Local Fairs As Educators

Live Stock Journal. Farmers havo not as cordially devoted tbemselTes to tho succcss of annual fairs as their importance domands. The local annual fair is the tarmer's home Fchool, andshould toach a valuable, practical lesson. Tho fair shouldbe expected to briiig together tho besi ovidonco of tho advancemont of agriculture in its district. If tho farmers in the district, represented by tho auual fair, entered into it as a matter of personal interest, conipeting whenever an opportunity offdreu, offering prizes in all thoso departmonts most requiring improvement, stimulating a lively rivalry, such cnthusiasm would prödacö most unexpected progresa, and soon givo the f ir a wide roputation. The fair is ca-pable of boing organized into a most instructivo school in any or all departments of agriculture. Let us suppose that cattJo feeding for beef is an important industry in the district. Now this business, by some, is supposed by some to bo well understood by farmers, and tbey are hardly avvaro that any thing remains to bo loarned about, it; but when you meet one wno holds that opinión, just ask hiai what it costs, accnrately, to raise a thrifly steer the first twolve months. He can do nothing more than give a gucss at it. As ho does not know the cost of the steer, he does not know whether it ís kept at a profit or loss; this is the precise slate of agricultural knowledge upon this matter. But the proper management of the fair will I soon produce accnrate knowledge on this question. Let $40 be offered for the bost two-year-old, and $20 for the best yearling" and half tho amount to the second best, with a full account of all the f oud given in separate periods of six months; making it easy to derro.ine the real cost of the animal; this wil] not only ronder it easy to figuro the cost of the animal at ono and ,wo years old, but it will show another mportant fact, the cost of keeping at different ages, This point would be of ,he grealest consequence to the old'ashioned farmers, who have been wont to consider beef under three to 'our years of inferior valué, and who lave never discovered that their steers do not pay their keepi ng in grain after they are two years old. This test in actual feeding will show them that the younger the animal the less ifc coste to put on a hundred pounds live weight- that it takes less food the last six montas than tho second, less the second than the third, and so on; and when this law is thoroughly understood the beef producer will govern himself accordingly. Tho fair ia the practical school to teach such principies. Every prize offered should be for the illustration of some important point in agricultural practise;ond as the feeding 01 live stock absorbs more of the capital and time of the farmer than any othor spccialty so it should occupy a very prominent posilion at all our local fairs, and the prizes should be given to illustrate in a practical way all the live stock specialties. All breeds of cattlo should be encouraged aliko, lor each breed has special qualities adapting it to certain localilies. Allmatters in farm practise should ba illustrated at our fain, and every farmer should rogará it as his duty to assist in building up these local fairs. A rare and beuutiful plant of the rnorning glory species is owned by Mrs. E. N. Lpavens, of Faribault, Minn. Tho blossoins are exceedingly abundant puro whiie, at least four inches in in diarnoter and vory fragrant. From twelve to twenty of the flowera open wido liko a Chino3ö umbrella suddopiy each evenins:, between 6 and 8 o'clock, and provide a most curious and delightful entertainment. As the sun does nol wait for prayers and incantations beforo he rises, but straightway shines forth and is hailed of all, so do not wait to do good for applauso and noise and praiso but do it of voor own desire; and, liko tho sun, you will be loveii Intersessiou is the vory safety valvo of love. When we feel that wo eau really do nothing at all in return for soiflo remarkablo kindne&s or aft'ection, how exoedingly glad wo aro that we may and can pray.- Danvillo Tribune. American tarmors, after supplying tho homo deniand, now have a bigei surplus of breadstuffs in three years, for which they must find a foreigu market or nono, than they did in any forty yearg beiore the war. The way to ñll a large sphore is to glorify a small ono. Thore is no large sphere; you aro your own sphore. The man regenérate and consocrated is the lordliest thing on earth, because he ffiakes himself so.