STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 27 



This amount has not been paid out of the treasury, as there must 

 be deducted from it the sum received in entrance money and pool 

 privileges, which was paid into the funds of the society previous to 

 the payment of the purses, and which was used for that purpose. 

 The money thus realized is as follows : 



1873 $8,775 00 



1874 , 9,750 00 



1875 » 9,545 00 



Total $28,470 00 



Deducting this amount from the total amount expended for purses, 

 forty-three thousand four hundred and eighty dollars, and it will be 

 found that the society has only spent in purses for the space of three 

 years the sum of fifteen thousand dollars. 



PREMIUMS AND PURSES. 



It will be seen from the foregoing statement that there has been 

 expended in premiums in the last three years twenty-seven thousand 

 seven hundred and sixty-three dollars and sixty cents, less five 

 thousand dollars, which has been paid out of the funds of the society 

 for premiums, while fifteen thousand dollars has been paid for purses. 

 Thus, in the space of three years, the society has paid out seven 

 thousand seven hundred and fifty-three dollars and sixty cents more 

 for premiums than purses. 



HORSE-RACING. 



During the past few years there has been almost a general com- 

 plaint among the agricultural community that too great attention 

 is paid to horse-racing at our agricultural fairs, and that it is made 

 their leading feature, overshadowing all else by its prominence. 

 While this is true to a great extent, it will be seen that the receipts 

 at the park are nearly three times greater than at the pavilion, which 

 shows the public preference, and throws the responsibility upon the 

 shoulders of the people rather than on the managers of the institu- 

 tion. It is too much the custom of the people to come to our fairs 

 emptj-handed, preferring the leisure and freedom of a visitor to the 

 care and trouble of an exhibitor. To this thoughtless and unwar- 

 rantable custom among our industrial classes must be attributed, 

 more than any other cause, the lack of interest manifested in our 

 agricultural and mechanical exhibitions. To this custom must also 

 be attributed the reason why the agricultural fairs throughout the 

 country, as well as in this State, have for years been leaning too 

 much to the trials of speed on the race-course, rather than to the 

 more useful and interesting exhibitions of the general products of 

 the country. But, until the time comes when the people will attend 

 these exhibitions in preference to participating in the excitements of 

 the race, agricultural societies will be compelled to continue horse- 

 racing as a prominent feature of their agricultural fairs. 



INVESTIGATION. 



While the committee were proceeding with their investigations, 

 rumors of misadministration of affairs, and misappropriation of 



