New York State Dairymen's Association. 425 



was extending so rapidly that it was impossible to maintain a 

 national association, which this aspired to be, especially when its 

 meetings were all held at one place, viz. : Utica, 1ST. Y. As a 

 practical man, Harris Lewis saw that the work of such an associa- 

 tion must be confined within narrower limits in order to make it 

 a success. So a call was issued for a meeting of New York State 

 dairymen, which took place at Syracuse, February 19, 1877. 

 Here the State association had its birth, and Hon. Harris 

 Lewis was made the first president, with Hon. Josiah Shull 

 for secretary. An entirely different policy was pursued from that 

 of the American Dairymen's Association. Instead of tying the 

 annual conventions down to one town or city, they were held every 

 year in a different place, thus drawing a larger number of dairy- 

 men within the sphere of their influence and making friends in 

 many different quarters. In order to show how widely scattered 

 the conventions have been, I have summarized them as follow: 

 Places at which only one convention was held: Binghamton, 

 187S; Whitney's Point, 1881; Ogdensburg, 1883; Jamestown, 

 1885; Norwich, 1886; Middletown, 1887; Oswego, 1888; Ithaca, 

 1889; Walton, 1890; Cbbleskill, 1892; Gouverneur, 1898. Places 

 at which convention has been held twice: Syracuse, 1877 and 

 1895; Oneonta,.1879 and 1894; Delhi, 1880 "and 1896; Owego, 

 1884 and 1891. Places at which the convention has been held 



three times: Cortland, 1882, 1897, and 1899 ; Watertown, ( ), 



1893, and 1900. Thus, it will be seen that in twenty-three years 

 the convention has visted seventeen places, four of which it has 

 visited twice and two only for three times. 



So much in the way of mere history. Time does not permit 

 to 2'0 into detail concerning the officers and men who have from 

 time to time been connected with the association. It should be 

 stated, however, that Hon. Harris Lewis continued to occupy 

 the president's chair until 1880, when failing health compelled 

 him to decline re-election, and John S. Shattuck of Norwich 

 was nominated by Mr. Lewis himself and elected viva voce. Mr. 

 Shattuck served the association for two years very acceptably and 

 thereafter a new president was chosen every yea]-. Other promi- 

 nent men who, although not officers of the association, took an 

 active part in its proceedings, but have already joined the great 

 majority, were Hon. Josiah K. Brown, the first dairy commis- 

 sioner of the State; Col. F. D. Curtis of Kirby Homestead, a 

 genial associate and enthusiastic dairyman; Hon. Josiah Shull, 

 secretary of the association until 1890, when he resigned on ac- 



