1278 New York State Agricultural Society 



The prime mission of jour society is to advance and improve 

 agriculture in all its varied departments, and to promote the 

 general good and uplift of all the citizens and avocations of your 

 great commonwealth. 



That you have accomplished a splendid constructive work, the 

 rapid development of all the arts and sciences as applied to im- 

 proved and successful agriculture in this state, bears strong and 

 forceful testimony. 



To be a factor in the improvement of the condition of rural 

 life and a guide to the pathway of a higher and more progressive 

 citizenship on the farm, constitute a motive and ambition which 

 is second to none other in the efforts of mankind. 



The independence, safety and prosperity of any nation depends 

 upon the success of its agriculture. The United States is the 

 wealthiest and greatest of all nations because of the immense 

 wealth and diversitv of its marvelous agricultural resources and 

 possibilities. Strike down agriculture, and you remove the strong 

 foundation upon which the progress of the nation is built. Strike 

 down the farmer, the conservative force in our government, and 

 you destroy the nation. 



1^0 great industry deserves the fostering care and cooperative 

 support of the federal and state governments more than that of 

 agriculture, l^o great industry has suffered more from the power- 

 ful, throttling influences of the trust and combined corporate 

 powers, both commercial and financial, than that of agriculture. 



Although agriculture represents the greatest and most valu- 

 able asset of the American jS^ation, and typifies the foundation 

 structure upon which Americans progress in all the parts of accu- 

 mulating wealth and general advancement in all departments of 

 commercial, industrial and financial life, the farmers have been 

 forced to occupy a secondary position in the enjoyment of the 

 fruits from their o\vn labors. The farmers in the United States 

 have no standing in modern commerce or finance. Thev are not 

 recognized in the business world as an active, vital and aggressive 

 part of the business factors which guide and control the destinies 

 of this great nation. 



This condition cannot be charged to mental inability or an ab- 

 sence of business equipment among the farming classes in this 



