STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 55 



mend a change in the Constitution, so that a member can only take in 

 his wife and childi-en under ten or twelve years of age. 



Another matter connected with this subject is the practice of transfer- 

 rin it of tickets by members to those who are not members. Those who 

 have given this subject much attention have come to the conclusion that 

 this practice prevails to a great extent, and that the receipts of the 

 society are considerably less than they should be on this account. 



It is difficult to meet this practice and prevent this imposition. The 

 Constitution provides that for this offence the member guilty of it shall 

 forfeit his membership; but the trouble lies in the difficulty of detecting 

 the fraud. It is suggested that the membership tickets be printed on 

 the face in large letters, "A transfer of this ticket forfeits membership;" 

 and if this caution does not answer the purpose, it may become necessary 

 to do away with membership tickets and substitute daily tickets instead, 

 all of which shall be given up at the gate or door. Similar societies in 

 the Atlantic States have been driven to the adoption of this latter plan 

 for the same purpose. 



In closing these brief remarks we congratulate the farmers of the 

 State upon the excellent prospects of the year eighteen hundred and 



sixty-nine. 



I. N. HOAC, 



Secretary. 



On motion, the report of the Directors was accepted. 



It was moved that a Committee on Finance be appointed by the Chair, 

 to consist of three members, to examine the accounts of the Secretary 

 and Treasurer. 



The motion was agreed to, and the President appointed C. H. Swift, 

 L. A. Upson and N. A. H. Ball as such committee. 



On motion, the reading of the financial report of the Secretary was 

 dispensed with. 



After considerable discussion, Section four, Article three, of the Con- 

 stitution of the society, was amended, by striking out " the ladies and 

 children of his family," and inserting " his wife and minor children." 

 The section, as amended, reads as follows: 



Any citizen of this State, being a member of this society, shall be 

 eligible to office, entitled to vote, and enjoy the free use of the library, 

 under the rules of the same, and have free admission, accompanied by 

 his wife and minor children, to all the exhibitions of the society, and 

 shall be permitted to compete for premiums in any or all departments 



The President announced that the next business in order was the 

 election of a President for the ensuing year. 



Charles F. Reed, of Yolo, was nominated. 



[J. H. McKune in the chair.] 



It was moved and carried that the nominations be closed. 



On motion, the Chair appointed as tellers, Leonard Cross, Henry 

 Miller and George Rowland, who reported C. F. Reed unanimously 

 re-elected President. 



[President Reed in the chair.] 



On again assuming the chair, the President returned his thanks to 

 the members of the society for the appreciation shown of his efforts to 

 fulfil the duties of his office, and guaranteed that his record in the 

 future would be as good as in the past. 



