on such a scale as to justify the belief that the Virginia farmers realize the fact that labor-saving machinery is more profitable to use these days than hand labor. At no time during the fair was there a time when there was not a good sprinkling of farmers who were eagerly watching or examining the working of these labor-saving ma chines, and they were so favorably impressed (in many instances, at least) that they backed their judg ment by giving orders for some of these machines. One implement house told the writer that the farm ers had given them more orders dur ing the fair week than ever before at any fair. The binder, the mower, the corn harvester, the wheat drill, the disk harrow, the peanut harvester, the po tato planter and digger, the- gasoline engine, the corn husker and shred der have all become established facts on the Virginia farm along with many other Improved implements too numerous to mention. And this means improved conditions. The - horticultural exhibit, in charge of Prof. W. N. Irwin, of the United States Agricultural Depart ment, was well worth, the attention of any one who was interested in fruit. The exhibit was well repre- fruit and attracted those who made any specialty whatever of. fruit grow ing. The work of the Virginia Horti cultural Society and the Virginia Packing Association has been of un told benefit to the Virginia fruit growers who are now reaping the benefit of the arduous labors of the officers of these associations. Notable among the exniblts are those of Hon. Geo. E. Murrell, form er president of the Virginia State Horticultural Society. For many years Mr. Murrell has spared no ef fort to bring fruit before the eyes of the public and to exemplify at his orchards at Fontella, Va., that if the proper methods are pursued the fruits from the Old Dominion will compare favorably with those from any other State In the Union. J. M. BELL. --v-.. ---, ' i . If & mt ., -- I'm ." Jr. g T fit ! ' ! f i s 4, SOMETHING THAT OUGHT TO BE STOPPED. The Richmond Christian Advocate which is waging a very proper war fare against the admission of gamb ling devices to ' the Virginia State Fair, gives point, to its argument by publishing this snapshot of a group of boys and girls engaged in one of the games of chance. Gambling and immoral shows have been the bane of our Southern fairs, and wherever they are found, an immediate protest to the fair authorities ought to be made. ) TWO WOMEM These women start to wash their cream separators. The up per woman has a simple, sanitary Sharpies Dairy Tubular Separator with nothing inside the bowl nut the. t(nv oic her e. shown in the dish pan and washes the entire bowl in two minutes. The lower woman has a common, disk filled cream separa tor with 40 to 60 disks inside the bowl and spends twenty minutes washing the bowl. She wishes she had a Tubular, Sharpies Dairy Tubulars are just as much better all other ways. The World's best. Sales easily exceed most, if not all, others com bined. "World's biggest separator factory. Branch factories in Canada , and Germany. WHITE FOB CATALOGUE NO. 888. THE SHARPLES SEPARATOR CO WEST CHESTER, FA. Chicago, I1L, San Frsnclftco, CaL, Portland, Ore. Toronto, Can Winnipeg, Can. ' n f i0-Jt Get Buaiy at Once to make big money In the chicken baslDess. Writ for Free Poultry Book. Hirh Drices paid for early chick. Also learn all about the wonderful Sure Hatch Incubator We want too to know bow rood thia machine it- Row much ttronrer. better built and surer it is than nyother How simple it it What little oil it uses What little attention it needs wny we duuq it or. California Rod Wood Perfect insulation How per fectly oar regulator works How you save all We dealer s profits and many otner good points anoui the Stirrer nazen, your name ana aaaress a postal brines our book. W JtlVO now. Thm euro Match Inoubmtor Co. Box 88. , rromont, Nobr. rons the best facilities, have your account. president: Jott. G. Bronra cashier: H K. L tchford With ample resou ces, we offer our pat We will be glad to Tennessee Herd of Duroc Swine 60 choice bred Gilts for sale. Bred to our great show and breeding boars We won more St He Fair Premiums this season than all other Southern breeders combined. Boars all sold. S. H. STANBERY & SONS, Newport. Tenn. DUROC JERSEY PIGS Duke, N. C, October 7, 1909. Mr- W. A. Tblgpen. Dear Sir: I received my pigs last Friday night all rltrht. Am pleased with them very much. Everybody that has seen them think they are fine. They are doing very well at present. I want you to send me the full pedi gree of them, as I want to know all about thfm. Yours truly, Duke. N. C. B. B. Truix. suNNvsgE BERKSHIRES Best blood In America In my herd boars Cherokee's Masterpiece. Peerless Premier and Hlshtlde Commons (Imported). Sows equally well bred and Include two daughters of Mas terpiece, two daughters of Premier Longfellow and others of jutt as good breeding. Young stock for sale. Price reasonable. . W. R. WALKER, Union, S. O. B P. ROCKS Pullets ready to lay In November. Also Cockerels. $L0O each. tTf. WHARTON, Washington. N. C
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 28, 1909, edition 1
7
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