STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 37 



an experiment whether the Society could be sustained, or be of 

 any practical benefit to the Agricultural interests of the State. 

 But, gentlemen, it seems to me that that day has gone by, and it 

 is time that this Society took its position as an institution of the 

 Empire State, and received, as it deserves, the fostering care of our 

 State government more liberally than it has heretofore. Not to 

 be sent about the State and located where the highest bidders were 

 found, regardless of the interests of the Society, or the State at 

 large. 



Why should not the farmers, who are actually the great pro- 

 ducers of our wealth, and who pay a large share of the taxes, 

 into the treasury of our State, be recognized as a portion of our 

 citizens, and entitled to some consideration, and be permitted to 

 share to a small extent its liberality with other public institu- 

 tions 1 As has been well said by my predecessor : 



"It is a fact so often stated that I need not repeat it again, that 

 our Agricultural interest is the most important in the country. 

 Next in the order of importance is our manufacturing interests. 

 Without these, and the consumption of merchandize by those 

 engaged in them, commerce would have but little to do. 



" Statistics show an amount annually created by our Agricul- 

 ture, greatly beyond that created by any other agency, if not 

 more than by all others in the land. It creates, because it draws 

 from the earth and from the atmosphere that which, but for it, 

 would not be produced." 



It is but little aid that our farmers desire, and it appears to 

 me that the time has now arrived when the New- York State 

 Agricultural Society should no longer be compelled yearly to 

 seek for bidders for its location. Compelling different commur.ities 

 to be onerously taxed, for the privilege of having a State Fair 

 located among them, when, of right, they should have it, and 

 any expense which might be incurred over and above the receipts 

 of the Society, should be paid by the State — holding the officers 

 to a strict accountal)ility for the faithful performance of their 

 duties, and an honest expenditure of the funds entrusted to 

 their care. 



Let us look for a moment at some few statistics of our State. 



The statistics of the commerce of the United States vshow that the 

 State of New- York exported in 1853, over $66,000,000, while Mas- 



