i garin and , fold. THE MODERN FARMER. 11. Ste pipe of the quail in the stubble acid The scent of the nesr•mosm bay : . t tend all day long the shout and the song Of the reapers so far away. 4 `,01); sweet Is the geld where the meadow lark tilts And sings, as It soars and dives When, the granger sits, and lens as he gita ' His fingers among the tares. ;i. No longer we heat on the hillside Sore. • The setthestone's ellnkety clink; - Tut the reaping machine cuts his leg off. I weer, ilefore ever the man can think. ''. When the threshers come In with the hallo and - ' dtn P 7 117.10 W burdened with sorrow the boar, / , .Whenihey-pluse and scan what Is left of the man Chawed up in an eight-Mole power." 1 - Farmers and the Fairs. One of the most profitable means of investment for farmers is the in terest that is taken in our agricultur al fairs by exhibiting the products of the farms for the past seasons. It displays to visitors the production's of each Section, and attracts buyeri byreason of the displays so made by . the growers. While farmers take ' ';delight- in ekhibiting samples of -wheat, corn, fruit and vegetables, ,they are, on the contrary, sadly- deli " cient in the - display of live stock. There are some .exceptions to this, us we have enterprising farmers and breeders who are really anxious to compete and carry away prizes] but why is it that farmers, as a - class, take such little interest in exhibiting the stock of the farms? _ The reason Is plain ; they receive - • no encouragement from the directors - of the fairs. The premiums are Car ried off normalcy by the breeders of " fancy stock," who struggle to win the awards, and breed their stock to all the "point," which, 'are not un derstood by one fahmer in: a dOzen. It is true we should have a standard Of excellence for every class of stock,- and p/inh: are necessary They arc the badges of purity of breed, and without some marks of definition- of shape, color and size we would be unable to . keep them true to blood. With all this to incite us to hreedina good stock with judgment we •ma e comlietition of importance at our annual fairs. Until ,_our premiums are given in _part : : to such stock as is kept on farmi for farmers' purposes the far: niers leave nochance. Pretniunks on grade animals are usually ridiculous ly small, but large amounts are offer ed in the trotting class of horses, and, -, as farmers must merely look on in' such affairs the prizes are allowed to pass to the jockeys Of a class of, • three-minute trotters, who travel for- • this purpose all around the country. Several years ag ,. .) a short-horn[ bull was exhibited at all the fairs o' note: in this State, Maryland and Virginia, in every case receiving the- 1 first prize, and jet his owner. - never _sold a steer for beef or benefited the I 'farmers — in his neighborhool. The -; owner received over four thousand " dollars in two seasons from preini ,llßlS. One pen of Berkshire hogs and 'a small flock of Cotswold sheep, owned. by a breeder in this State, closed the_ doors to competition at a dozen fairs in. Pennsylvania, - and farmers have no chance in such unequal con - - tests. Poultry, such :as geese, tur keps, ducks and chicken's, is kept in dark cellars to brighten plumage, color combs, and even their feet and lees are washed and prepared. - ordinary chanticleer and his mates nAst reniain away frbm :these " spe cially prepArcd " favorites, who actu ally surpil.sG even the'-fanners them :44\ es by their diTlay of "fine points." Keep up the premiums fur "fine" skwk, but give the premiums also as withold i'rgard to cireed : For the Cow that produces the greatest (inantity of milk or butter; or the fattest and best hog for slaughter (age and expense -considered); for the hen that gives the largest num. , Ler of eg g s durikg the year ; for the Lest tloekof market rOwls or chicks; for the horse that walks the fastest Cr draws the heaviest load ; for the I)e , ,t steer for - bu'ehering; for the I:irgest yield of wool from a given number of sheep, iancd for the best carcases of slaughtered animals or • foWls. The above :lie only suggestO, b eau be modified to suit, We iliou encourage pure breeds, and exhibit thetu at fairs, in order - to stimulate farmers to improve; and while we . should not detract:front the display of the best in the hands of special breeders, , yet we should also encour age farmers to compete with the pro ducts of the farmsynot only in yield of crone, hiib *i,tli_ 7 farm stock. A great many animals