EEPORTS FROM COUNTY SOCIETIES. ^ 573 



BAKRY COUNTY. 



The Barry County Agricultural Society held its annual fair on its grounds in 

 Hastings on the 27th, 28th, and 29th of Septemher. Although the weather 

 was not altogether favorable, the attendance was quite good. The exhibition 

 of stock and of fruits and vegetables was better than has ever before been seen 

 on our grounds. Fancy articles were somewhat neglected, but in all the essen- 

 tial features of successful husbandry the exhibition showed considerable progress. 

 Financially the fair was a success, paying all expenses and reducing the debt of 

 the Society nearly $300.00, and with funds enough on hand to pay all claims, 

 except about 850.00, still due on the last purchase of land. 



Herewith is a list of the officers for 1877 : 



OFFICERS FOR 1S77. 



President — John Dawson. 

 Vice-President — Henry Houghtalin. 

 Secretary — Travers Phillips. 

 Treasurer — D. Strilcer. 



Directors—^. J. Bidleman, T. Altoft, C. J. Norris, Burton King, and J. C, Bray. 

 Marshal — Peter Cramer. 



GENESEE COUNTY. 



It was a wise provision of the founders of this Socxcty that its managers should 

 be required to make a yearly statement, not merely of its own transactions and 

 condition, but of the general condition of the agriculture, horticulture, and 

 manufactures of the county. It serves to place upon durable record a history 

 in abstract form of the progress from time to time of those interests which form 

 the basis of the productive wealth and industry of this community, and enables 

 us to trace the gradual development which the enterprise of our own people ex- 

 hibits in the general advance which distinguishes this prosperous commonwealth. 



In presenting you with the twenty-seventh annual report of this board it once 

 more becomes our province to congratulate you upon the continued success 

 which attends the society in promoting the objects for which it Avas instituted, 

 more than a quarter of a century ago. 



In reviewing for the past year the atmospheric conditions which exercise so 

 potent an influence over the productions of the soil, we find them in some of 

 the stages far from favorable to the development of superior crops. The wheat- 

 sowing time of 1875 was succeeded by a winter of the most unsteady tempera- 

 ture, alternately and suddenly freezing and thawing, with but little snow to 

 protect the surface of the ground from the effects of the sudden changes. The 

 spring of 1876 presented a more favorable aspect, but before the maturity of 

 any crops was followed by intensely hot weather, ungenial to all plants not of a 

 tropical nature. The harvest time was fine, and the fall season pleasant and 

 unvisited l:)y severe frost until late in the year. We will now briefly note the 

 effects of these conditions upon the leading agricultural staples of this county. 



