190 MICHIGAN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



this liberal policy and the expense of holding fairs from place to place have 

 been too expensive, and we find our reserve fund nearly exhausted with our 

 annual expenditures in excess of the receipts. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, 

 Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, and other States, appreciating the value of 

 their State agricultural societies, in the development and stimulation of 

 agriculture, horticulture and manufacturing, have by State aid furnished the 

 means to enable their societies to locate permanently on land with suitable 

 buildings for their great annual exhibitions. 



Michigan is not usually behind her sister States in progress and enterprise, 

 when her Legislature is called upon to aid in any worthy object, and if there 

 is a State pride in our Agricultural College, as I am sure there is, I believe 

 there would be a hearty response on the part of the Legislature to aid this 

 Society in permanently locating its Fairs, and providing the means to render 

 certain a continuance of its present high rank among other State societies. 



I recommend that a committee be appointed at this meeting to consider 

 the matter of securing State aid, and to take the necessary steps in that 

 direction. 



The committee appointed to locate the Fair for 1886, decided to accept 

 the proposition of the city of Jackson to furnish the use of the Jackson 

 county fair ground enlarged and graded, with the buildings, sheds, stalls and 

 pens then on the ground put in good order, and remove the buildings, stalls, 

 sheds and pens owned by the State Society from Kalamazoo to Jackson, and 

 erect the same on the Jackson grounds ; to furnish a supply of water, and 

 put everything in good shape ready for use one week previous to the opening 

 of the Fair, Owing to delay on the part of the Jackson committee, how- 

 ever, this work was not completed until the stock began to pour in upon us, 

 causing great confusion in the horse and cattle departments, much to the 

 annoyance of exhibitors and the superintendents in charge. The demand 

 was so great that a large number of additional stalls had to be provided for 

 at considerable expense at a late day. I am under obligation to Superin- 

 tendents Phillips and Butterfield for their forbearance and good nature dur- 

 ing this trying time, and I hope such an emergency may not occur again. In 

 this case, it would not, if we had been ready when the Fair opened. The 

 Secretary should have the number of every stall, shed and pen, and when all 

 are taken, close the entries. 



The Fair opened on Monday, and Tuesday night found everything in good 

 running order, with every prospect of success. The exhibits in every depart- 

 ment were good, and in the Stock Department they were remarkably fine. 

 The entries were large, notwithstanding they were confined to Michigan alone, 

 a policy not always wise in my opinion, but eminently so now when the 

 dreaded cattle disease is so prevalent and destructive beyond our borders. I 

 am happy to say it has not as yet found its way into the herds of our State, 

 and every precaution should be taken to prevent its doing so. 



The heavy rain storm on Thursday was a serious blow to the Society, and 

 the deficiency in the receipts is undoubtedly attributable to the rain. Thurs- 

 day has become the great day of our Fairs, and hundreds of people were kept 

 away by the rain who would otherwise have come. 



I am responsible for the military drill of Friday, the last day of the Fair. 

 Thinking this would be an interesting feature in connection with the Fair, I 

 tried at an early day to interest several wealthy gentlemen of the State in the 

 matter, and get them to contribute towards raising a fund of one thousand 



