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munity, but in every branch of industrial pursuits within our borders, 

 have been crowned with an unexpected success. In proof of this, we 

 have but to look around, and mark the change that has already taken 

 place, and is still going on in the minds of the people respecting the 

 improvement of stock, implements and macliiner)' of all kinds. Imple- 

 ments and machinery that a few years since were considered the height 

 of perfection, are now being laid aside to make way for articles, intro- 

 duced to us at our exhibitions, and pronounced by our committees to 

 be superior to all heretofore in use. Each year shows an improvement 

 in our stock, and an increased and still increasing interest in the welfare 

 of our Society. Many who could not be persuaded to attend our fairs 

 until the one that has just past, came to me upon the ground, to tender, 

 through me, to the Society, their congratulations for the good this Soci- 

 ety had accomplished ; stating, that so long as they were spared to con- 

 tribute to its success, they would not be found in the back ground. 



There are some who try to make themselves believe that, notwith- 

 standing their stock or articles may be of the highest order, if they ex- 

 hibit, they will not receive a premium, because they say the judges have 

 their fa\'orites, and award the premiums beforehand. In illustration of 

 this idea, as well as contradiction of it, I will state a circumstance that 

 occun-ed this fall. A farmer in Oakland county has a fine herd of cat- 

 tle ; one of his neighbors, who also has some of the best stock in that 

 county, asked him to take some of his cattle to the fair for exhibition. 

 His reply was, that if his cattle should be exhibited there, and proved 

 to be the best in their class, no premium would be awarded to them, for 

 the judges have their favorites, to whom they always gi\'e the premiums. 

 The man who was unwilling to exhibit his cattle I will desiornate as Mr. 

 N., his neighbor as Mr. G. Mr. G., after spending much time in fruit- 

 less endeavors to satisfy his friend that he was in error, offered to take 

 some of his cattle and exhibit them with his own ; to this Mr. N. consen- 

 ted. The cattle belonging to Mr. N. and Mi'. G. were driven on to the 

 ground and entered by Mr. G. Mr. G. first entered his own, then those 

 belonging to N., which he also entered in his own name, as agent for 

 Mr. N. The premiums as you are aware, are awarded to the articles 

 or animals by the numbers, the committees not always having the names 

 of the owners ; several premiums were awarded to the cattle entered by 

 Mr.- G., and all of them published in the daily papere as being awarded 



