802 



Much and good improvement can be seen in the classes of horses 

 and cattle on exhibition since the first fair in the county, which was 

 held in the fall of 1849. 



The election of oflBcers will take place at the Court House on the 2d 

 Tuesday of January, A. D. 1856, at 1 o'clock P. M., for the ensuing 

 year. 



Members are particularly requested to be in attendance at that time, 

 as well as all others that have an interest in the encouragement of the 

 prosperity of the society. Come one, come all, the Court House is 

 large enough. 



By order of the Executive Committee. 



P. S. LYMAN, 



Secretary. 

 CORUNNA, Oct. 10, 1855. 



ADDRESS 



DELIVERED BY THE HON. LUKE H. PARSONS, AT THE SIXTH ANNUAL FAIR 

 OF THE SHIAWASSEE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



It is now over five years since the Shiawassee County Agricultural 

 Society was organized. This is our sixth annual fair. At the time of 

 our organization in 1850, the inhabitants of this county, with a very 

 few exceptions, were laboring under the most severe pecuniary embar- 

 rassments ; many of them obligated to pay more than they expected to 

 reahze as profits of their business, for years to come. At the same 

 time, the liabilities of the county as a body corporate, were not less 

 than $12,000. The money market was so severe, that such a thing 

 as obtaining a loan of any amount, here in the county, was seldom if 

 ever attempted, or even thought of. We had no wool harvest. Cattle, 

 horses, swine, beef, pork, butter, cheese, com, oats, potatoes, and indeed 

 every kind of farm production but the great staple, was a drug in the 

 market, to be exchanged not for money, but for something which by 

 some other shift or turn, could be used in payment of debts, or traded 

 off for tho absolute present necessaries of life. The price of wheat 

 here at home, for a long period, had scarcely averaged fifty cents per 



