STATE AGRICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 477 



years which I liave been .associated with j'oii, I believe it has been your greatest 

 pleasure and desire to do all you consistently could to promote the best interests of 

 the society, and liave eacli and all discharged the various duties assigned you faith- 

 fully and well. 



And 1 wish here to make special mention of him who has acted as chairman of 

 the business committee during these four successive years. You know as well as 1 

 that it is seldom you can lind the man that would or could give the time to any pub- 

 lic enterprise tliat Mr. Sterling has done for this society, and it is still more difficult 

 to find the man that could do it as well. For tliis large amount of labor, skill and 

 energy combined, it is not expected we can remunerate him. But I do believe we 

 all feel like presenting him with our testimony in some way as evidence of our rec- 

 ognition and appreciation of this extraordinary work, and would suggest such mau- 

 festation by the committee. 



In behalf of the officers I tender the most earnest thanks of the society to the 

 citizens of Detroit for their liberal contributions in mone}' and their efibrts in other 

 ways as a contribution to the success of the fair. And to the Mayor and Council for 

 their kindness and assistance in perfecting arrangements for the fair; to the rail- 

 road for their liberal arrangements and other acts of courtesy; and to the press for 

 their generous donations in advertising the fair, who have each and all performed 

 their part nobly in making the great fair of 1878. 



It is with deep regret that I announce the death of one of the board — an ex-Presi- 

 dent of the society, Hon. Charles Dickey, wiio died at his residence in Marshall last 

 evening. He was president of the society in 1858 and 1859 and, while he lived, ever 

 regarded with great interest its welfare and was always ready to aid in making its 

 exhibitions a success. The members of this society will miss, with regret, his pleas- 

 ant face and kind greetings at their annual gatherings. He was one of the pioneers 

 of Calhoun county, and with him it was both duty and pleasure to aid in the devel- 

 opment of the agricultural interests of the State. I recommend that this committee 

 pay a proper tribute of i-espect to the memory of our late associate and friend. 



Gentlemen, it has been my aim and desire throughout to discharge the duties of 

 my position in such a manner as would advance the best interests of the society, and 

 I earnestly hope it may have met your approval. I think it pi-obable I may have 

 committed many blunders. But I can assure you I am unconscious of committing 

 any intentional errors, and whatever success I may have met with, I am satisfied 

 very much it is due to your uniform kindness and assistance in trying to make these 

 duties as free from embarrassment as possible; and for this kindness and considera- 

 tion on your part I certainly have great reason to thank you. I now vacate this 

 chair with the greatest pleasure for him you have chosen to fill it. 



INAUGURAL ADDRESS OP PRESIDENT \V. L. WEBDER. 



Gentlemen of the Executive Committee : 



Less than thirty years ago, in March 1840, when Michigan as a State was but 

 twelve j^ears old, the then Governor, State ofiicers and members of the Legislature 

 at Lansing, recognizing the value of Michigan for agricultural purposes, and the 

 importance of Association for the development of that interest, formed the Michi- 

 gan State Agricultural Society. Gov, Ransom was made its first president and 

 Lieut. Gov. Fenton was one of its officers and delivered the first address under the 

 auspices of the Society. 



The gentlemen connected with this organization were the representatives of the 

 people; tliey knew and appreciated the value of the undeveloped territory in the 

 State, and they were then laboring to secure the most rapid development of its 

 agricultural capabilities. The act to incorporate the society was passed at the same 

 session and still stands unchanged as the organic law of the Society. The State 

 made annual appropriations for several years in aid of the society, and its proceed- 

 ings were published as public documents at the expense of the State. Essays upon 

 subjects of interest to the farmer were prepared and published with these pro- 

 ceedings. 



The object of the societj- as stated in the organic law, and which had been pre- 

 viously stated in the constitution, was and is "for the purpose of promoting the 

 improvement of agriculture and its kindred arts throughout the State of Michigan." 

 A careful examination of the writings and sayings of its founders shows that the 

 idea entertained by them as to the best means of accomplishing this object, was the 

 dissemination of information concerning agriculture, and its kindred arts. They 

 recognized that "knowledge is power" with the farmer as well as with others. 



Among their first eflbrts to that end was the project of an agricultural school 



