Webster Farmers' Club

Despite the unpleasant wealher o last Saturday, through the mist, through the mud, carne tramping over the Ham burg hills a smiling host of exhibitora and visitors to the home of W. and E X. Bal), bringing blood red saffroncolored, attenuated, and blunt beets carrots of native origin, and three with a foreiga cognomen no one dare pronounce without an Orlandoff; corn, red white, yellow, and variegated; apples that would excuse Mother Eve for her transgression, and cast the broad mantle of charity over Adam's incisión in their rosy cheeka ; potatoes, white sienoa and burnt umber shades, moderate dimensions, elephantine ; turnipB huge and vast, disputing room in a halfbushel measure, others nestling like eggs in a peach basket ; wheat, amber wheat, hard and soft, hybrids and pure quill, with namee that would take away the breath of an orthoepist ; oats with an origin in the four quarters of the globe, and now and then a solitary pumpkin vainly suggesting an old-fashioned mother's pie; while from out under water-proofs and umbrellas peered brown pareéis containiog that strange trange and intricate fruit of their linie hand-loom, the crochet needie, such unique Bpecimens of frost work as only the genius of woman can weave; paintings in oil, on canvass and silk, water colors, sketches, wall pockets, splashers, patterns, models from the moon's disc, with other bric-a-brac clustering around like the celestial nébula, were soon arranged on tables under the spacious veranda, while the tool-shop was transformed into a vegetable hall, which waa soon covered with the producís of the farm and garden. One notiuable feature in the display of farm exhibits was the good-natured rivalry among exhibitors, together with the frank exchange of views on modes of cultivation, which is worth more than all, and an hour spent among the competitors listening to a history of the failures and success in different lines of cultivation, is worth ten times the trifling time spent in bringing together the best of vour vear'a labora. It is an agricultural show, pure and simple, with the "hoss" trot left out. Exbibitors come face to fece to gain from each other valuable hints, learn the capacity of different soils under varied cultivation, and carry back with them pointers for future use. At 2 o'clock the president cal led to order. Miss Alice Ball gave us a piece of instrumental music, and was followed by Miss Eliza Smith, of Ann Arbor, with a spirited recitation. Ray McColl then read a paper on Pursuit vs. Possession, in which he recorded himself in the affirmative. History and man's natural traite of character were used ingeniously in support of his position. He laid stress upon the spur hope was in stirring up man to exertion. Pursuit looks to the future ; possessipn to the present. Pursuit requires ambition ; possession pertinacity. Anticipation had much to do with farm labor, and he believed there was more enjoyment in producing a crop than receiving its avail after it was raised. Many illastrations to the point was used, and the subject finely handled. At its close Messrs. Ball and Cushman and others complimented Mr. McColl on the masterly analysis of his subject. Of the exhibite, I herewith send a partial list: Messrs. Boyden, Ball, Merrill, Backus, Alexander, Francés and 8cadin- specimens of seed corn. Wm. Scadin- Oreenings and Baldwin apples. Potatoes - Messrs. Backus, Scadin, Todd, Merrill- Burnham varietiea, Burbank, late and early, Rose White, Elephant, Clarks No. 1, White Star, Snow Flake, and Peerless. Garrote, Lane's Improved, Ox heart, ind other sorts-beete, mangels. Lañe improved supar beet, and others- Messrs. Boyden, Prancis, and Merrill. Mrs. John W. Wijliams furnishes the following partial list from the ladies' department: Four paintings by Jessie Williams ; 1 decorated jug, ElsieCranson ; 1 set dinner mate, Eliza Smith; thread lace, Katie Smith ; thread lace, Carrie Francis ; knitted i-kirt, Mrs. Wm. Ball ; sewng basket, Mrs. Wm. Ball ; wall pocket, Mrs. Smith ; 2 splashers, Mary Backus tidy, Alice Ball. The next meeting of the club will be tield at the residence of John W. Alexander, on the second Saturday in vember.