AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES AND SHOWS - IN THE UNITED STATES Agricultural Societies.—Educationaladvancement in agri culture has been marked by undertakings common to many localities. Agricultural societies came into being in the late i8th and early 19th centuries. The New York Society for the promotion of useful arts, though not confined to agriculture, was founded in 1766. The New Jersey society for promoting agriculture, com merce and arts was in existence in 1781. The Philadelphia society for promoting agriculture was established in 1785. In the follow ing years the number of local, county and State agricultural societies increased rapidly and played an important part in initiat ing systematic instruction in agriculture. In 1792 the New York society published a volume of its transactions, and the Massachu setts society issued bulletins on agricultural topics. The holding of fairs in Cambridge was suggested to the Massachusetts society in i8or. In 1807, Elkanah Watson exhibited two merino sheep in the public square of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. This may well mark the beginning of cattle shows, enterprises of no mean edu cational value.
The South Carolina agricultural society, organized in 1785, bought, in that year, a tract of land on which experiments were to be conducted. In 1792 the New York agricultural society provided funds to the trustees of Columbia college for the en dowment of a professorship in natural history, chemistry and agri culture. The Philadelphia society received, in 1794, recommenda tions from one of its committees that the legislature of the State be requested to support agricultural education in schools and col leges. A grant of $5oo was made by the Massachusetts society in 18or for the establishment of a professorship of natural history at Harvard college.
The Columbian agricultural society was founded at Washing ton in 18°9. It was the forerunner of the U.S. Agricultural society, organized in 1852 at a convention of delegates from 12 State agricultural societies. During 1817-25 the allotment of State funds to county and local societies encouraged their exten sion. In 1819, State aid was provided in New York and Massa chusetts. The latter State offered $2oo annually to every society raising and investing a fund of $1,000. For larger investments the subventions reached a maximum of $600. In the same year the legislature of New York appropriated $1o,000 a year for four years "for the promotion of agriculture and family domestic manufactures." The climax of rural organization was reached in 182o-25. Most of the country agricultural societies disintegrated in the following 25 years, largely as a result of the withdrawal of State aid. On the other hand, the State agricultural societies continued to flourish. By means of meetings, conventions, farm ers' institutes, fairs, exhibits, demonstrations, bulletins and re ports they exerted a profound influence on farm practices and served as important educational agencies. Later, many of them became State boards of agriculture and, later still, State depart ments of agriculture. As a national group they have developed common policies that directly affect educational and regulatory activities in the several States. (X.) Agricultural Shows.—Fairs and exhibitions have been an integral part of American country life for more than a century and have played an important part in the progress of agriculture. In the early colonial days it was the practice of the farmers at the close of the harvest season to take their farm products and fattened live stock to the village and display them there on the commons, primarily for sale or trade; but often such exhibitions were also motivated by a sense of pride and a desire to show the neighbours what had been accomplished in the way of producing a particularly fine specimen of animal or farm product. These occasions naturally developed into gala days for the community because of the opportunity they afforded rural people from widely separated districts to meet for recreation and social con tact, and because the finish of the harvest found the people in a festival mood. From post-harvest sales and gala days of early times it was a natural step to the fair as it is known to-day, with its exhibits of fruits, vegetables, grain anci live stock competing for prizes and ribbons, and the horse races, ball games, fireworks and other amusement features added to help carry the expense of the event.
The first permanent fair association in the United States grew out of a cattle show inaugurated in Pittsfield, Mass., in 181o. By 186o the agricultural fair was an established institution, prac tically every State and county of agricultural importance holding an exhinition in the autumn after harvest. Then came a time, about 19oo, when amusement features, such as horse racing, out weighed the agricultural exhibits in importance, and the time of holding the fairs was determined more by the convenience of the racing circuit than by the agricultural factors. Fairs as agricul tural institutions suffered and many counties abandoned them. More recently, however, there has been a revival of the business of exhibiting agricultural products, and the county fair is once more assuming its original object. State fairs are now permanently established and in general well-managed and prosperous insti tutions, giving sufficient attention alike to education, recreation and entertainment features to insure a well-balanced programme and continued success. To-day there are county fairs, district fairs, State fairs, regional fairs including two or more States and national and international expositions of world-wide fame.
The first great show of more than local importance, known as the American Fat-Stock show, was established in 1878 by the Illinois State board of agriculture and was held annually in Chi cago from that time until 1897. It was the outgrowth of the desire of a number of cattle breeders and feeders, as well as men interested in horses and swine, to stage a show in keeping with the progress of the purebred live stock industry. The show was patterned after the famous Smithfield Club show in England and flourished for many years until political influence and inadequate support caused its failure in 1897. Three years later, the present International Live Stock Exposition was organized. It held its first show in Dec. 'goo, at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago. It was founded largely through the efforts of a group of admirers of purebred animals which included such famous live stock men as Robert B. Ogilvie, Mortimer Levering, William E. Skinner, Al vin H. Sanders, John Clay and John Spoor. Profiting by the experi ence of the old Fat-Stock show, the new organization laid plans for a great educational institution free from political favoritism. Following closely the ideals of the founders, succeeding directors have made the International the leading exponent of a great movement for the improvement of live stock and crops in America. The International has been held annually in Chicago ever since its organization, except in 1914 and 1915, when it was omitted on account of the presence of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States. Staged usually during the last week in Novem ber and the first few days in December, a time when all other fairs and shows have been completed, the International draws the year's prize-winning draft horses, beef-cattle, swine, grain and hay exhibits and numerous other farm products from all over the United States and Canada. The organization owns its own grounds, covering 5oo paved acres. Joined to the many barns and other buildings housing the show stock is the amphi theatre, seating 5,000 visitors and enclosing a tan-bark arena 600ft. long. Here the finest live stock in America have paraded annually for a quarter of a century before the eyes of leading judges of North and South America and Great Britain. Standards have been set by this show. Year by year this institution has con tinued to expand until every phase of American agriculture is now embraced within its scope. While the display of breeding and fat live stock is still the cornerstone of the exposition, many educa tional and entertainment features have been added from time to time. The evening horse shows, including ponies, hunters and jumpers, saddle and light harness horses, have won world fame for the quality of the entries. The various State colleges have long been exhibitors of some of the finest live stock in all classes and the annual live stock judging contest for agricultural college students is of far-reaching importance as an -educational feature. Within the last decade r,000 or more farm boys and girls have attended the International annually as a reward for achievement in club-work in agriculture and homemaking. Classes for baby beeves raised and fitted for show by these young farmers have formed one of the new and important attractions, and the live stock judging contest, open to champion junior judging teams from every State, is another innovation. Interest in feeding, fitting and showing live stock is encouraged by .a large class of awards for herdsmen, caretakers and other helpers.
While the International is the live stock classic of the year, there are other shows of great importance to the regions in which they are held. The exhibits at such shows are often on a par with those at the International, although they draw from a much more limited territory. Such shows as the American Royal Live Stock Show held annually at,Kansas City, Mo., the Pacific International Live Stock Exposition at Portland, Ore., the Southwest Exposition and Fat Stock show at Ft. Worth, Tex., and the National Western Stock show at Denver, Colo., are important shows held prior to the International. From these it draws many of the winning animals. The great show of the East is the Eastern States Expo sition held annually at Springfield, Mass., since its organization in 1916. Dairy cattle are the big feature of this show, although there are always excellent classes of all breeds of beef-cattle, sheep, swine, light horses, hunters, jumpers and ponies.
The National Dairy Show is primarily a show for the advance ment of the dairy industry, although some classes are held for horses. Its live stock exhibit consists of i,000 or more of the finest dairy cattle of all breeds in America. It is by no means limited to the live stock end of the industry. Machinery and equipment for the creamery, the distributing plant and every other phase of dairy manufacture, form a large part of the attraction and add to the educational value of the show. The show was first held in 1906 in the Chicago Coliseum. The success of this first venture resulted in the organization of the National Dairy Association and the continued success of the show ever since. It is a much travelled show, having been held in Chicago, Ill. ; Columbus, O. ; Springfield, Mass. ; Milwaukee, Wis. ; Detroit, Mich. ; Indianapolis, Ind.; St. Paul, Minn., and Memphis, Tenn. Another important dairy show is the Dairy Cattle Congress held annually at Waterloo, Ia. The National Swine Show is the lead ing show in the world of breeding swine and is devoted exclusively to this branch of the live stock industry. While in point of num bers it is often exceeded by some of the larger State fairs, no other swine show draws so many champions of the various breeds from all parts of the continent. It was organized by the National Swine Growers' Association primarily as a breed-promotion in stitution, holding its first show in 1916 at Omaha, Neb. It has also travelled, having at different times been held in Cedar Rapids, Ia., and Des Moines, Ia. In 1921 it moved to Peoria, Ill., where the association now owns its buildings and grounds.
Poultry shows have been held in the United States for more than so years. Thousands of shows of varying sizes are held annually, small towns and communities having their local shows and many State fairs having poultry exhibits also. Large State shows are held later in the season and are followed by regional or international shows. The leading poultry show is the Madison Square Garden Poultry Show at New York city, where it has been a regular event since 187o. Thousands of birds are exhibited in individual cages designed to show them to advantage. Pigeons, bantams, and every other variety and breed of feathered domestic fowl are included. The Boston Show was the first large poultry show in the United States, having been started in 186s. It is well balanced and in some respects is better than the Madison Square Garden show. Other poultry shows of nation wide in terest are held in various cities.
There is scarcely a branch of the agricultural industry that does not have some show of more or less national scope. Special shows are held by rabbit breeders and fanciers, by kennel clubs and by organizations interested in bees and in song birds. There are shows exclusively for horses of certain breeds, for fruits and vegetables and for flowers. The Society of American Florists and Ornamental Horticulturists holds the National Flower Show at a different place each year. The International Flower Show is held annually in the Grand Central Palace, New York city. The American Orchid Society holds a large show, usually every other year, at Madison Square Garden. Countless other flower societies exhibit their new products in various local and regional shows. Obviously all these exhibits are of immense value to specialists as well as amateur breeders and growers in making progress in their profession.
Canada.—Approximately soo fairs are held annually in Can ada, most of them provincial or local. The most important is the Canadian National Exhibition at Toronto, Ont. Held usually in September, this show includes exhibits from practically every branch of agriculture and allied industries and emphasizes educa tional features. Of the 2,368 fairs held in 1927 in North America, with a total attendance of 39,468,000, none exceeded the Canadian National with its 1,870,00o visitors. No other North American fair owns buildings and grounds of greater value; its valuation is $13, soo,000, while that of its nearest competitor, the Ohio State Fair at Columbus, O., is $5,000,000.
Another fair of note is the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, patterned after the Royal Agricultural Show in England. It was first held in 1922 in the new coliseum on the grounds of the Canadian National and has since grown rapidly. It is held an nually in Toronto, usually in December, and limits its exhibits to live stock, grain and hay and other farm products. It draws its entries from the best herds and flocks and fields of Canada, the United States and other countries. Dominion honours for live stock are awarded here.
Other agricultural fairs of note are the Central Canada Exhibi tion, held annually at Ottawa, Ont. ; the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede at Calgary, Alta. ; the Old Winter Fair at Guelph, Ont.; the Provincial Exhibition, New Westminster, B.C. ; the Quebec Provincial Exposition, Quebec, P.Q. ; the Provincial Exhibition, Regina, Sask. ; and the Great Eastern Exhibition, Sherbrooke, Province of Quebec.
Two other important live stock shows in South America, both of which are held in Uruguay, are the National Live Stock and Poultry Exposition at Montevideo, and the Live Stock and Poul try Exposition at Salto. The exposition at Montevideo is under the management of the Rural Society of Uruguay and is largely a cattle show, but there are usually good classes of sheep, swine, dairy cattle and horses. The Salto show is principally a cattle show, the Hereford breed predominating.
(L. S. R. ; X.)