Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 October 1859 — JASPER AGRICULTURAL FAIR. [ARTICLE]

JASPER AGRICULTURAL FAIR.

The first annual fair of the Jasp 'r County Joint Stock Agricultural and Alec.hanical Society closed on Thursday last, after having occupied three days. Notwithstanding the" inclemency of the weather the fir.- t day. (which was caused by rain.) by ten o’clock there was a large crowd upon the ground, with many articles for exhibition. Floral Hal] was crowded with ladies, who had congregated in tig-re, doubtless, for the double °^ p ?i of keeping put of the rain, as well as admiring the beautiful boquets of flowers and many other article}?,'that, were there presented for exhibition. Here we found an exceedingly fine display of fruits, garden and field vegetables, together with many articles of domestic manufacture, such as quilts, coverlot-, blankets, bedspreads, tabjp-coyers, &c. There was also, a great display of needle-work and embroidery, some of which was beautiful indeed. But we must not forget to notice the sweetmeats, such as preserves, jellies,: &.c., of which there was a variety, and judging from the looks, and the manner in which otir worthy friends, the Committee, who were to judge of their good qualities, handled their knives, they were excellent. As we watched the operation we kind a wished that we had been on that Committee, but there was no vacam■•?,•

anil we had other duties to perform , we coubl trace fair fingers'over :-ma!l stiches, bit there *waa no chance for tasting, 'i’he work of the Indies wap tidmirably and well gotten up. and goes to prove, while the , t■•rner sex move forward with the gigantic sti i.b-s of th;* age, our fair friends will keep step in the march of progress?)!'!, ,iri their sphere,. .Among the fruits, the apples attracted conisiderable attention, anil for size and quality., arc as fine as any county in the State can boast of. Our farmers should pay a little more attention to fruit trees,' and we soon wilthave any amount of good apples. Notwithstaniling the dr uth, many of the vegetables could not be beat in the State; for in-* stance, those hfige heads of cabbage that were raised by R. Parker, we never saw surpassed, if equaled, any place. The Irish pot atoes were very large and of a good qua I? ity. It. G. Howe, Esq., had something new in that line; they look like they would not be bad to take, Dick, if they were served up right. There were some ponderous pumpkins and squashes; we did not learn who raised them, but the}* looked to be about, as large as such things ever get to be. There j was a great variety of garden vegetables, i such as beets, parsnips, tomatoes. &c., which were of goocr quality, though we have not ] time to notice them specially.

The annual address, which was delivered by Dr. Martin on the second day, in the place of G. W- Spitler, who had been chosen by the Board, but was absent, was very good and appr ipriate, clearly pointing out the position the agriculturalist should occupy in the great, scale of being, and that it requires scientific investigaton, and mental, as well as manual labor, to carry on a farm as it should be done.

The echanical Department of the Society was not very .fully represented, but there were some agrictriturai instrumentswhich deserved a notice; but more especially a buggy which was gotten up by the Warner boys. It is undoubtedly a credit to them, and proves to us that we need not leave the county to have a buggy gotten up right. The stock was not as well represented its it might be, and as it ougiit to be, in this fine stock country, where grass grows so abundantly; but there were some very fine blooded animals brought into the ring, and we know of many others in the county, and all that is required, it needs to be a little disemiuated for us to have the finest stock county.in the State. On horses we cannot brag much. It isi true the scarcely of grain during the last summer had something to do with making them generally look bad; but we are satisfied that there were but few good horses on the ground, and that we have generally an inferior quality in the county. There were, however, two or three fine blooded stallions brought into the ring, and we hope that the society, and citizens generally, will make an effort to have improvement in this particular. ] What hogs were on the ground, show there i is a good stock to be had in the county, and | we hope the farmer.-, (those that don’t know i if,) will soon learn that it only require-; about ] half the grain to keep up a good Mock of I hog . that it dot'.- a poor one.

On Thursday some fast stock was trotted around the race track, but as none came under four minutes we will not refer-to them. The ground, however, was not good, and we learn the Society will have it changed before another year; and should they decide to change the location of the Fair ground, wc would recommend the opposite side of the river as being superior in every sense, besides having the advantage of the splendid sulphur springs. Upon the whole, the Fair was a perfect success, and much credit should be given to the officers and managers lor the energetic way in which they got it up. The Police were promptly on hand and kept perfect order, and the whole exhibition was an honor to the county.