STATE AGRICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 481 



will fjjrcatly relievo the superintendents, and at the same time accommodate exhibi- 

 tors and visitors. 



The constitution provides that any person may become a member of this society 

 one year by paying $1. It is not competent for the Executive Committee to change 

 the constitution. Heretofore, on some occasions, tickets of admission have been 

 furnished to those buying membership tickets, cijual in value to the amount paid for 

 membership, and on other occasions equal to half that value, i I recommend that this 

 practice be discontinued, and that hereafter no admission ticket be furnished with a 

 membership ticket. If our annual membership is too high, it can be reduced by an 

 amendment to the constitution; if it is not too high it ought not to be neutralized 

 by the presentation of admission tickets. 



Much embarrassment has been heretofore experienced at times in awarding space 

 to exhibitors. Each exhibitor seems anxious to exhiljit all his goods together, and 

 very often desires space without considering how others may be incommoded by 

 complying with his request. Where goods of the same class are exhibited in differ- 

 ent parts of the hall, it is very troublesome for viewing committees to find them, 

 difficult to make comparison, and there is danger that some articles will be over- 

 looked. I recommend that space be assigned to each particular class, and that articles 

 belonging to that class, competing for premiums, be exhibited within the space 

 assigned. Should it so happen that this space should be filled before providing for 

 all exhibitors in that class, special accommodations can be made elsewhere, still 

 keeping the articles belonging to each class together. 



I recommend that the committee adopt a rule touching the creation of obligations 

 against the society. Each member of the Executive Committee should know pre- 

 cisely the extent of his power in this regard, and it is important that the Business 

 Committee should know whether claims have been duly authorized before audit. 



The area of the State of Michigan is approximately 36,128,640 acres, of which 

 about three-fifths are in the Lower Peninsula and two-fifths in the Upper. Our last 

 reports on the subject show that we have embraced in farms only about one-third of 

 the State. Still nearly two-thirds of Michigan is to be settled and developed. There 

 are thousands of persons in the older States and in foreign countries seeking homes. 

 This society, through its organization and through its members, may exert a good in- 

 fluence in giving information to these people where they may find homes at reasonable 

 prices, in a good society, with a genial people about them ; v/here their children can 

 have the best educational advantages, and where they can have superior facilities for 

 transportation; and we cannot do the State a greater service than to work to that 

 cud. 



As stated above, the Agricultural College has something over 160,000 acres of 

 unsold land in the Lower Peninsula. The State also has a large quantity of other 

 lands, approximately 2,500,000 acres, which were granted to it by the United States 

 for various trust purposes, and which are on sale at the State Land Office. 



Those portions of the State which are or have been covered with pine timber arc 

 co.pable of profitable agricultural development. The older members of the com- 

 munity can look back to places that, within their memory-, were shunned as worthless, 

 which have since, under intelligent cultivation, become valuable farming lands. 



The streams of the State furnish water power without limit. With our lumber, 

 timber, iron, copper, coal and other products, we are largely interested in mining 

 and manufactures. The gieat lakes, too, are unequalled for commercial purposes. 

 Our climate is tempered by these lakes surrounding us. The multitude of our inland 

 lakes and streams are capable of producing an immense amount of fish food at a com- 

 paratively nominal cost, and these, thanks to our fish commissioners, are being rapidly 

 utilized. 



The experience of the past proves that the money value of an acre devoted to agri- 

 culture in Slichigan is greater than in any other State west or south. The develop- 

 ment of the past has been rapid, considering the difticulties under which we have 

 labored. It is within the last eight years tliat the northern portion of this penin- 

 sula has been penetrated by railroads. Before then only the shores were accessible; 

 now every part of the State may be easily reached; and we may reasonably antici- 

 pate that the progress of the future will be more rapid than the past. In no State 

 do the interests of agriculture, manufactures and commerce more harmoniously oper- 

 ate for the welfare of the State and the comfort and profit of the people. We have 

 every encouragement to labor hopefully for the promotion of the object for which 

 the society is formed— the promotion of agriculture and its kindred arts throughout 

 the State of Micliigan. 



On motion of Mr. Baxter the addresses of the retiring and incoming Pres- 



