A2S-Lancast*r Farming, Saturday, January 10,1987
Putting Down Roots
After 80 years of wandering, an
BY CRAIG BINGMAN
Snyder County Correspondent
BEAVER SPRINGS - Penn
sylvania can be proud of the Farm
Show and it’s heritage. This years
show attendance is projected at
one-half million (the record being
715,000 in 1974). The visitors will be
viewing the most modern
agricultural innovations in the
world’s largest free indoor
agricultural exposition - the Farm
Show Complex.
Roots of the Farm Show date
back to William Penn days when
he was instrumental in starting the
first Philadelphia Fair in 1686. The
Philadelphia Society for
Promoting Agriculture, the oldest
organization of its kind in America
with Ben Franklin and George
Washington as members,
organized a show in 1785. And in
1809, the Pennsylvania Society for
Improving the Breed of Cattle
sponsored a cattle show at Bush
Hill in Philadelphia.
These shows were well attended
as were others that followed, but a
need for a central location to
disseminate educational in
formation was inevitable. The
Philadelphia Society for
Promoting Agriculture, respon
ding to this need, formed the
Pennsylvania State Agricultural
Society on Mar. 29,1851. That same
year the first state fair was held on
Oct. 29, 30, and 31 along the river
just a short distance from the
present Farm Show Building.
On The Move
Each succeeding year saw the
state fair in different cities
Lancaster, Pittsburgh, Phila
delphia, Wyoming, Norristown.
Easton. Scranton, Erie.
Williamsport, Bethlehem, Indiana,
Uniontown, and Johnstown State
fairs continued until 1899.
In fact, a 30-acre tract was
leased in Philadelphia m 1884 to
build permanent fair facilities, but
due to a depressed economy
bankruptcy prevailed.
Historically, several negative
features dominated the state fairs
admission was charged, no
educational meetings for farmers
were held and midways permitted
all manner of sideshows.
To remedy the situation the
Livestock Breeders Association
pushed to amend the old State Fair
Law and take it out of the hands of
the State Agricultural Society It
wasn’t until 1907 tnat their per
sistence paid off with a small show
at the old Executive Building
adjoining the Main Capitol In 1909,
a "Regular Winter Fair” was held
at the Chestnut Street Auditorium
and Hall. A large show was held in
the Duquesne Gardens in Pitt
sburgh in 1911
Thanks to the efforts of the
Livestock Breeders Association,
the State Board of Agriculture, the
PA Dairy Union, the Holstein and
Berkshire Breeders, and two
poultry organizations, the first
Farm Show was created. Known as
the Pennsylvania Corn, Fruit,
Vegetable, Dairy Products and
Wool Show, the 1917 event was held
on two floors of the Emerson-
Brantingham Building at 10th and
Market Streets.
The 10,000 square feet of space
was room enough to accommodate
5000 visitors as well as 44 com
mercial exhibits. The first floor,
known as “machinery hall”,
housed commercial exhibits and
farm machinery. The second floor
housed farm products along with
commercial and educational
displays.
By 1925 the attendance at the
Farm Show reached 50,000 with
great crowds standing in line an
hour or more for two or three
blocks. As many as 16 buildings
were used to hold meetings and to
house additional exhibits such as
the “Electric Farm” in the Pax-
tang area and the Public library
in Harrisburg. Other locations
some unlikely-included; Rainbow
Studio, Municipal Band Room, a.
row of garages on Briggs Street,
and the old Carbarns of the
Harrisburg Railways Company.
These buildings were so numerous
that a map was created in 1925 to
provide direction for the many
visitors.
A Need
To Centralize
Under such conditions, the fire
was again kindled for permanent
exhibition quarters. Support was
received from newspapers, farm
organizations, local businessmen,
and the general public. In 1928
some cities began bidding for the
annual show.
In 1928, Governor John S. Fisher
recommended funding for a
permanent exhibition quarters for
the Farm Show. The bill passed the
House of Representatives, but was
tabled in the Senate. But a lump
sum was provided by amendment
for the construction of additional
state buildings. So, even though the
funding was not appropriated
itinerant state fair finds home in Harrisburg
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Although the Farm Show Complex hosts a wide variety of shows throughout the year,
the ornate concrete sculpture adorning the main building says, "agriculture” to all who
pass through its doors.
directly for the Farm Show
Building, expenses were shared
between it and the newly proposed
Education Building.
On Oct. 30, 1928, ground was
Top
producers
are
getting
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and
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with
Bio-Boost
feed
supplement
Bio-Boost is a new dairy feed supplement
developed by Romak Nutrition of Maryland.
Our product isa combination of volatile fatty
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enzymes. Dairy producers are making Bio-
Boost a regular part of their feeding program
and reporting excellent results, including:
INCREASED MILK PRODUCTION, as
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INCREASED SALIVA FLOW, which sup
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for fiber digestion and natural bi-carbonate
for improved pH balance.
QUICK RESPONSE. Results are being
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FINER MANURE TEXTURE, an indica
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CONSISTENT FEED INTAKE, during nor
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GOOD PALATABIUTY. Cows like the taste,
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GREATER FORAGE BUNK LIFE due to
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ASK YOUR FEED SUPPLIER FOR 810-BOOST
Then put it to work for you!
bio-boost
ROMAK NUTRITION, Inc., P.O. BoxB3, Kennedyville, MD 21645 (301) 778-6823
iSS3»
. Wt
broken for Lowrey and Green to
begin work on the new Farm Show
Building. The cornerstone was laid
on April 1,1930 with the dedication
being on January 19, 1931—the
# wRk.
opening day of the fifteenth annual
show.
The new structure provided
425,000 square feet of floor space
(Turn to Page A3O)
“We noticed increasei in pro
duction since we’ve been on Bio-
Boost. We got about a five pound
increase during warm weather.
Ilfs a combination of things - how
your ration is balanced, the qua
lity of your forage* and basically,
good management. But we
believe Bio-Boost is another tool
that can help milk production -
it’s definitely been a factor for
us”
Greg Grove
Bridgewater VA
"I was on isoacids for six weeks
and I didn't see any difference,
but when I went on Bio-Boost, I
saw a big increase in milk. I was
really surprised. The forage
doesn’t seem to spoil as quickly,
especially in the summer. Plus,
the cows seem to clean it up a
little better. ”
Donald Burdette
Chestertown MD
“We have a fistulated cow in the
herd, and we were able to
measure a considerable increase
in saliva, resulting in a higher pH
of the rumen. But the most dra
matic news about using Bio-Boost
was the increase of more than
five pounds of milk per cow per
day. ”
Edwin Fry
Chestertown, MD
“Using Bio-Boost has been a
positive experience - for us, it
was a three to five pound in
crease. And we noticed it in
about two weeks time, ft’s true
that Bio-Boost works. I know it
worked for us."
Dale Heatwole
Dayton, VA