\'. 



206 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



memberships to the Society, bringing in an income o£ 14,805. Here- 

 tofore, since 1862, the Board had discouraged the sale of life mem- 

 berships, as tending to reduce the annual receipts for memberships. 

 The State appropriation this year was $5,000. The total receipts 

 were $51,412 57; total expenditures, $51,412 04. 



The Board, in their report to the Society, say: " It is the intention 

 of the Society to tear down the old stand, which has become unsafe 

 from long use and exposure to the weather, and erect a new one four 

 hundred feet in length and forty-six feet in depth. It will be so 

 arranged that every one will have an excellent view of the entire 

 course and exhibition." 



The twenty-first annual meeting of the Society was held January 

 13th, 1874. R. S. Carey was re-elected President, and Coleman 

 Younger, T. L. Chamberlain, and E. B. Mott, Jr., were elected Direct- 

 ors. The Board re-elected Robert Beck Secretary, and elected L. A. 

 Upson Treasurer. 



President Carey, on being elected and called for, came forward and 

 said: 



Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Society : I have not words to express my gratitude. I 

 am not in the habit of speech making. I am a worker. So far as I am concerned, you must 

 judge of tlie future by the past. While acting as your President I have endeavored to do my 

 duty as I did while your Superintendent for eight years. I say now, as I have said before, you 

 shall never be sorry for your choice. I will leave nothing undone which I can do. I must 

 here thank the Board of Directors which has assisted me. During the fair I fell sick, and they 

 rallied around me and stood by me. From the Marshal to the humblest employe, to every 

 man, worked and served faithfully, and such was the support from Directors and officers, that 

 had I died on Thursday, I think my gladness at such help would have made me wake from my 

 grave on Saturday. The thanks of the Society are due also to the people of Sacramento for 

 their action during the last fair. 



In accordance with the intention expressed in the report of the 

 Board to the last annual meeting, preparations were miade for build- 

 ing a grand stand at the Park. For this purpose a larger appropria- 

 tion was asked for from the Legislature. The sum of $15,000 was 

 obtained from this source, $1,561 by subscriptions from citizens of 

 Sacramento, and $10,000 was borrowed upon the note of individual 

 members of the Board, and the grand stand was erected at a cost of 

 about $24,000, in time for the fair— the time for which had been fixed 

 to commence September 21st and end September 27th, 1875. The 

 fair was a good one. The Board, in speaking of it, say: 



The display of thoroughbred and graded stock of every kind, at our fair in September last, 

 was a surprising one, even to breeders and dealers. Taken together, it was probably as fine 

 and as interesting an exhibition of blooded animals and their kindred as ever was made in the 

 United States; and it was gratifying to observe that California breeders were not surpassed in any 

 respect by Eastern competitors. • 



At the Pavilion a large number of exhibitors made profuse and 

 meritorious displays of home manufactured and imported goods. 

 Although the department for agricultural machinery and imple- 

 ments had been removed to the Park, thus affording much more 

 room than usual, the halls were all occupied, and the necessary 

 economizing of space created a sense of discomfort. 



M. M. Estee delivered the annual address. It was mostly devoted 

 to the subject of irrigation in China, Italy, Spain, and_ India; com- 

 pared our climate to the climates of these several countries; reviewed 

 the costs and benefits of irrigation; discussed the ownership of water 

 and laws necessary to regulate the supply and use of it for irrigation 



