AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 145 



committees for cattle, for horses, for fruits and horticultural 

 matters, bees, poultry, etc. Would not any one, a member of 

 that committee for which his nature fits him, perceiving that 

 the credit of the exhibition in his department depends upon his 

 exertion, see to it that the show here is creditable ? It would 

 involve, of course, responsibility and labor. Of these we stand 

 in need. 



To bring matters down to particulars, I will suggest there be 

 appointed three persons much interested in poultry (taking this, 

 interest as illustrative of the course to be pursued with other 

 interests) ; place with them the responsibility of this department ; 

 assign them space for exhibition ; a certain amount of money for 

 preparing this space for the reception of poultry, and the amount 

 to be given in premiums and gratuities; also to establish rules, 

 etc. Whatever the committee may propose to do will be laid 

 before the executive committee of the society for their approval, 

 without which they may do nothing. It is presumed the so- 

 ciety will accord the committee as large an independence as is 

 consistent with the general purposes and aims of the organiza- 

 tion. Judges are not to be appointed by this managing com- 

 mittee, since the members are likely to exhibit poultry of their 

 own or have a personal interest in the awards. It is essential 

 that no suspicion of partiality on the part of the appointing 

 power shall exist, and if this is lodged in the executive officers of 

 the society, united perhaps with a small committee of the trus- 

 tees, it will elicit more personal and definite responsibility. 



Through the aid of this managing committee, poultry fanciers 

 will have the surest guarantee of satisfaction. The central idea, 

 upon which the success of the plan will hinge, is to lodge re- 

 sponsibility and influence with poultry fanciers ; and if there is 

 failure, blame does not attach to the society at large and dis- 

 courage and enfeeble its influence in other directions. It is 

 plain to see that such a system, adopted by a society predomi- 

 nating over a large area, where lively interest is felt in it, would 

 promote the success of the organization. In a society like our 

 own, local, of few persons adapted to lead and command a fol- 

 lowing, it becomes more a question, but I cannot help thinking 

 it worthy of the society's most mature consideration. 



With a debt as large as ours, it becomes us to increase our 

 expenses only with the greatest prudence, and not without ex- 



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