No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 203 



and improvements. You have also produced here in this valley, 

 great men. Men who have gone out to make the State better and 

 build it up. You have done your share in this section towards pre- 

 seiving the Union, and as we come into your city, we observe a 

 monument towering toward heaven, that has been erected by your 

 patriotic citizens, in remembrance of those who went from this 

 county to help preserve this glorious country of ours. This is a fit 

 tribute to those men, and it shows that you have men living today 

 in your midst who have not forgotten those who left home and 

 all that was near and dear to them to sacrifice their lives that we 

 today might live and enjoy this heritage. Monuments of this kind 

 should be erected in each county in our commonwealth, and I am 

 glad to note, as I get out through the State, that a spirit of this 

 kind is being manifested by our citizens, and a number of counties 

 have monuments similar to the one we have been privileged to 

 look upon in your city. 



But among the greatest monuments that any State can erect is 

 that of fine farms on which are erected good buildings and good 

 iinijrovements, and acres well tille". This is a monument that 

 will be lasting. 



I know you are good farmers out here; the only trouble is that 

 you grow too many politicians, because you are too near the State 

 of Ohio, and you have at least one man who favors Bryan. 



In responding to this address, you may ask, who is this body of 

 men who come to hold its annual metting in your city, and what 

 is their business? And you have a right to know, and if you will 

 indulge me a few minutes, I will try to give you some information 

 in regard to the business that brings us he"i'e. First, if you will 

 take the program, you will see that we have a meeting of the State 

 Board of Agriculture, and a stranger will say, ''What is that?" 

 That is an organization, which was established under an act of As- 

 sembly of your State, that has been existing since 1876. It has 

 a representation from each county, or a membership of 67, besides 

 three members that are appointed by the Grovernor and one 

 by the State Poultry Association. Then w'e have members who 

 are ex-officio, who are as follows: The distinguished Governor of 

 our State; the world wide known Henry Houck, Secretary of In- 

 ternal Affairs; the great educator, Dr. Schaeffcr; the new President 

 of State College, Dr. Earl Sparks, the gentleman who will take 

 charge of that institution next June, from whom we expect great 

 things; the honest and able Auditor General, Kobt. K. Young, and 

 our very efficient Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Critchfield. Mr. 

 Critchfield has a long record that would take me most of the even- 

 ing to recite, the positions he has filled in Pennsylvania, and the 

 work that he has done to make our State better along agricultural 

 lines; but I will say this, that in all the ]iositions he has been 

 placed, he has made good. The Board has been working along 

 agricultural lines in their respective counties in the State in the 

 Farmers' Institute work. 



The Utext organization that meets with you is the one headed by 

 your distinguished fellow-citizen, Hon. A. L. INfartin. This gen- 

 tleman is well known to you. You honored him by electing him 

 for three terms to the Legislature, in which body he SiOrved as 



