REPORTS FROM COUNTY SOCIETIES. 611 



ALPENA COUNTY AGRICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



Eeport of the President, the Secretary and Treasurer, with the receipts aud 

 expenditures of the Alpena Agricultural Society for the fourth annual fair, 

 held at the city of Alpena, October 5, 6, and 7, 1881. 



The following is a statement of receipts and expenditures for the fourth 

 year of the Alpena County Agricultural Society : 



SUMMARY. 



Beceipts. 



Received from all sources excepting county rates $738 38 



Received county, rate^l-10 mill on the dollar 485 00 



Deficit balance...*. 63 48 



$U286 66 



Disbursements. 



Special A class ^142 50 



Special blooded stock 14 OO 



Special speed premium 200 00 



Department B, classes premium 97 00 



c, " " ::.".:::::: 51 25 



D, " " 10 75 



E, « " 775 



Incidental expenses, police, etc 154 75 



Permanent improvements on grounds 358 6G 



Interest on bonds 250 00 



$1,286 66 



The Alpena County Agricultural Society was organized and incorporated 

 August 19, 1879. The late fair resulted in awarding 160 premiums, amount- 

 ing to $317.25. There were about 1,000 entries, constituting, especially in the 

 agricultural department, a quality of farm and dairy products that set the fact 

 that this county, notwithstanding its high northern latitude, is one of the best 

 producing counties of the State in all the hardy grains and grasses and root 

 crops so prominently before the people, that no denial of its general producing 

 capacity can be entertained. In the exhibition of fruit the quantity was 

 small, but the quality was very superior both in size and flavor. Apples, pears, 

 plums, peaches, and grapes are being cultivated with promising success. The 

 rapid settlement of the county is the most encouraging fact made prominent. 

 The society occupy thirty-three acres of ground in a central and beautiful 

 position with a beautiful river front on three sides. The grounds, where not 

 required for other purposes, has a beautiful growth of young evergreens from 

 five to fifteen feet in heighth which have been carefully trimmed, and at pres- 

 ent the grounds are cleaned up aud are substantially fenced, with commodious 

 buildings aud sheds for the purposes required. 



The grounds with the improvements have cost the society $4,200, and a por- 

 tion has been leased to a trotting park association for fifteen years, who have 

 now finished, fenced, and built a most elegant half mile track, claimed to be, 

 with the substantial buildings, equal to the best in the State, at a cost of $4,000. 

 The indebtedness of the society consists of $2,400; three, four, and five years' 

 bonds bearing interest, and the value of their property, as before stated, is 

 •18,000. The liberality of the people, and the energy and perseverance of the 



