126 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



OPENING ADDRESS. 



DELIVERED AT THE SEVENTH ANNUAL FAIR OF THE NORTHERN DISTRICT— 

 EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT. 



By HON. W. H. PARKS, President. 



Members of (lie Northern District Agricultural Society, and Ladies and 

 Gentlemen : 



We have assembled together again, after a lapse of two most prosper- 

 ous j'ears, to exchange congratulations, and return thanks for our con- 

 tinued and increased prosperity, and to place on exhibition some of our 

 products and improvements, and to exchange ideas with reference to 

 further improvements. It becomes my duty, as the presiding officer, to 

 make a brief statement of the condition of the society, and to make 

 such suggestions as would, in my opinion, promote the interests of the 

 same. I am aware of the popular prejudice existing against long, statis- 

 tical opening addresses, therefore, I shall be brief. I will not attempt 

 to reiterate what has been so often and so truthfully said, that Califor- 

 nia, as a State, possesses greater advantages, and has greater resources 

 for agriculture and manufactures, than any other portion of the United 

 States. Nor shall I <ro into facts and figures, ffivine the incredible num- 

 ber of bushels of wheat and barley raised per acre, nor dwell upon the 

 mammoth size of potatoes, squashes, pumpkins, etc., the delieiousness of 

 our fruits, or the delicate flavor of our wines, for all of these things 

 have been stated and verified, and no longer create astonishment. I 

 may, however, congratulate you upon the proud position our State occu- 

 pies to-day. Although young in years, she has taken place with the 

 first of the olden States in importance as a grain growing State. At 

 the late Paris Exposition she stood first for her cereals, and her mechan- 

 ics carried off more prizes, in proportion to the number of exhibitors, 

 than did those of any other portion of the world. This, then, would argue 

 that we not only have the soil, climate and natural wealth, but that we 

 have also the genius and enterprise so necessaiy to the speedy development 

 of our country. 



I may also congratulate yon upon the prosperous condition of the 

 society and of the district which composes it. We do not judge of the 

 success of a fair, or the condition of the society, by the number of exhibi- 

 tions, but by the interest taken by the exhibitors, and the influence and 

 effect it has upon the country'. Taking this for a standpoint, we may 

 well congratulate ourselves upon the success and the advantages of the 

 society, and its founders, who struggled so hard for its establishment and 

 success, may well be proud of their work. It is just ten years ago since 



