pursuing in your show-yards, as encouraging a waste of the food of animals and a waste of the food of man. And if that premature and overfeeding, so indispensable, we all know, to your show condition, be (as I think you must allow it to be) unnecessary to the fullest development of the frame and functions of the adult female, on what plea, I would ask, can you, whose professed object is to so direct the operations of agriculture "that the greatest amount of produce may be obtained at the least possible cost of production," justify to yourselves proceedings which not only provoke to a waste of food, but are, in the abuse of it which they encourage, converting nutriment into poison? You will scarcely, I should think, hazard (were you adventurous enough) to attempt a defense of these proceedings, involving that intelligent class of farmers from whom your judges are selected, in the contempt that would devolve upon the argument, "that to assure yourselves of the propriety of their awards of your premiums, form, frame and quality are not enough, but the fleshy condition of the animal presented to you can be the only safe index to the futurity of fat either in itself or its progeny. And here I may ask you to reflect of what useful instruction to the young farmer you are, by the permission of this show condition, depriving yourselves; for what can be more advantageous to him, that he should learn, by a process less costly than his own unaided experience, how to select for purchase in the lean Fairs the animals that are most calculated to realize his expectations on their re-sale in the fat markets? But it is not that you so unnecessarily deprive yourselves, in the awards of your premiums, of this important instruction to the young farmer, that I have only to complain, but that, instead of directing him to a right judgment, you are assisting him to a wrong one, and teaching him to suppose that nothing else is requi site to excellence in the cow than what is necessary to perfection in the ox. You are also depriving him of the sight, at your shows, of the best animals for breeding purposes, as models for his guidance in rearing or purchasing; as the best and most useful cows of every herd must be-as long as you adhere to the system of making a gaudy condition of the animal a sine qua non, as now, to its suc cess of necessity left at home, from their inability to have been, previously to the show, performing two irreconcilable processes at once-of putting on your condition, and doing duty with profit to their owners. By the local-more limited in memberhood, and much more limited in resources of a moneyed as well as moral influence-fraternities of the same character as yours, I feel that it might be urged, though inexcusably, I think, even by them, that this gaudy condition of the exhibited animal was necessary as an attraction to the show-yard, and the funds so acquired absolutely requisite to the existence of the society; and so in fact the promulgation of error indispensable to the circulation of truth; but from a society like yours I can expect no such humiliating confession. Nor will you, I am confident, as I might surmise as the motive in agricultural societies less firmly rooted than yours, from a disinclination to that reform in their and your proceedings which I am now advocating, permit the public or myself to suspect that you fear to give umbrage to the affluent, and possibly hitherto influential few, who, adopting farming as a pastime only, and having no ulterior views in the acquisition of a herd beyond the exhibition of their extravagant estimate of the value to them of these mere playthings at the sale, or their power of pampering these favorites of fashion in the show-yards, might possibly retire in despair from a competition at your meetings if flesh could no longer prevail over form, nor intelligence be obliged to succumb to oil cake. But though assured, if you do intend to maintain your position, that you will adopt a more dignified and spirited line of defense than any such, it is so inconceivable to me by what process of reasoning you will attempt to stand up for a practice which is so entirely at variance with the theories on agriculture which you disseminatelessening instead of increasing, as it does, the production of the animal, and increasing, at the same time, instead of lessening, the cost of its production; or by what argument you will support a system which so debars the professional farmer, who has too much good sense and too little superfluous cash for the indulgence of extravagance and absurdity, from any chance of partaking of those prizes which you profess to hold out as incentives to his adoption of an improved breed of cattle, that I will not occupy your time in so vain a speculation; but hoping that you may be more inclined to a remedy of the evil I complain of, than a rejection of my suit, I will hasten to assure you that, as "with the will there is always to be found the way," that there is no reason for supposing the course I recommend you to belong to the exceptions and not to the rule; and as nothing can be to the experienced in cattle more easy to detect than the presence of an unnatural and purely artificial state of condition, so nothing can be easier than to make such a state of the animal a ground of exclusion from all power of competition in-nay, I would go further-from all permit of entrance into your show-yards. Such a rule as this, rigidly enforced as it must be, to be of any avail, would necessarily, I am aware, exclude from exhibition many, because irremediably fat, otherwise valuable animals; but it is surely preferable that these should be excluded, than that, through their admissibility, an incorrect estimate of in what consists the perfection of the animal for reproductive and all other useful purposes should be engrafted on the farmer's mind. The remedy, however, cannot, I am persuaded, long halt upon your resolves to effect it. Insist upon the regulations of your showyards becoming subservient, instead of, as they now are, obstructive to the objects you profess a wish to promote by them, and so rule it that your practices shall become in harmony with your theories, and you will have accomplished all that the public interests require, or that I ask at your hands. The following are the rules which Mr. Fawkes has suggested: "1. All the cattle duly qualified for competition to wear round their necks in the show-yard labels bearing certificates from their owners of the years and months they are old. No 2-years-and-5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11-months-old heifer to be qualified for competition, unless she bears on label a certificate from her owner, that she is six weeks past her bulling,' and her premium not to be paid till she has produced a live calf. gone with calf,' "3. No 3-year-old heifer to be qualified for competition unless she bears on her label a certificate from her owner, that she is five months • and her premium not to be paid till she has produced a live calf. "4. No 3-years-and-6-months-old heifer to be qualified under any circum. stances. "5. No cow, not in milk or calf, to be qualified for competition. Each cow to have on her label a certificate from her owner, 'of how many live-born calves she is the dam,' and her premium not to be paid till, if in calf and not in milk, she has produced a live one. "6. No yearling bull (if one and a half years old) to be qualified for competition unless he bear on his label a certificate from his owner, that cows are holding to him.' "7, No 2-years-old or aged bull to be qualified for competition unless he bear on his label a certificate from his owner, that he is the sire of twelve live-born calves.'' DEVONS. 1. Thos. Aston, Elyria, O., bull, Curly, 3 years. 3. S. Meredith, Cambridge, Indiana, cow, Devon, 3 years. 4. J. W. Hamlin, Willink, Erie county, N. Y., bull, Chingagook, 7 years. AWARDS AND REPORT OF COMMITTEE. Best bull, 3 years and over, Thomas Aston, Elyria, O... $20 Second best bull, 3 years and over, J. W. Hamlin, Willink, Erie co., N. Y... 10 Best bull, 2 years old, C. F. West, Elyria, O....... Best cow, 2 years old, J. W. Hamlin, Willink, N. Y....... Best heifer, 1 year old, C. F. West, Elyria, O................. Second best heifer, 1 year old, C. F. West, Elyria, O............... 15 20 15 8 10 5 The undersigned, chairman of the committee on Devos, begs leave to make the following report: The show of cattle in this class this year is very small, there being only 10 entries in all. Some of the animals exhibited were of superior quality, among which was a two two-year old heifer, exhibited by J. W. Hamlin of Willink, Erie county, N. Y., which is worthy of special notice. Her fine, symmetrical form-her beautiful color, silky coat, with other fine points, show her to be equal if not superior to any animal of this breed ever exhibited in the State. A heifer, one year old, exhibited by C. F. West of Elyria, O., was worthy of the first premium, which was awarded to her. A very fine cow and calf, exhibited by C. Meredith of Cambridge, Indiana, were considered by the committee well worthy a first premium, but as no pedigree was furnished, no premium was awarded. The committee was divided as to which of the two bulls exhibited should have the first premium-two of the committee voting to give it to "Curly," exhibited by Thomas Aston of Elyria, while the undersigned was clearly of the opinion that the first premium should be given to "Chingagook," exhibited by Mr. Hamlim of Willink, N. Y., for the reason, that is apparent from the pedigree exhibited by Mr. Aston, as well as from the animal himself, that he (Curly) is not thoroughbred. The evidence of a cross of blood with the Short-horn, to an experienced eye is too clear to leave any doubt upon the subject. The undersigned begs leave to suggest to the Board that some further proof of the correctness of the pedigree, by reference to the Devon Herd-Book, or otherwise, should be required. The committee were unable to procure a herd-book on the grounds. All of which is respectfully submitted. A. C. HARRIS. In case the first premium is awarded to Curly, the second premium should be given to Chingagook. A. C. H. 3. Geo. Ivins, Piermont, Montgomery county, steer, Brutus, 3 years (fat). 5. James Elliott, Bellbrook, yoke oxen, Buck and Berry, 9 years. 6. Ezra Sherman, Dayton, 1 yoke, Spark and Duke, 6 years. 8. Henry Kirk, Jeffersonville, O., steer, Robert (fat), 6 years. 9. Thos. Kirk, Fayette county, O., steer (fat), 6 years. 10. Henry Wendell, Fayette county, O., 1 yoke oxen, 4 years over. 11. W. Palmer, Bloomington, cow (fat), 6 years. Best yoke of oxen, Henry Wendell, Washington, Fayette county.. Second best single bullock, 4 years, Thomas Kirk, Jeffersonville.......... $25 15 30 20 Your committee found four pairs of work oxen, all of which were good. The pair, No. 10, belonging to Henry Wendell, Esq., were a superior pair of milk white color, weighing 4,452 pounds, to which they awarded the first premium of $25. The pair, No. 12, belonging to William Palmer, weighing 4,100 pounds, received the second premium of $15. Your committee, from your printed rules, feel it to be their duty, with all due deference to the owners of the yoke of steers No. 7, to say, not worthy of a premium. Your committee found only two entries in aged fat cattle; but are happy to say of a very superior quality. No. 8, belonging to Henry Kirk, Jeffersonville, Fayette county, six years old, weighing 3,162 pounds, measuring eight feet nine inches in length, nine feet nine and a half inches forward girt, nine feet seven inches loin girt, and three feet across the loins, they award the first premium of $30. To No. 9, belonging to Thomas Kirk, six years old, measuring eight feet eight inches in length, nine feet six inches forward girt, nine feet five and threefourths inches after girth, and two feet ten inches across the loins, they award the second premium of $20. Two finer steers are seldom seen in America. Your committee again found it necessary to say of Nos. 3 and 4 (3 years old), |