566 STATE BOAKD OF AGKICULTURE. 



DIV^ISIOX F— FARM MACHINERY. 



To the President and Executive Committee of the Slate Agricultural Society : 



The Superintendents In charge of Division F. (farm implements) would respectfully 

 report that the exhibition in their department was very fine, being a credit both to 

 the Societj^ and to tlie exhibitors, many of wlioin during this centennial year having 

 been called upon to make unusual eflorts at the national exhibition, have still felt 

 sufficient interest in our State fair to fill up this department with a larger, more 

 attractive and practical exhibition of implements than ever before. The whole num- 

 ber of entries in this division were 323, divided among the several classes as follows: 

 Class 33, plows, etc., 5(); class 34, tillage implements, 37; class 35, seed drills, sowers, 

 planters, etc., 25; class 36, hajiiig and harvesting implements. 53; class 37, apparatus 

 and machines connected with the cleaning and preparation of crops for market, etc., 

 49; class 38, miscellaneous farm articles, G6 ; class 39, dairj^ and household articles, 37; 

 but the number of entries did not at .all represent the number of implements or arti- 

 cles on exhibition, as in many of the classes under the same entry were displayed 

 many machines or articles of the same kind diflerently arranged to show their adapt- 

 ability to difierent work, or to make a display attractive to the patrons of the Society. 



The whole amount of premiums ofl'ered in this division was $023.42 diplonuas, and 

 11 silver medals. This, in our opinion, is as small an amomit as the Society can expect 

 to otter and give the necessarj^ encouargement to the exhibitors that the importance 

 of the division would seem to warrant. There were many articles not enumerated 

 in the premium list that we recommend to the attention of the Premium List Com- 

 mittee. The new departure taken by the Society in oft'ering large premiums (com- 

 pared with former years) to leading articles in each class has been a success, and we 

 would recommend its continuance in the future. We think it has added largely to 

 the attraction of the division, as well as caused a marked improvement in the quality 

 of the implements, thereby benefiting the farmers of the whole State. These pre- 

 miums were first ottered with the intention of encouraging manufactories in the 

 State but have been published in the premium list as open to all. As yet tliere has 

 been no competition in in several of the classes from other States, while in others 

 almost the entire exhibition has come from them. While the whole policy of the 

 Society is to open comi^etition to all, we h.ave no desire to make a si)ecialty of this 

 division. 



It h,as never been the intention of the Soci(!tj' to make exhibitors pay for attend- 

 ance tickets, yet the annoyance and dissatisfaction attending the distributing of them, 

 as well as the time necessarily occupied in such distribution, would seem to require a 

 radical change in the whole system, and we would recommend that a committee be 

 appointed to take into consideration this subject .as well .as the number of viewing 

 committees and their compensation during the fair. 



In this department it has become very dittlcult to secure the necessary attention to 

 the articles in the sevei'al classes, because of the number of implements to be exam- 

 ined and the limited time that can be spent at the fair, but if the whole subject could 

 be left with two committees, with expenses while on duty paid, experts might be 

 obtained without adding much to the expense of the Socie.ty. 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 



H. O. IIANFORD. 



DIVISION G-VEHICLES. 



To the Executive Committee of the 31ichigan State Agricultural Society : 



Gentlemen: — In Division G there were 49 entries, not a large number, certainly, 

 for a State Fair, but though few in number, in (pi.ality of workmanship and finish I 

 think the articles entered in this class of Michigan maimfacture Avould not sufier in 

 comparison with the same kind of work made in anj^ other State in the Union. In 

 this as in many other dep.artments of manufactures the people of Michigan need not 

 go abi-oad for work of superior merit. In many of the articles used by the people 

 Michigan is already independent of the rest of the world, .and by a proper develop- 

 ment of the resources within her borders may soon become so in nearly all. 



The accommodations for exhibitors in this department were on too small a scale 

 altogether. Not more than half the carriages entered could be sheltered from the 

 weather, much to the dissatisfaction of the exhibitors and the vexation of the Super- 

 intendent. A much larger amount of space must in future be provided or manufac- 

 turers will not exhibit valuable and highly finished work to be exposed to the sun 

 and storm. A liberal provision in this respect would undoubtedly result in advantage 

 to the Societ}'. 



J. Q. A. BUEEINGTON, Superintendent. 



