220 BOARD OF AGKICULTURE, 



that the American people like to be humbugged, but it is uot true. 

 Strangers of the show people class may perpetrate frauds with success, 

 but resident fair managers can not win favor on false issues. They must 

 deal honestly and honorably with their patrons in everything they adver- 

 tise. 



Indiana has two kinds of fairs, viz.: Those under either private or 

 public ownership. The first class includes all those associations wherein 

 the lands are owned by the stockholders. In the other class the fair 

 grounds are owned by the counties and held under lease for fair purposes 

 only, and liable to forfeiture. Now these conditions materially affect the 

 advertising. Of the first instance the meetings at Elwood, Cfawfords- 

 ville and other points are examples. In these associations every stock- 

 holder has a permanent investment from which he expects dividends and 

 in case of dissolution a profit from the sale of the real estate. Conse- 

 quently each stockholder has a moneyed incentive to make his meeting a 

 financial success. These meetings are usually well ad\'ertised, because 

 each individual stockholder is an active agent. in his own interest and is 

 always saying something to popularize his fair. 



But of the other class where no dividends are expected, and where 

 all net profits are invested in buildings upon leased lands which upon 

 failure or abandonment will revert to the county, the stockholders have 

 no incentive for aggressive action other than a patriotic purpose to assist 

 . in a public educational enterprise, and as a matter of fact in this latter 

 class of corpoi'ations many stockholders lose their enthusiasm and drop 

 out of this public service, leaving the burden of advertising wholly upon 

 the few officers in charge. 



In the interest of this latter class of meetings, this paper is written 

 and the foregoing suggestions may be briefly stated thus: Get a large 

 number of reputable people into your organization. Administer its affairs 

 wisely. lievise your catalogue thoroughly. Post a fcAV large bills and a 

 great many smaller ones, and then contribute your best persuasive influ- 

 ence through the editorial columns of the newspapers and your fair will 

 be well advertised. 



Mr. Mitchell: Mv. Blackstock said that Indiana was formerly an 

 agricuHural State. That would convey the idea that it is not now an 

 agricultni'al Slate. While the manufacturing industries of Ihe State have 

 grown, Indiana has lost nothing in agricultural growth. 



Mr. Blackstock: I see yoiu- point and acknowledge it is a good one. 

 I meant that it was formerly exclusively an agricultiu'al State. Forty 

 years ago nearly everything manufactured came from the East and the 

 State was exclusively an agricultural State. That is not the case now. 1 

 did not mean, however, to convey the idea that agriculture was declining 

 in the State, becaus(> it is not. 



