FARMING NOTES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3147, 11 December 1922, Page 8

FARMING NOTES.

SHOWS IN AMERICA

Mr H. M. Sbmer, secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Smith Wales, who journeyed! to America to investigate the conduct*of agricultural. industrial, and amusement fairs and shows in the United! States and Canada, has just completed a long tour during which he had,! the opportunity of carefully comparing American. show methods with those of Australia. In a letter written toward the end of his trip, following his visit to the Toronto, Des Moines', and Minneapolis fairs, perhaps the largest that are held annually in America., he makes eome strikingly interesting: observations on these matters. To l Australians who look upon 1 the various Commonwealth fairs, especially the- Royal Agricultural Society’s show at Melbourne and the Royal Agricultural Society’s show at Sydney, as important events in the social and business life of the community, Mr Somer’s notes should prove of unsuail interest. “The most striking contrast to the largo- annual shows held in Australian capital cities,” writes Mr Somer, “is the Canadian National Exhibition at Joronto. This has an agricultural and jive stock side, but it is in the main an industrial exhibition of the. class which lias been popular in many countries. It is remarkable, because the State organisation holds one every year, and! each is greater than the last. As a yearly show it has no parallel 1 in Australia! or 111 ‘MW other country. It resembles the exhibitions carried! out bv the States in Australia years ago, but is far larger than any of those, and lias some features which those shows lacked. Set in a. beautiful park on |he shores of Lake Ontario, it is wonderfully attractive; the balls are very imposing, and tho lioor space is over 70,000,000 odd square lect ihe Government building, in which the State departments are represented', is the finest. The last building erected covers eight and a, half acres and cost a quarter of a million sterling 1 he entertainments are on a most extensive scale. A great pageant at night, representing the visit of the J mice of Wales to India, an opera compaiu from New York, a score l of bands, musical competitions, motor races, aquatie events, fireworks', and some horsework m the Colosseum by artificial light were, among the features that were staged white 1 was there. More than one million people visit the exhibition m the course of ai fortnight. The exhibition is financed.by the ctity of Toronto. which has built up the great show from the beginning. Different from this show are the great State fairs of America. These <ue on the lines of the Australian agri--1 fflt in al shows, but are more expansivc. The lowa fair, held at lies Moines, is one of the largest of the Jive stock shows of the world, and the Minnesota fair, at Minneapolis, is one ol the largest general fairs in America. Each is held 1 in a great park. The lowa fair has 320 acres to spread itself over, and the Minnesota. 420 acres. At Des Moines 3000 cattle, 2000 horses. 1800 sheep, and 4000 pigs, made the live stock entry. These shows are not very elaborately set. up, and in many respects are still the old-fashioned American fair, with acres of sideshows. solt drinks and food stands, cheap jacks, and other “joints,” indicating the tastes of the people. The (imest sight at lowa is the great cattle barn, holding more than 2000 head of well-bred stock of all Government breed's. I lie purely agricultural end was not so strong as it is in tho Syd L "ey show, but (here are many other departments, such as women’s work, schools, baking, and beauty eofnpetitions.

Nie Minnesota fair is not nearly so strung in stock, but it is greater in line agriculture. There the State departments make wonderfully interesting and instructive displays' There is also a great field of farm machinery, and tractors for the farm are seen at work and on the parade ground. The amusements to draw the crowds are altogether different from most Australian shows. There is a large grandstand. holding from 15,000 to 20,000 people; the trotting races are very good horse events. Day and night there arc vaudeville teams, and at night a pageant, wonderful aeroplane stunts, and other thrills. Horses and cattle are judged in the Coldsseums, which are very beautiful .enclosures. Hut the night programmes here are poor. None of the big fairs that I have seen in the United States draws an attendance equal to the crowds at the Sydney show, notwithstanding that very large sums are spent on thrills and variety turns. At Des Moines, the old act of crashing two' railway trains, drew 56,000 people.

“A pleasant feature of these fairs is the tamping grounds, where thousands of farmers and 1 their families live under canvas throughout the period of the show; another feature is the showing made hy the hoys and girls’ clubs, in live stock and agriculture. The fairs are generously assisted by the States; in fact, some arc practically State departments, and have made great strides in the war years. New buildings were put up, and the crowds increased enormously. Now the fairs are just about holding their own, and some are feeling the effects of hal'd) times among the farmers.”